Advancing the National Park Idea

Advancing the National Park Idea

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

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As I mentioned in a post last week, the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy will be holding meetings this week to discuss a recent report on the future of the National Park System. The report was the final product of the National Parks Second Century Commission.

We have more details about the two-day meetings.

Today
The Baker Center along with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), will bring together about 100 leaders from around the country to study the commission’s findings and begin looking at ways to implement its recommendations.

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only, however, the public is invited to view a webcast from 8:30am-12:30pm EST.

Members of the public can use this link to access the webcast from their personal computers and watch members of the Second Century Commission present their report recommendations about the future of the national parks in areas of: park system expansion; natural and cultural resources; education and engagement; sustainable funding. Participants can send in comments via webcast.

If you experience any problems with this webcast link please contact Mr. Justin Johnson, ITES at justincjohnson@utk.edu or 865-974-8281.

You can access an on-line version of the report at www.visionfortheparks.org.

The Second Century Commission Reports can be found here: Link 1 Link 2

On-line survey: The public is also being asked to participate in an on-line survey so that additional information about the level of support for commission recommendations can be gathered. This information will be a very effective tool for identifying support and resources to policy-makers and other decision leaders as they move into the implementation phase of the process. Here's the link to the survey.

The webcast will be archived on the Baker Center website and can be viewed by people that miss the live webcast. The website also has links to the report, and the survey. Data from the survey will be collected and stored in a database at University of Tennessee.

On Thursday
Commissioners Denis Galvin, Former Deputy Director of the National Park Service, and Stephen H. Lockhart, MD, PhD and Chairman of the Board of the Yosemite National Institutes will lead public dialogue about how the Commission's recommendations relate to the parks in the region. The event will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium of the Baker Center (1640 Cumberland Ave; Knoxville, TN). The event is free and open to the public.


Jeff
Smoky Mountain Rental Cabins Cabin and chalet listings for the Smokies.

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Looking to the Future of our National Parks

Looking to the Future of our National Parks

Sunday, October 25, 2009

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On Thursday, November 5th, the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy will be holding a public meeting called Looking to the Future of our National Parks.

Various speakers from the National Park Service, the National Parks Conservation Association and others will be on hand to discuss a recent report on the future of the National Park System.

The report was the final product of the National Parks Second Century Commission that was published in late September. Presented to the President and Congress, the report included a list of recommendations to guide the park into the future. You can find a summary of the recommendations here.

Commissioners Denis Galvin, Former Deputy Director of the National Park Service, and Stephen H. Lockhart, MD, PhD and Chairman of the Board of the Yosemite National Institutes will lead public dialogue about how the Commission's recommendations relate to the parks in the region.

Public input will be encouraged. "Rumor" has it that there will be an online public forum the day before where citizens will have an opportunity to ask the commissioners questions. So far, there is no mention of this on the website, however, you may want to check back as the event draws closer.

The event will be held on Thursday, November 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium of the Baker Center (1640 Cumberland Ave; Knoxville, TN). The event is free and open to the public.


Jeff
Smoky Mountain Rental Cabins Cabin and chalet listings for the Smokies.

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National Parks Second Century Commission Releases Final Report

National Parks Second Century Commission Releases Final Report

Thursday, September 24, 2009

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As reported earlier in the year, the National Parks Second Century Commission held it's final meeting in the Great Smoky Mountains this past June. That meeting concluded a year-long series of meetings to examine the role of national parks and to develop a vision for their future.

The Commission consists of nearly 30 national leaders and experts, including scientists, historians, conservationists, academics, business leaders, policy experts and retired National Park Service executives, and is being led by former Senators J. Bennett Johnston Jr. of Louisiana and Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee.

Earlier this afternoon, the Commission released it final report to the president and Congress that included a list of recommendations.

From a high level overview, those recommendations include:

> First, the Commission recommends expansion of the National Park Idea by enhancing educational opportunities within the park system and community conservation and local partnerships to preserve our national heritage. Specifically, the Commission called for an expansion of the National Park Service’s mission, making education an explicit part of the mission for the first time. The report also recommends expanding the park system itself to protect segments of all of America’s ecological and cultural treasures and to represent the diversity of our changing nation.

> The Commission also called for a sweeping revitalization of the National Park Service, including strengthening the management, research, and community assistance capacity of the agency, along with significant steps for the Park Service to become a more innovative, diverse, and responsive organization prepared for the expanded vision of the system.

> The Commission recommended actions to preserve America’s natural and cultural resources by strengthening the Park Service’s capacity to preserve park resources through expansion of its ability to prevent other federal agency actions that would adversely impact parks. The report also identifies enhancements to Park Service authorities, budgets, and programs that provide the leverage to work cooperatively with local communities and stakeholders to preserve parks and surrounding landscapes.

> And, recognizing the importance of funding for the system, the Commission’s final report includes recommendations for Congress and the Administration to fully fund park needs through existing federal programs that benefit the Park Service, and offered proposals for enhanced permanent and sustainable funding from public and private sources. A key recommendation is the creation of a Presidentially-appointed commission to promote the importance of the parks and raise substantial private funds by the 2016 centennial of the Park Service.

You can read the full report with details on all of the Commission's recommendation's by clicking here (PDF file).


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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