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 August 25, 2006 – the 90th anniversary of the National Park Service – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne launched the National Park Centennial Initiative to prepare national parks for another century of conservation, preservation and enjoyment. Since then the National Park Service 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. The Smokies were approved for three Centennial Challenge Projects in FY 2008

Beginning with Fiscal Year 2008 President Bush called for a sweeping National Park Service Centennial Initiative which is aimed at preparing the facilities and services at America’s national park units for the NPS Centennial in 2016. One component of the Initiative is to make available $1 billion per year of federal funding, a Centennial Challenge, to park units that could bring at least a 1:1 non-federal match for each project.

In December 2007 when the FY 2008 NPS budget was passed it provided a lesser amount - $25 million - for the Centennial Challenge. The Smokies competed with parks across the country and received approval for three projects totaling $340,000 – half of which is the federal portion and the other half of which has been committed by the Friends of the Smokies and/or the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

The three approved projects at the Smokies are:

1) $100,000 ($50,000 of federal money and $50,000 from Friends of the Smokies) to "Showcase Cultural Heritage of the Smokies" – the planning and design phase of creating the new exhibits to be placed in the proposed Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The Park’s Cooperating Association, Great Smoky Mountains Association, has pledged up to $2.5 million to construct a new expanded visitor center just inside the Park’s Cherokee, NC entrance. The Friends of the Smokies have committed to raise funds to design, fabricate and install an array of educational exhibits that tell the cultural stories of the Smokies. The new cultural exhibits will balance the natural resource-themed exhibits at the Park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center near its Gatlinburg entrance.

2) $200,000 ($100,000 federal + $50,000 from Friends of the Smokies + $50,000 from Great Smoky Mountains Association) to "Stabilize, Preserve and Interpret the Elkmont District" A final decision and approved plans to decide the future of the over 70 structures within the Elkmont Historic District is still pending. That decision is expected later in 2008, but in the meantime the vacant buildings are deteriorating. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Historic Preservation Crew is undertaking roofing and other interim measures to halt water damage and deterioration of up to 19 structures in the Elkmont District. All of the structures now undergoing this "emergency stabilization" were identified by the Park in a 2006 Draft Environmental Assessment as part of a Preferred Alternative for restoration and long-term preservation. Part of the $200,000 is also being used to develop Historic Structures Reports which will guide what long-term restoration actions need be performed.

3) $40,000 ($20,00 of federal funds and $20,000 from Great Smoky Mountains Association) for "A Downloadable Park" – The Park is striving to develop the most up-to-date media to tell the Park’s stories to new audiences, especially younger people, who rely heavily on virtual experiences to obtain their information. This funding will purchase of the required software and equipment needed to begin creating podcasts in-house, i.e., on-line "mini-movies" to help visitors and virtual visitors learn about the Smokies.

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 www.nps.gov/2016.