National Parks Conservation Association
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| National Parks Conservation Association | |
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| Founder(s) | Stephen Mather et al. |
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| Founded | May 19, 1919 |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| Area served | United States |
| Focus | Protecting the US National Park System |
| Revenue | $33,173,679 USD [1] |
| Employees | Approximately 170 [2] |
| Members | Over 340,000 [1] |
| Slogan | "Protecting our national parks for future generations" |
| Website | http://www.npca.org/ |
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the only independent, membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System. Its mission is "to protect and enhance America's National Park System for present and future generations."
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[edit] History
Founded in 1919 as the National Parks Association, the organization was designed to be a citizen's watchdog for the National Park Service (NPS) created in 1916. Among the founders of NPA was Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service. Robert Sterling Yard was NPA's first employee. Although Yard received personal financial support from Mather, the two often differed on development issues in the parks. Taking a strong preservationist position, Yard objected to such commercialization of the parks as the jazz bands and bear shows at Yosemite National Park.[3]
The association continued to resist commercial efforts to build dams and promote mining, logging and hunting in the national parks. In 1970, the organization changed its name to the National Parks and Conservation Association, in response to the national attention to a new range of emerging environmental issues, including air and water pollution. This was shortened to National Parks Conservation Association in 2000.
[edit] NPCA today
The nonpartisan NPCA works on the ground, in and around national parks, conducting research, and working hand-in-hand with National Park Service staff, community leaders, park advocates, and state and federal legislators to ensure that our parks are welcoming and well funded, well managed, and well protected for present and future generations.
Today, NPCA has grown to 22 regional and field offices around the country [4]. It publishes a quarterly magazine, National Parks, which is distributed primarily to its members.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Annual Report 2007
- ^ Meet the Staff of the NPCA
- ^ Miles, Guardians of the Parks, pp. 4-52.
- ^ NPCA Where We Work
[edit] References
- John C. Miles, Guardians of the Parks: A History of the National Parks and Conservation Association (Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis, 1995). ISBN 1-56032-446-5
