National Parks Conservation Association

National Parks Conservation Association
Founded May 19, 1919
Founder Stephen Mather et al.
Focus Protecting the US National Park System
Location
Area served
United States
Members
Over 1,000,000[1]
Revenue
$34,515,625 USD[2]
Employees
153[3]
Slogan "Protecting our national parks for future generations"
Website http://www.npca.org/

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the only independent, nonpartisan 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."

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.[4]

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.

Activities

In pursuit of its core mission to protect the national parks of the United States, the NPCA "works to educate decision-makers and opinion leaders about the most pressing issues facing national parks".[3] At its headquarters in Washington, DC, and 27 regional offices around the country, it employs 153 staff members, including program and policy experts who work together with committed volunteers, staff lobbyists, community organizers and communications specialists.[1][3] Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Theresa Pierno, "the organization's strategic focus is on ensuring that as the leading advocate for national parks these places continue to be protected and have the resources and infrastructure they need to thrive in their second century."[5]

The NPCA publishes a quarterly magazine, National Parks, the print version of which is distributed primarily to its members, while articles are also available on its website.[6]

Legislation

Supported

The North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013 is a bill that would withdraw 430,000 acres of federal lands in Montana from programs to develop geothermal and mineral resources.[7][8] The law would forbid mountaintop removal mining and other natural resource development.[8] The affected lands lie adjacent to Glacier National Park and already have some protections.[7] The bill follows up on an agreement between Canada and the United States on how to protect the trans-border area from the effects of mining.[9] In the 2010 agreement, Canada agreed not to do any additional mining on the British Columbian Flathead with the expectation that Montana would do the same thing to its land.[9] The NPCA supported the bill, saying the bill "protects both our outdoor heritage and our economic future for generations to come."[10]

Opposed

The NPCA opposed the Water Rights Protection Act, a bill that would prevent federal agencies from requiring certain entities to relinquish their water rights to the United States in order to use public lands.[11][12] According to opponents, the bill is too broad.[12][13] They believe the bill "could also block federal fisheries agencies like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from requiring flows that help salmon find fish ladders and safely pass over dams."[12]

Charity ratings and financials

The NPCA received an overall 3 star (out of 4) rating from Charity Navigator for fiscal year 2015, based on a score of 76.73 (out of 100) for Financial, and 97.00 for Accountability and Transparency.[14]

Its fiscal year 2014 tax filing (form 990) shows that staff salaries were equal to 50.0% of revenues.[15]

See also


Notes

  1. 1 2 "Our Story". National Parks Conservation Association. npca.org. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ NPCA 2016 Annual Report. National Parks Conservation Association. p. 36. Available as a PDF file, from npca.org. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 NPCA 2016 Annual Report. National Parks Conservation Association. p. 40. Available as a PDF file, from npca.org. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  4. ↑ Miles, Guardians of the Parks, pp. 4-52.
  5. ↑ "Theresa Pierno, President and CEO". National Parks Conservation Association. npca.org. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  6. ↑ "National Parks Magazine". National Parks Conservation Association. npca.org. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "CBO - H.R. 2259". Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Scott, Tristan (March 30, 2013). "Daines to introduce legislation protecting North Fork Flathead". Missoulian. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Frye, Katrin (January 31, 2014). "A major step towards protection of the North Fork Flathead River". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ "North Fork Watershed Protection Act Would Protect Beauty and Viability of the Greater Crown of the Continent Without Infringing on Private Property Rights". National Parks Conservation Association. February 8, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  11. ↑ "H.R. 3189 - CBO". Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 Nathan Fey; Matt Rice (December 20, 2013). "'Water Rights Protection Act' puts rivers at risk". Post Independent. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  13. ↑ Fey, Nathan (November 12, 2013). "The Water Rights Protection Act is Bad For Rivers - Take Action!". American Whitewater. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  14. ↑ "National Parks Conservation Association". Charity Navigator. charitynavigator.org. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  15. ↑ Form 990 – National Parks Conservation Association for 2014, via Foundation Center 990 Finder. Retrieved March 5, 2017.

References

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