Date: August 23, 2007
Contact: Frank Mares, (314) 655-1611
National Park Service Gears up for Centennial Challenge Projects
ParkPalooza,an interactive event that will allow children and their families to explore the world of national parks, as well as improvements to the Gateway Arch Transportation System at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (JNEM) are two of the 201 proposals National Park Service Director Mary Bomar and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced at a press conference in Yosemite National Park today to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the National Park Service.
“The National Park Service has, after a vigorous review, certified these proposals as eligible for centennial challenge matching funds,” Bomar said. “And they are ready to go in Fiscal Year 2008 which begins October 1.” To be certified, proposals had to be imaginative and innovative, address critical Service needs, have a philanthropic partner, require little or no additional recurring operating funds to be sustainable, improve the efficiency of park management, operations and employees and produce measurable results. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial’s two proposals represent over $2 million of nearly $370 million of proposals eligible for centennial challenge matching funds.
ParkPalooza will allow children and families to explore the world of national parks through a variety of activities. “As the Arch is the Gateway to the West, ParkPalooza is a gateway to national park experiences,” said Peggy O’Dell, Superintendent of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Following the No Child Left Inside initiative, the activities tap into outdoor experiences, archeology, art and technology, all encouraging students to become stewards of public lands. Jefferson National Parks Association, which supports educational programming at the Gateway Arch and Historic Old Courthouse, will contribute funds for the project. Executive Director David Grove is thrilled to be participating. “I learned the value of national parks as a young person and instill this in my own children. With ParkPalooza we will be able to provide rich educational experiences for area families who may not realize the great opportunities that await them in their national parks.”
The second proposal for JNEM is the installation of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for the Gateway Arch Transportation System. A PLC is a microprocessor-based system that is used to control machines, systems and industrial processes found in elevators, theme park rides and shows, manufacturing systems, and transportation systems. The Arch Transportation System is currently controlled through the use of older technology such as electromechanical relays, timers, and counters. The new PLC will take up less space, involve much less wiring, use less power, operate more reliably and readily provide more diagnostic feedback and will eventually enable older tram components to be updated to newer, more efficient mechanisms. Metro, which manages the trams, parking garage and ticket operations at the Gateway Arch is contributing to this project.
Director Bomar said, “The centennial challenge is a critical element in the National Park Centennial Initiative put forward by President Bush and unveiled by Secretary Kempthorne one year ago. The full centennial initiative is a potential $3 billion investment in our national parks, two-thirds of it a public-private partnership of matching money.”
The President’s fiscal year 2008 budget called for an additional $100 million a year for 10 years to be dedicated to bolster basic park operations, Bomar said. Congress has included the first $100 million for operations in the fiscal year 2008 budget that awaits final passage. JNEM is slated to benefit from proposals to increase the number of seasonal employees at the park, making more rangers available for public contact.
“The second part of the initiative is the centennial challenge – a funding mechanism to match up to $100 million a year over 10 years of public money with $100 million a year for 10 years in private donations,” Bomar said. “Congress has yet to finish legislation necessary to create the public-private centennial challenge.” Financial commitments to the first round of proposals exceeded the President’s challenge. “We have about $370 million in proposals with not $100 million in private commitments but $216 million committed from park visitors, friends groups and other partners,” Bomar said.
“I’ve testified before Senate and House subcommittees and judging by the warm reception we received, I believe Congress will include centennial challenge money in our next budget,” Bomar said. “We look forward to working with members from both sides of the aisle to provide the key to the centennial challenge. When that happens we can make decisions on which of these wonderful proposals to begin in the fall.”
The National Park Centennial Challenge is designed to engage all Americans in preserving our heritage, history and natural resources though philanthropy and partnerships; reconnect people with their parks; build capacity for critical park operations and facilities and sustain them through the next century, thus ensuring the bicentennial of the National Park Service is recognized as well.
For more information and to see the full list of centennial challenge-eligible proposals, please visit www.nps.gov/2016.
