FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 12, 2016
CONTACT: Amy Hagovsky, 202-454-3371, media@nationalparksaction.org
National Parks Action Fund Will Hold Members of Congress Accountable on Parks Voting Record
WASHINGTON – The nearly century-old nonprofit group National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today officially launched National Parks Action Fund, a newly formed 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization focused on grassroots political activism on behalf of America’s more than 400 national parks. The Action Fund will encourage voters to support those who stand up for national parks in Congress.
“Never has there been a more critical time for our national parks,” said NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno, who serves as chair of the Action Fund’s board. “The decisions being made by elected officials now will have profound effects on them well into the future. We want to make sure those decisions are the right ones for our national parks. That means adequate funding from Congress, enough rangers on staff to look after the parks and educate the visitors, clean water and thriving wildlife. We need more champions in Congress who will stand up and fight for our national parks. Together with voters from across the country, we will hold elected officials accountable and make sure their rhetoric matches the reality.”
With more than 400 sites across the country, Americans have a lot to celebrate with the centennial of the National Park Service this year. But parks face many challenges that threaten their long-term preservation if action is not taken. While those challenges are wide and varied, the Action Fund will focus on four major threats facing our national parks: lack of adequate funding, too few rangers, and repeated attacks by Congress on protections for park waterways and wildlife.
The Action Fund, together with supporters from across the country, will work to ensure national parks are a national priority for elected leaders through activities such as voter education and the release of a legislative scorecard in early fall.
The other Action Fund board members are Victor Fazio, former 10-term member of Congress and California State Assemblyman, currently a Senior Advisor at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Andrew Spielman, a leading public lands, environment and natural resources attorney at WilmerHale; and Jane Lyder, former Legislative Counsel and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior.
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About National Parks Action Fund
National Parks Action Fund (Action Fund) is the newly created 501(c)(4) of National Parks Conservation Association. The Action Fund’s fundamental goal is to protect, restore, and fund the National Park System by informing the public about threats facing our parks, educating members of Congress about proposals to help parks, and influencing candidates’ positions to forward those proposals.