Thousands Call on Congress to Fund National Parks; Coalition Organizes Calls for Increased Park Funding

9/30/2002

From: Andrea Keller of Americans for National Parks, 202-454-3332

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Thousands of people today called their U.S. representative and senators, asking them to fund the needs of the national parks as part of a national call-in-day organized by the coalition of Americans for National Parks.

"We're jamming the switchboard at the Capitol," said Americans for National Parks Campaign Director, Jennifer S. Coken. "The American public wants our national parks protected."

Research has shown that the national parks are operating with only two-thirds of the funding needed, creating a wide variety of critical needs ranging from deteriorating infrastructure to the dwindling of wildlife species. Museum artifacts and archaeological sites are not being preserved, public education programs are being reduced, and irreplaceable historic structures are crumbling.

"The national parks are extremely valuable to me," said John Evans, a University of Tennessee student who called Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on a cell phone from a street corner in Knoxville, Tenn. "The national parks are a great way to preserve species that would, otherwise, have no place to live."

The coalition of Americans for National Parks includes more than 250 private businesses, government municipalities, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations from across the country. The group is working with Congress and the administration to address the parks' $600-million annual operating shortfall.