A Report to the President of the United States 

by the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne

May 2007

T H E

FUTURE

O F

AMERICA’S

NATIONAL

PARKS

1916

2016
T H E

FUTURE

O F

AMERICA’S

NATIONAL

PARKS

A Report to the President of the United States 

by the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne

May 2007

1916

2016
School children visiting Channel Islands National Park may grow up to be 

underwater archaeologists. Students 

touring Gettysburg witness history and 

courage, forever shaping their lives. 

These experiences will only continue if 

parks are preserved.

In 40 listening sessions across America, 

we heard Americans express their 

hopes, dreams and, frankly, their concerns for national parks. We received 

6,000 comments, talked with employees, experts, and advocates, and 

consulted with Office of Management 

and Budget Director Rob Portman 

and Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Jim Connaughton. The 

universal message was that parks need 

bold goals, clear objectives, specific 

strategies, and increased and accountable public and private investment. 

I have also had the honor of discussing 

your Centennial Initiative with a true 

champion of national parks, your wife, 

First Lady Laura Bush. She demonstrates her commitment, through her 

work with Preserve America, to the 

places that honor our history. Her 

service and dedication to all national 

parks, as honorary chairwoman of the 

National Park Foundation, serve as an 

example and inspiration to all of us. 

This report identifies overarching 

goals to guide the work leading up to 

the 100th anniversary in 2016. The 

National Park Service will transform 

these goals into reality. In consultation 

with partners and using these goals as a 

framework, every park superintendent 

will craft an implementation strategy.

These goals require increased 

investment. Mr. President, your 2008 

budget is the largest in National Park 

Service history. Next year Americans 

will see 3,000 more uniformed park 

rangers. Your initiative will inspire 

future administrations to sustain this 

investment.

You also committed an additional 

mandatory $100 million for each of 

the next 10 years if matched by private donations. This funding will spur 

philanthropic investment, a national 

park tradition. Thirty national parks 

began with private gifts. You also asked 

for centennial projects and programs 

to continue the “legacy of leveraging philanthropic, partnership, and 

government investments for the benefit 

of national parks and their visitors.” 

Americans responded to your call in 

force. Some 2,000 ideas were submitted. The National Park Foundation, 

chartered by Congress to seek gifts 

benefiting national parks, will work 

with park friends groups to raise 

necessary funds.

In the spirit of partnership bolstered 

by the listening sessions, National Park 

Service Director Mary Bomar and I 

will continue to engage the American 

people in fulfilling this vision for the 

future of national parks.

This August 25th, on the 91st anniversary, I will report on each park’s 

centennial strategy as well as projects 

that should be funded in 2008. All projects will meet the highest standards of 

accountability and transparency. This 

sets the tradition that the Secretary 

of the Interior will report annually on 

progress achieved and future actions 

to be taken.

We will work cooperatively with 

Congress on this initiative. Democratic 

and Republican leaders support this effort. They see national parks as you do: 

an American treasure, not a partisan issue. When first created, national parks 

helped unify a nation divided by civil 

war. Parks should remain a unifying 

and enduring source of pride.

 The 21st-century National Park Service will be energized to preserve parks 

and welcome visitors. Stewardship 

and science will guide decisions. An 

inventory of all wildlife in parks will be 

completed, a vital baseline to monitor change and adjust management. 

Strategic acquisitions will protect 

landscapes. Parks will be known as 

America’s best classrooms. We will 

work carefully to add new parks to tell 

America’s stories. Facilities will be in 

better condition. Hallowed battlefields 

will be preserved. Majestic species that 

symbolize this nation, such as bison 

and bald eagles, will thrive in their 

native habitats. A new era of privatepublic partnerships will bring greater 

excellence to parks. More volunteers 

will add value to park experiences. 

The latest information technology will 

captivate young people with the national park story. Children will reconnect to the outdoors and lead healthier 

lives. A new generation of conservationists will convey parks unimpaired 

to the next generation. 

Therefore, firm in the conviction that 

the golden years for national parks 

have not passed but are ahead, I propose five overarching goals to guide the 

National Park Service each day for the 

next nine years leading up to its 100th 

anniversary: 

• Lead America in preserving and 

restoring treasured resources; 

• Demonstrate environmental leadership to the nation;

• Offer superior recreational experiences where visitors explore and 

enjoy nature and the great outdoors, 

culture and history;

• Foster exceptional learning opportunities connecting people to parks, 

especially children and seniors; and

• Achieve management and partnership excellence to match the magnificence of the treasures entrusted to 

its care. 

Sincerely,

DIRK KEMPTHORNE

From the Secretary

Dear Mr. President,

Inspired by the 

passions of thousands 

of citizens and mindful 

that boldness matches 

our history, today 

I bring you our vision 

to ensure that the 

American love affair 

with national parks 

endures.

Above: Interior Secretary Dirk 

Kempthorne joins a Junior 

Ranger program.

Cover: Family experiencing Santa 

Monica Mountains National Recreation 

Area, California.

Americans love their parks. Yosemite 

and Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and 

Grand Teton, Shiloh and Shenandoah, 

and other parks are sanctuaries of enjoyment, recreation, learning, and personal renewal. They preserve majestic 

natural wonders and offer spectacular 

backcountry hiking. They are home to 

grizzlies, moose, spawning salmon, and 

birds of all feathers. They help us keep 

watch over battlefields hallowed by red 

badges of courage. They keep culture 

alive at sites dedicated to the performing arts, poetry, and music. Urban 

parks introduce inner-city children 

to outdoor wonders. Parks teach and 

inspire. Parks are America the beautiful...the cultural...the historical.

Last August, on the 90th anniversary of 

the National Park Service, you directed 

me to write specific performance goals 

to be achieved so our parks enjoy “another century of conservation, preservation, and enjoyment.” Because parks 

are set aside for America’s future, the 

best goals meet the needs of both parks 

and future generations.

America’s population is growing, 

aging, becoming more diverse, and 

more urbanized. Children are increasingly disconnected from the outdoors. 

Urban sprawl has affected the woods 

and fields where many of today’s 

parents and grandparents played as 

children. Modern technology and virtual experiences compete with authentic learning adventures and personal 

exploration of our nation’s nature and 

history.

National parks find themselves in 

changing landscapes, compromised 

by invasive species that disrupt native 

plant and animal communities. Sensitive freshwater species, including native trout, are missing from park habitats. Many ocean fish are in decline, 

while coral reefs—popular showcases 

of dazzling biological complexity—

display signs of distress. Fragmented 

habitats result in fewer migratory birds 

returning to national parks.

The challenge facing the National Park 

Service is to conserve what is timeless 

while keeping pace with the modern 

needs of Americans. The National Park 

Service must make a 21st-century commitment to work in partnership to preserve parks, while re-connecting adults 

and children to the outdoors, history, 

and culture. An inner-city child in Washington, D.C. who catches a bluegill in 

a cement-lined pond in Constitution 

Gardens may one day explore the 

wilds of Alaska fishing for king salmon. 
The men and women of the National Park Service, our 

partners, and our volunteers are proud to carry out these 

responsibilities. Much has been accomplished, and more 

remains to be done to fulfill a common American dream—

to leave things better for those who follow us. As we look 

forward to our next century, the National Park Service will 

develop new programs and practices—and perhaps a few 

new parks—to create exciting opportunities for conservation, preservation, and enjoyment.

To keep our parks and programs vibrant for another century, 

Secretary Kempthorne has embraced five goals to guide us 

as we prepare for 2016. Bold in concept and broad in reach, 

these goals provide the opportunity for every American to 

make meaningful contributions to “America’s best idea.”

These goals, national strategies, and potential projects will 

be supported by centennial plans for each of our 391 sites. 

Superintendents are working with park friends, advocacy 

groups, and community leaders to prepare the vision and 

outline specific actions for their own parks. They will also 

identify the specific projects and programs to be proposed 

for public/private funding between now and 2016.

Based on our listening sessions across the nation and on 

reports from park superintendents and program managers 

throughout the National Park Service, we are developing a 

list of centennial projects that will ensure all parks benefit 

from this effort, so that all visitors can enjoy vibrant national 

parks. 

We will also be accountable to the American people for our 

actions and develop benchmarks to measure our success. 

Our business practices will ensure transparency and accountability with the funds entrusted to us by both the taxpayers and philanthropic donors. And we will report back 

to the citizens to tell them how we are doing.

The National Park Service will care for the parks and foster 

a new generation of stewards to care for the riches we enjoy 

as Americans. The enduring legacy of the centennial will 

be to engage new generations of Americans in the values 

of their national parks and ensure their care for a second 

century. 

The National Park Service will educate our visitors, especially our children, and empower them as citizens. We will 

rely on more than traditional “bricks and mortar” projects 

as we look to connect Americans to their parks via technology, trails, and educational programs.

The National Park Service will create recreational experiences second to none as a right of all Americans. In 1912, a 

British diplomat described our national parks as, “The best 

idea that America ever had.” Almost a century later, we must 

do all we can to ensure we continue that legacy. Americans 

of the 21st century deserve no less than our best. 

The National Park Service will be environmental leaders to 

preserve the quality of parks for our children’s children. We 

will use the sciences not only to inform our visitors, but to 

preserve our parks and respond to changing conditions in 

our parks, on the planet, and in our society. Whether we are 

removing invasive species from parkland or broadening our 

stories to reach diverse audiences, parks will keep in step 

with changing times. We have enormous potential as a living 

classroom, where what we do and how we do it can serve as 

models to others—from our care of facilities and landscapes, 

to restoration of ecosystems, to the use of environmentally 

friendly technologies. All have the potential to transform 

both the National Park Service and America. 

The National Park Service will organize for action—it will 

not be business as usual as we shift into high gear for our 

centennial. We hereby devote ourselves to developing the 

next generation of leaders, and providing them with the 

tools and business practices that will reinforce confidence 

in our stewardship capacities.

As we prepare for our centennial, it will take an army of supporters to help in these efforts. From national organizations 

like the National Park Foundation, to more than 160 park 

friends groups to 140,000 volunteers, we will rely on them 

to augment the efforts of the 20,000 men and women of the 

National Park Service.

This is not only a report to the president but a pledge to the 

American people, who are the shareholders in the greatest 

system of parks and special places in the world... a pledge 

that the men and women of the National Park Service will 

continue to preserve these wonderful places for the generations yet to come.

Sincerely,

MARY A. BOMAR

“National parks 

are special places 

that unite us all 

as Americans...as 

we prepare for 

the centennial, all 

Americans will stand 

united for their 

national parks.”

Mary A. Bomar 

17th Director of the 

National Park Service

From the Director

As an “American by Choice” for three decades, I stand 

shoulder-to-shoulder with 300 million of my fellow citizens, united in the common cause of our national parks. In 

October 1977, I took the oath of citizenship, and received 

a presidential letter that told me I had the right and the 

responsibility to participate in our government. Little did 

I know that 29 Octobers later, I would take another oath—

this time as the first naturalized citizen responsible for all 

our magnificent national parks.

There are special places that unite us all as Americans, 

whether your ancestors arrived here thousands of years ago, 

300 years ago, or three weeks ago. National parks are those 

places, and it is our shared responsibility to preserve them 

for the generations yet to come.

On August 25, 1916, the National Park Service was formed 

to manage special places set aside to reflect the character 

of a great nation—and preserve them for our children and 

grandchildren. Today, the National Park Service manages 

391 sites, and also reaches beyond park boundaries to help 

communities preserve their heritage and promote outdoor 

recreation. What an awesome responsibility—and one that 

I take very seriously.

The Director celebrating 

the Easter Egg Roll, an annual 

tradition on the White House 

lawn.
A wired America 

For parks to remain relevant, 

especially to young people, 

they will need to stay abreast 

of technological change and 

remain flexible in providing 

content consistent with visitor expectations.

Paradoxically, to get children outdoors, we must 

reach them indoors through 

computers.

The use of handheld wireless devices dominates 

American society. The use of 

geo-positioning systems and 

online social networking is 

becoming commonplace. 

This will be replaced by 

technology not yet imagined.

This technology creates a 

dilemma for national parks. 

While some visit parks to 

escape the latest technology, 

others expect it to enhance 

their park experience. Parks 

must balance technological 

opportunities with the need 

to offer sanctuary from the 

pressures of modern life.

The changing planet 

Maintaining national parks 

in an era of rapid global 

change will demand the 

highest levels of performance from the National 

Park Service and the involvement of the American 

people. 

Changing climate, weather 

patterns, sea level, wildlife 

communities, and regional 

landscapes will require science-based adaptive strategies and management for 

our nation’s natural heritage 

to remain intact.

Retiring employees

As the National Park Service 

loses experienced employees, it gains the opportunity 

to reshape its workforce.

The average age of National 

Park Service employees is 47 

years.

Eleven percent of employees are eligible to retire 

immediately. More than 35 

percent will be eligible in 

the next five years. 

Charitable giving 

trends

The National Park Service 

has a rich tradition of philanthropic support. Thirty 

national parks were created 

through private donations, 

and many more are enhanced by the contributions 

of people who care about 

them. We need to rekindle 

this tradition.

In 2005, charitable giving exceeded $260 billion. Causes 

related to the National Park 

Service mission—education; 

health; arts, culture, and 

humanities; environment; 

and animals—received $90 

billion.

In 2005, the National Park 

Service received $27 million 

in cash gifts. The combined value of contributed 

services totaled more than 

$200 million.

Families enjoy a hike with a 

ranger at Zion National Park, 

Utah.

Podcast tour at Valley 

Forge National Historical 

Park, Pennsylvania. Parks 

are exploring innovative 

technologies to provide 

dynamic information and 

interpretation.

Families enjoy a hike with a 

ranger at Zion National Park, 

Utah.

The Centennial Initiative will 

prepare parks for the next century, 

when new trends will reshape our 

society and make unprecedented 

demands of preservation, 

education, and recreation.

Changing 

demographics

National parks need to prepare for a larger, older, and 

more diverse population 

that is experiencing cultural 

changes. 

The retirement of the baby 

boom generation creates 

more time for them to visit 

and volunteer at parks.

The U.S. population will 

grow and become more 

diverse. It is projected to 

increase by 40 percent from 

300 million today to 420 

million in 2050. In that same 

period of time, the Hispanic 

population will grow from 

13 percent to 25 percent. 

The number of African 

Americans will rise by two 

percent. The percentage of 

white Americans will decline 

by 10 percent.

Between 2000 and 2050, the 

number of people between 

ages 65 and 84 will increase 

115 percent. Those 85 and 

older will increase 390 

percent.

Population migration

National parks will become 

increasingly important as 

landscapes protected from 

urbanization. Urban and 

suburban development and 

population increases will 

add pressure to protect park 

resources, especially along 

park boundaries.

By 2025, 75 percent of 

Americans will live within 

100 miles of the nation’s 

coasts.

Population increases in 

the West will place more 

Americans closer to large 

national parks such as 

Yosemite, Olympic, and 

Mount Rainier. 

Workers value time 

over money

Greater leisure time and 

time with family present an 

opportunity for national 

parks to provide meaningful experiences that allow 

productive and engaging use 

of these precious hours.

A recent Harris poll found 

that one-third of Americans 

expect to have more leisure 

time in the next five years 

than they now have. That 

same poll found that workers wish they had about 

one more day of leisure per 

week.

In the 21st century, workers 

given the choice may trade 

higher salaries for more time 

with their families.

Children disconnected 

from the outdoors

National parks offer an ideal 

venue to reconnect children 

with the outdoors through 

active education and recreation.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that young 

people spend 6.5 hours a 

day using electronic media. 

Surveys also show that 70 

percent of mothers played 

outdoors every day as 

children, compared with 31 

percent of their children.

Without concerted effort, 

children will continue to 

spend less and less time in 

direct contact with nature. This adversely affects 

children’s physical and 

mental health. 

Studies show that getting 

kids out of doors, away from 

television and video games, 

fosters creative mental activity and concentration and 

reduces depression.

The Case for Change
in the Future

President George Bush’s charge to the 

National Park Service, issued during its 

90th anniversary, calls for all Americans 

to work together to prepare our national 

parks for another century of conservation, preservation, and enjoyment. For 

fiscal year 2008, President Bush proposed 

the largest operating budget in National 

Park Service history and launched the 

$3 billion National Park Centennial Initiative to provide the National Park Service 

with resources to meet this challenge. 

President’s Centennial 

Commitment

$100 million per year for 10 years in 

federal spending will fund new levels 

of excellence in parks. These funds 

will hire 3,000 more seasonal national 

park rangers, guides, and maintenance 

workers; repair buildings; improve 

landscapes; and enroll more children 

in Junior Ranger and Web Ranger programs. Together with private donations 

and the president’s challenge funds, 

this provides the potential for up to 

$3 billion in new funds over the 

next 10 years. 

President’s Centennial 

Challenge

$100 million per year of federal 

mandatory funding to match $100 

million or more in cash donations to the National Park Service. 

The Department of the Interior transmitted to the Congress its legislative 

proposal to create the National Park 

Centennial Challenge Fund Act, which 

would provide these funds through 

2016. 

Funding the First Steps: 2008

$40.6 million to hire 3,000 new seasonal park rangers for interpretation, 

resource protection, and maintenance

$35 million increase to cyclic 

maintenance; $10 million dedicated to 

historic structures

$3.4 million to expand the 

Volunteers In Parks program

$1 million to enhance youth connections to parks through Junior Ranger 

and Web Ranger programs

$20 million in flexible park base 

funding for cultural and natural resource protection and preservation

P U B L I C A N D P R I VAT E I N V E S T M E N T I N N AT I O N A L PA R K S

“A vital goal for this country would be to prepare the 

parks, to guard the parks, to conserve the parks, and to 

make the parks relevant to the American people in honor 

of the 100th anniversary.”

Investing

President George Bush 

and Interior Secretary Dirk 

Kempthorne announce 

the Centennial Initiative at 

Shenandoah National Park, 

Virginia.
to Americans

“I am a resident of Manhattan and a 

member of the Friends of Acadia National 

Park. I went there for the first time on the 

anniversary of September 11th, because I 

couldn’t bear to be here. I lost many friends in 

that event. 

I fell in love with the park.”

New York City listening session participant

Acadia National Park, 

Maine.

“I encourage you to invite and receive suggestions 

from those who desire to preserve the scenic, cultural, 

historical, geological, and recreational values of our 

national parks.”

In announcing his Centennial Initiative, 

President Bush emphasized the need to listen:

The National Park Service reached out to people 

to listen to their hopes and ideas for the future of 

America’s national parks. 

By sharing their thoughts through face-toface listening sessions, a website, and written 

comments, Americans helped to shape this report. 

Listening

Listening session in 

Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 
“A visit to a national park should cause you to think, to 

learn, to experience, and grow.”

“I hope that if and when aliens ever land on this planet, 

they do not say ‘Take us to your leader.’ Rather, they say 

‘Take us to your national parks.’”

“National Parks play an important role in both domestic 

and international tourism. They represent what is right

with the United States. Or at least they should.”

“Opportunities need to be available for youth not only to 

visit national parks, but to get their hands dirty and serve.”

“I envision investments in technology that will provide 

a dynamic experience that goes beyond each individual 

park and provides a global linkage.”

“Each site should exude confidence, sturdiness of buildings—

both new and historical—and a sense of awe.”

“Allow people to experience a landscape that is free of 

modern noise and distraction. Many places can offer noise 

and bustle. Very few offer tranquility.”

“National Parks must reflect the best of the American people 

in all of their diversity. They should be places where skin 

color differs, where multiple languages are spoken, where 

program content reflects cultural experience, and where 

people with physical disabilities are able to have a true 

wilderness experience.”

What We Heard...

“

”

Conducted more than 40 listening sessions from Alaska to Florida

Received comments online and by mail

Heard from 4,500 people

Considered suggestions from non-profit partners and 

advocacy, environmental, and recreation groups 

Interviewed park employees and retirees

Consulted with Members of Congress and state 

and local officials

Summarized 6,000 comments

1. Imagine you, your children, or future generations 

enjoying national parks in 2016 and beyond. What are 

your hopes and expectations?

2. What role do you think national parks should play in the 

lives of Americans and visitors from around the world?

3. What are the signature projects and programs that you 

think should be highlighted for completion over the 

next 10 years?

What We Asked...

F O R G I N G A S H A R E D V I S I O N

Listening session at 

Cuyahoga Valley 

National Park, Ohio.
for the Future

The National Park Centennial Initiative advances 

the National Park Service’s role as the world leader 

in natural and cultural resource stewardship.

It enlivens opportunities for people to enjoy the 

resources entrusted to our care and challenges our 

leaders to achieve even greater success.

We will engage community partners to reach 

young people and new audiences, enriching their 

lives and protecting America’s treasures for future 

generations.

We will work with the leaders of the House 

and Senate Energy and Natural Resources and 

Appropriations committees to gain support for the 

centennial legislation and funding.

Our goals emerged from these themes:

• Stewardship

• Environmental Leadership

• Recreational Experience

• Education

• Professional Excellence

C E N T E N N I A L I N I T I A T I V E

Vision

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of 

the National Park Service in 2016, America 

invites the world to discover the meaning 

of national parks to their lives and inspires 

people to both experience and become 

devoted to these special places.

1916

2016

Taking a closer look at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 

North Carolina.
The National Park Service leads America 

and the world in preserving and restoring 

treasured resources. We will:

• Provide inspiring, safe, and accessible places for people 

to enjoy—the standard to which all other park systems 

aspire.

• Improve the condition of park resources and assets.

• Set the standard of excellence in urban park landscape 

design and maintenance.

• Assure that no compelling chapter in the American 

heritage experience remains untold and that 

strategically important landscapes are acquired, as 

authorized by Congress.

• Serve as the preeminent resource laboratory by 

applying excellence in science and scholarship to 

understand and respond to environmental changes.

• Encourage children to be future conservationists.

S P E C I F I C P E R F O R M A N C E G O A L S

Rehabilitate high-priority historic buildings to good condition, and help 

communities to preserve their history through programs like Preserve America.

Restore native habitats by controlling invasive species and reintroducing key 

plant and animal species.

Improve high-priority assets to acceptable condition, as measured by the 

Facility Condition Index.

Improve the natural resources in parks, as measured by the vital signs 

developed under the Natural Resource Challenge.

Complete all cultural resource inventories for designated priority resources.

P O T E N T I A L A C T I O N S A N D E X A M P L E S

Protect battlefields from encroachment by acquiring high-priority lands at 

Richmond National Battlefield Park and Pecos National Historical Park’s 

Glorieta Battlefield.

Finish Flight 93 National Memorial to honor the heroes of September 11th.

Rehabilitate facilities, roads, trails, and campgrounds in the National Historic 

Landmark District at Mount Rainier National Park.

Demonstrate excellence in park design, maintenance, and visitor services at the 

National Mall & Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.

Accelerate and complete all-taxa biota studies in 32 ecoregions so the 

National Park Service has a comprehensive plant and animal inventory.

Demonstrate restoration excellence by returning natural water flows through 

Everglades National Park and Olympic National Park’s Elwha River.

Caring for America’s Treasures

Stewardship

Young volunteers in the 

Urban Trailblazers Summer 

Program clean up the Lands 

End trail at Golden Gate 

National Recreation Area, 

California.

In 1916, the 

National Park 

Service accepted 

six million acres 

for safekeeping, 

a responsibility 

that now exceeds 

84 million acres. 

The challenge is 

to conserve what 

is timeless while 

keeping pace 

with the needs of 

modern Americans. 

Leading up to 

2016, visitors will 

experience superior 

park services, 

maintenance, and 

restoration.
S P E C I F I C P E R F O R M A N C E G O A L S

Establish programs to showcase exemplary environmental practices and 

increase visitor awareness of how the practices apply to their daily lives, as 

measured by surveys.

Demonstrate environmental excellence through increased use of alternative 

energy and fuels at every park.

Reduce the environmental impacts of park operations on air and water quality.

Serve as a model for energy efficiency, under Executive Order 13423, by ensuring 

that every new park facility achieves at least the silver rating equivalent under the 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

P O T E N T I A L A C T I O N S A N D E X A M P L E S

Demonstrate highest standards of energy efficient design using the 

USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center as an example. 

Require all parks to complete energy use evaluations and make adjustments 

accordingly.

Develop an alternative fuel shuttle service, working with the State of Hawaii, 

at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Communicate environmental practices used in parks that can be used 

residentially and commercially.

Demonstrate the use of alternative bio-fuels to reduce diesel fuel use in 

remote Alaska parks.

The National Park Service demonstrates 

environmental leadership to the nation. 

We will:

• Reduce environmental impacts of park operations.

• Inspire an environmental conscience in Americans.

• Engage partners, communities, and visitors in shared 

environmental stewardship.

Environmental

Leadership

Setting the Green Standard

© CHRIS AREND PHOTOGRAPHY

The nation’s first 

conservationists 

were those who 

created national 

parks. National 

parks must promote 

environmental 

leadership that 

comes with being 

America’s greatest 

gift, especially 

in the face of a 

growing population 

and environmental 

change.

Denali National Park’s new 

LEED silver-certified Denali 

Visitor Center, Alaska.
S P E C I F I C P E R F O R M A N C E G O A L S

Increase annual volunteer hours by 100 percent, from 5.2 million hours to 

10.4 million hours.

Increase visitation by 25 percent at lesser-known parks through a national tourism 

effort aimed at helping people to discover the breadth of parks and experiences.

Rehabilitate over 2,000 miles of trails within or connected to national parks, 

including trails accessible to those with disabilities.

Increase the number of visitors that attend ranger-facilitated programs such as 

campfire talks, hikes, and school programs.

P O T E N T I A L A C T I O N S A N D E X A M P L E S

Use the Alaska National Parks marketing partnership as a model to reach new 

audiences and promote off-season visitation.

Use urban parks as portals to encourage children and their families to discover all 

national parks, based on the successful models of the “learn to sail” program for 

New York City youth at Gateway National Recreation Area and youth 

stewardship programs, serving children in San Francisco, at Golden Gate National 

Recreation Area.

Rehabilitate the last section of the towpath at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National 

Historical Park so hikers and bikers can traverse its 185-mile length. 

Promote a “get outdoors America” campaign to encourage invigorating outdoor 

activity.

National parks are superior recreational 

destinations where visitors have fun, explore nature 

and history, find inspiration, and improve health 

and wellness. We will: 

• Encourage collaboration among and assist park and 

recreation systems at every level—federal, regional, state, 

local—to help build an outdoor recreation network accessible 

to all Americans.

• Establish “volun-tourism” excursions to national parks for 

volunteers to help achieve natural and cultural resource 

protection goals.

• Expand partnerships with schools and boys and girls 

associations to show how national park experiences can 

improve children’s lives.

• Focus national, regional, and local tourism efforts to reach 

diverse audiences and young people and to attract visitors to 

lesser-known parks.

Recreational

Experience

Enjoying Nature and Culture

Biking the trails in 

Canyonlands National Park, 

Utah.

National parks 

restore minds, 

hearts, and souls. 

Many Americans, 

especially children, 

are increasingly 

disconnected from 

the great outdoors. 

National parks 

will be part of the 

solution to reduce 

obesity, chronic 

illness, and adultonset diabetes. 

More Americans 

will volunteer their 

leisure hours to 

help park visitors 

and improve 

landscapes.

© DAVID MADISON/CORBIS
The National Park Service fosters exceptional 

learning opportunities that connect people to 

parks. We will: • Cooperate with educators to provide curriculum 

materials, high-quality programs, and park-based and 

online learning. 

• Introduce young people and their families to national 

parks by using exciting media and technology. 

• Promote life-long learning to connect generations 

through park experiences.

• Impart to every American a sense of their citizen 

ownership of their national parks.

S P E C I F I C P E R F O R M A N C E G O A L S

Increase visitors’ satisfaction, understanding, and appreciation of the 

parks they visit.

Enroll an additional two million children in the Junior Ranger program.

Increase the number of web hits through the introduction of advanced, 

interactive features that attract young people to national parks.

P O T E N T I A L A C T I O N S A N D E X A M P L E S

Work with educators to develop curricula to be posted online that teachers can 

use in classrooms and field trips to parks.

Modernize exhibits and facilities, such as renovating the Franklin Court museum 

at Independence National Historical Park to teach visitors about Benjamin 

Franklin’s inventions and life. 

Launch, by September 2008, a technologically advanced, content-rich website 

dedicated to young people that will increase their interest in national parks.

Establish 10 learning centers at parks near major population centers to serve 

students and their communities, such as Knoxville, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; 

San Francisco, California; and St. Louis, Missouri. 

Education

Learning in America’s Greatest Classrooms

Discovering Bolivar Heights 

at Harpers Ferry National 

Historical Park, West Virginia.

As the “greatest 

university without 

walls,” the National 

Park Service 

helps Americans 

understand their 

history, culture, 

and the forces that 

shape the great 

outdoors. National 

parks must embrace 

education as 

central to their 

mission. America 

will learn about 

national parks 

using emerging 

technologies. 

Children will be 

introduced to parks 

to learn that parks 

are fun, laying the 

foundation for 

them to become 

conservationists. 
The National Park Service demonstrates 

management excellence worthy of the 

treasures entrusted to our care. We will:

• Be one of the top 10 places to work in America.

• Use strategic planning to promote management 

excellence.

• Promote a safety and health culture for all employees 

and visitors.

• Model what it means to work in partnership.

• Make national parks the first choice in philanthropic 

giving among those concerned about environmental, 

cultural, and recreational values.

S P E C I F I C P E R F O R M A N C E G O A L S

Meet 100 percent of diversity recruitment goals by employing people who 

reflect the face of America.

Attain the highest employee satisfaction rate of all federal agencies, 

as measured by Office of Personnel Management surveys.

Establish a structured professional development curriculum to provide park 

managers with the skills to apply best business practices and superior leadership.

Improve communications and marketing capacity to increase public 

understanding of our mission, opportunities, and benefits. 

Reduce the number of employee lost-time incidents and serious visitor injuries 

by 20 percent.

P O T E N T I A L A C T I O N S A N D E X A M P L E S

Provide comprehensive, mission-oriented training within an employee’s first two 

years of service. 

Ensure transparency and accountability for government and donated funds. 

Work with partners to develop employee exchange programs to familiarize our 

workforce with private sector and partner practices.

Rehabilitate facilities to improve support and expand volunteer opportunities at 

Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Host annual listening sessions at every park to seek community and visitor 

sentiment and to share information.

Develop park managers’ capacity to lead change and meet leadership 

opportunities and challenges associated with increasingly complex park 

management.

Professional

Excellence

Preserving the Passion

Its own advisory 

board describes 

the National 

Park Service 

as “a sleeping 

giant—beloved 

and respected, 

yes; but perhaps a 

bit too cautious, 

too resistant 

to change, too 

reluctant to engage 

the challenges that 

must be addressed 

in the 21st century.” 

Leading up to its 

second century, 

the National 

Park Service will 

establish model 

management 

and partnership 

practices by a 

workforce that 

reflects the 

changing and 

diverse face of 

America. 

Pointing the way,

San Francisco Maritime 

National Historical Park, 

California.
An Enduring Legacy

Philanthropy and partnerships 

are cherished traditions of the 

National Park Service. Thirty 

parks began with gifts from 

private donors. To spark greater 

giving in the future, the presi­dent 

has proposed one billion dollars 

in federal funds if matched by 

an equal amount of non-federal 

funds. 

The Congressionally chartered 

National Park Foundation and 

more than 144 park friends 

groups will lead efforts to raise 

these donations. An October 2007 

summit on philanthropy is being 

planned to develop a national, 

regional, and local philanthropic 

framework for national parks.

1933

National monuments and military 

parks such as Antietam National Battlefield under War Department jurisdiction 

are transferred to the National Park 

Service.

1950s

Philanthropist 

Paul Mellon (left)

shown here with 

his father, Andrew 

Mellon, joins the 

State of North 

Carolina to fund 

acquisition of the 

first shore park, 

Cape Hatteras 

National Seashore.

1980s

Business executive 

Lee Iacocca leads in 

raising $350 million 

from individuals, corporations, 

foundations, and 

nonprofits to renovate the Statue 

of Liberty and 

Ellis Island’s Great 

Hall. Pennies from 

schoolchildren nationwide help pay 

for Liberty’s new 

pedestal.

1996–1997

Four corporations donate at least $1 

million each for significant improvements, such as restoring the Washington 

Monument, throughout the National 

Park System: Canon U.S.A., Toyota U.S.A, 

American Airlines, and Target.

© RICHARD T. NOWITZ/CORBIS

“You are to...identify [centennial] projects...that continue 

the National Park Service legacy of leveraging philanthropic, 

partnership, and government investments for the benefit of 

national parks and their visitors.”

President Bush

1872

Yellowstone is created when Congress 

sets aside 2.2 million acres of wilderness 

to be forever “a public park or pleasuring 

ground for the benefit and enjoyment of 

the people.”

1907

Future congressman William Kent and 

his wife buy, protect, and then donate 

the old-growth redwood forest north of 

San Francisco that becomes Muir Woods 

National Monument.

1910s

George Dorr (seated, far right) and others 

acquire land in Maine to preserve it. Their 

donation of 5,000 acres later bears the 

name Acadia National Park.

1916

The National Park Service is created.

1920s

Modest until now, park museums at 

Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Mesa Verde 

rise to a new level with gifts from John 

D. Rockefeller Jr. and his family.

Philanthropy:
Sound partnership 

practices are essential 

to the success of the 

Centennial Initiative and 

must be accountable, 

efficient, and transparent.

An Enhanced Alliance

Because accountability, efficiency, and transparency must govern centennial 

partnership projects, the Department of the Interior established a team to 

review both the National Park Service’s and the Department’s procedures 

for working cooperatively with partners.

That review led to several recommendations, including;

• Writing a statement of principles to guide partnerships of all land 

management agencies, including the National Park Service. Stakeholders 

with a variety of perspectives will be consulted in that process.

• Clarifying legal authority and procedural requirements for entering into 

cooperative relationships.

• Changes to Departmental procedures for evaluating donations. Changes 

under consideration include:

Raising vetting thresholds in Departmental donation guidelines.

Evaluating the need to vet donations made by state and local 

governments.

Increasing training and guidance for land managers to expedite 

review of donations.

Establishing model fundraising agreements to be used as templates 

for fundraising campaigns.

Proposed changes will not affect donations and fundraising guidelines or 

policies governing commercialization of public lands.

In addition, the Inspector General’s office, the independent oversight 

organization for the Department of the Interior, will evaluate the Centennial 

Initiative’s progress based on key financial transactions and controls at 

predefined critical points. These reports will inform decision making as the 

Centennial Initiative progresses.

2001

Save-the-Redwoods League acquires 

and donates the largest grove of giant 

sequoia trees in private ownership to 

Sequoia National Park at a cost of 

$10.3 million.

2005

The Yosemite Fund raises $13.5 million to 

refurbish and enlarge the viewing area at 

iconic Lower Yosemite Falls, with more 

than $11 million coming from 14,000 

private contributors.

2006–2016

Centennial 

Initiative will 

continue the proud 

tradition of public/

private collaboration to prepare 

national parks for 

their next century.

By sharing the responsibility and rewards 

of the Centennial Initiative, the National 

Park Service will continue its tradition of 

working in partnership with donors.

Partnerships:

2000

The Proud Partner program welcomes 

a new level of corporate philanthropy, 

providing service-wide support at an estimated value of $75 million from American 

Airlines, Discovery Communications, Ford 

Motor Company, Kodak, Time, Inc., and 

Unilever.

© FRANK S. BALTHIS

© DLILLC/CORBIS
With our partners, we can change lives

The Student Conservation Association 

changed my life one summer while working in a national park. So how was my life 

changed?

To answer this question, I need to explain 

my other life. I was born in a small mountainous town in civil war torn El Salvador. 

I emigrated to the inner city of Los Angeles at the age of 10. This drastic move had 

life-changing consequences, but it was not 

a choice I made, it was 

simply one I lived through. 

For the next decade, I 

grew in the graffiti-filled 

streets of South Central, 

where even nice guys had 

to front a cut-throat persona to get through the day 

without being beaten. You 

either rose to the fighting 

or you died. I had my own 

run-ins with the authorities. I was a quarrelsome Latino kid trying 

to justify his low-income existence and 

cover his own helplessness with anger.

A friend invited me to a Student Conservation Association meeting—it reached out 

to inner city kids to spread conservation 

awareness and to instill a sense of ownership toward national parks. In his words, 

“Yo, free pizza!” I would like to say that 

I attended because I believed in the mission, or that I wanted my life changed for 

the better, but the reality was that I went 

because they had food. Several pizza meetings later, I decided to spend the summer 

working on a trail crew at Golden Gate 

National Recreation Area.

I made this decision for several reasons, 

mainly I wanted to get away from working as a gardener. I had been working with 

my father since I was 12 years old, every 

Saturday and every school break. I also felt 

slightly guilty for all the pizza I had consumed on the nonprofit’s dime.

So, what was the hardest thing for an inner 

city youth who was used to drive-by shootings and turf-divided school zones? It was 

not the long hours of cutting brush, or the 

full-body poison oak outbreak. For me, the 

hardest things were the pristine silence of 

nature, deafening to ears accustomed to 

noise, and the blinding pitch-black nights 

with the bizarre but mesmerizing highway 

of stars. Facing these unknowns gave me 

a new way to interpret the world and my 

place in it. My life and world no longer 

needed to be defined by confusing anger. 

I could see new avenues.

After that summer, I realized I should and 

could go to a university. I attended the 

University of California at Santa Cruz and 

worked with the National Park Service and 

SCA during summer breaks. I became the 

first in my entire Salvadorian community to 

graduate from a university. I later worked 

for SCA and attended graduate school to 

study history. I leveraged my experience to 

become a ranger at Klondike Gold Rush 

National Historical Park.

I realize the choices I made long ago have 

come to define my life and destination; 

and that the turning point was not a specific event but a cumulative experience. It 

occurred during that one summer spent 

working in the National Park Service and 

with a youth organization committed to 

challenging inner city youths to see the 

world, and their place in it.

I hope to channel the National Park 

Service’s mission for future generations. 

I am greatly indebted to both of these 

organizations for the life I now have. 

Mauricio Escobar 

National Park Ranger

Mauricio Escobar at 

the Moore Cabin, 

Klondike Gold Rush 

National Historical 

Park, Skagway, Alaska.

UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED IMAGES ARE FROM 

THE FILES OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.

IGPO: 2007—334-810

Printed on recycled paper.

O N L I N E

See www.nps.gov/2016 for more information 

about the Centennial Initiative.

C E N T E N N I A L

Projects and Programs

First Lady Laura 

Bush swears in a 

new group of Junior 

Rangers at the 

Jefferson Memorial, 

Washington, D.C.

National parks depend on the citizen stewards 

who care for America’s special places. More 

than 2,000 ideas for centennial public/private 

partnership projects have been suggested. 

Many of these already have non-federal cash 

commitments to be matched with federal 

funds. Examples of these appear earlier in this 

report. Others include:

• In Nevada, deploy new technologies to communicate 

park stories to rapidly growing populations;

• In Alaska, cooperate with landowners to protect 

habitat critical to five species of wild salmon in four 

national parks;

• In Wyoming, model sustainable energy practices in the 

construction of a world class visitor education center in 

Yellowstone National Park;

• In Florida, work with educators to establish 

endowments for park-based curriculum programs that 

reach underserved communities;

• In New York and New Jersey, rehabilitate deteriorating 

historic buildings at Ellis Island to expand the telling of 

America’s immigrant story;

• In Texas, recruit volunteers to increase the breeding 

and survival of the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea 

turtle;

• In Washington, welcome new citizens with an 

introduction to national parks;

• In Arkansas, restore tallgrass prairie at Buffalo 

National River to eliminate severe erosion, reintroduce 

endangered species, and enhance visitors’ experiences;

• In South Dakota, create trails to provide visitors access 

to the natural and cultural resources and history at 

Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and

• Throughout the country, explore partnerships to fund 

a Rangers for America program to develop a new 

cadre of park leaders to take national parks into their 

next century.

© MANNIE GARCIA/REUTERS/CORBIS
www.nps.gov/2016
To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic 

objects and the wild life therein and to provide for 

the enjoyment of the same in such manner and 

by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the 

enjoyment of future generations.

The National Park Service Organic Act

August 25, 1916

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Printed on recycled paper