NPCA Annual Report 2007

This year was full of victories for NPCA and, more importantly, for the parks themselves. We helped to shape and catalyze an ambitious initiative that will increase investments in our national parks in anticipation of their centennial anniversary in 2016. Following our encouragement and guidance, the Bush Administration's 2008 federal budget proposed a ten-year "Centennial Initiative" to begin restoring our national parks in preparation for their second century.

Thanks to strong bipartisan support from Congress, which NPCA helped to generate, the parks ultimately received an operations increase exceeding $122 million—one of the largest in decades. After a year of debate involving the Bush Administration, NPCA, and park friends groups, Congress also approved $25 million to begin funding an envisioned 10-year program to match private philanthropy for the parks with additional federal support.

This centennial initiative has been launched, but it's far from completed—or sufficient. Between now and 2016, we must continue to advocate for increased funding from Congress to further reduce the $800 million annual funding shortfall while also expanding the scope of this centennial initiative beyond financial matters. We must use the momentum we have generated to examine the role that national parks should play in American society during the next hundred years. As our nation anticipates demographic shifts, the growing impacts of climate change, increasing development, and technology's evolving role in our lives, we have a chance to design and implement an even more central role for our beloved national parks in the daily lives of all Americans. If ever there were a time for our country to take broad, far-reaching action to protect our national parks, this is it...

Download the 2007 Annual Report (PDF 1.4 MB)

Download the 2006 Annual Report (PDF 4.1 MB)