Grand Teton National Park & John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway - Centennial Initiative 2016 (U.S. National Park Service)

What does the future hold for national parks? In eight years the National Park Service will celebrate 100 years of preservation and protection of America's icons, natural wonders and most special places. Places such as the Grand Canyon, the White House, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and of course the Teton Range remain protected for the enjoyment of visitors today and in the future. What would this country be like without these unique sites? How would we connect to our history without experiencing these national treasures? To keep up with the Centennial Initiative and to experience the interactive version of The Future of America’s National Parks and special features please visit the centennial website at http://www.nps.gov/2016.

Can you think of 10 national park sites? Do you know what national parks reside closest to your community? What can you do to help preserve your national parks? Learn more about your national parks here.

CENTENNIAL VISION

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016, America invites the world to discover the meaning of national parks to their lives and inspires people to both experience and become devoted to these special places.

On the August 25, 2006 – the 90th anniversary of the National Park Service – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the National Park Centennial Initiative to prepare national parks for another century of conservation, preservation and enjoyment. Since then the National Park Service has asked citizens, park partners, experts and other stakeholders what they envisioned for a second century of national parks.

A nationwide series of more than 40 listening sessions produced more than 6,000 comments that helped to shape five centennial goals. The goals and vision were presented to President Bush and to the American people on May 31st in a report called The Future of America’s National Parks.

Every national park staff took their lead from this report and created local centennial strategies to describe their vision and desired accomplishments by 2016. This is just the first year, and there are many great things to come as the National Park Service prepares to celebrate 100 years!

What will the National Park Service achieve under the direction of the President's Centennial Initiative? By 2016, the National Park Service will:

Improve priority facilities to acceptable condition
Restore native habitats by controlling invasive species, and reintroducing key plant and animal species
Improve natural resources in parks as measured by scientific vital signs monitoring
Reduce environmental impacts of park operations
Double the amount of volunteer hours
Enroll two million new Junior Rangers
Encourage greater partnership and philanthropy
Reshape the workforce to meet the needs of America

What will Grand Teton National Park do to meet these national goals? Grand Teton projects include:

Develop a cultural preservation center at the historic White Grass Dude Ranch
Restore more than 4,000 acres of former rangelands and eliminate harmful, non-native species
Reduce the environmental impacts of park operations on air and water quality
Incorporate best available sustainable materials and design into the development of the administrative headquarters area, new park auditorium and park pathways
Develop and implement a park-wide water conservation plan
Increase the use of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles in the park's vehicle fleet
Establish pathways along road corridors that will connect the park with adjacent gateway communities and encourage non-motorized visitation
Work with partners and local school districts to provide curriculum based education programs
Develop virtual field trips and provide webcasting programs to stay relevant with visitors who increasingly depend on technology for information
Open new visitor centers with multimedia and interactive exhibits at Moose and at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve
Develop and implement a leadership mentoring program for park employees
Continue to be a National Park Service model in effective partnerships with local government, stakeholder groups, our Association and Foundation, and other government agencies
Conserve, protect and interpret the David T. Vernon collection of American Indian art and artifacts in a new sustainable facility with year-round visitor access
Establish a Grand Teton Trails Forever program to address critically needed trail maintenance on the 420 miles of highly popular park trails—including a Youth Conservation Program that has successfully operated during 2006 and 2007
Establish a fund to facilitate acquisition from willing sellers of high priority properties within the park that are identified in the park’s Land Protection Plan

To read the full report on how Grand Teton National Park will meet Centennial Iniative goals click here.