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CONGRESSIONAL FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL NEWSLETTER December 2016

media, your role as elected officials helped us reach out to people so they could discover recreational, educational, volunteer, and work opportunities available to them in parks and public lands across the country. We thank you for your support, passion, and dedication to recognize this milestone. America’s 413 national parks offer the opportunity to reconnect with nature, learn about our past, and feel a sense of renewal. This holiday season, we encourage you to wind down the year and experience all of this for yourself. If you don’t live close to a national park, consider other ways you might find your park – maybe it’s a local garden or museum that you enjoy visiting. However you choose to find your park, we look forward to continue celebrating national parks and programs with you for another 100 years.

Thank You Friends! As we ride the centennial wave to the end of 2016, I invite you to take a look back and see all that we have accomplished. The National Park Service Centennial successfully launched the Service and its partners into the next century by creating a groundswell of support among the American public. The collective actions of employees, partners, supporters, and volunteers propelled the NPS forward in advancing our mission and reaching our second-century vision. The many initiatives we undertook to be more relevant, to better serve communities, and to invite new audiences into parks focused on a central goal: to create and connect with the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates.

From all of us at the National Park Service, Thank you and Happy Holidays!

More than a quarter of all members of Congress responded to NPS Director Jon Jarvis’s invitation to join the Congressional Friends of the NPS Centennial, an honorary group to highlight parks and public lands in their districts, learn about centennial events and programs, and connect to the National Park Service on social media. Whether it was celebrating in a park, participating in a BioBlitz, writing an op-ed, creating a video, delivering a floor speech on the centennial, or posting a #FindYourPark message on social The National Christmas Tree at President’s Park, Washington, DC.

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Engaging Diverse Audiences and the Next Generation

• 7/30 – 8/6 American Solar Challenge (OH, IN, MO, KS, NE, SD): College competition racing solar-powered vehicles on a route through nine national parks from Ohio to South Dakota.

• 8/2 – 8/4 Yosemite Youth Summit (CA): Gathering of 100 youth program participants for stewardship projects, share their experiences and open dialogue on National Park Service youth engagement.

• 8/4 – 8/18 Music in the American Wild (multiple locations): Premiere classical music performances by university students from the Eastman School of Music in seven national parks - San Juan Island, North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic.

• 8/25 Sing Across America (multiple locations): Performances by youth and children's choirs for the centennial, including event at Yellowstone National Park.

• 8/25 Naturalization Ceremonies (multiple locations): National Park Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will hold naturalization ceremonies in seven national parks: Biscayne National Park, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trial, Grand Canyon National Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Women's Rights National Historical Park.

C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 This December we thank you. Check your local park for events or visit www.FindYourPark.com or www.EncuentraTuParque.com and search through the nationwide schedule. The Find Your Park calendar is continually being updated so check back as new events are added every week.

December 2 Tribute to the National Parks – A Centennial Celebration Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Tennessee The National Park Service and Manhattan Project NHP, in partnership with the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, are featuring a Parks-in-Focus exhibit of photography during the month of December. www.nps.gov/mapr

December 3 Christmas in the Hills Parade Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota The Centennial of the National Park Service will serve as the theme of this year's Christmas in the Hills parade and other events. www.nps.gov/wica December 3 National Park Treasures: Celebrating Conservation Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Arizona/Nevada Join Scott Abella, a UNLV ecology professor at the Lake Mead Visitor Center as he shares the stories of conservation challenges and successes of the National Park Service restoration efforts over the past 100 years. His work as a researcher has supported Lake Mead and other parks throughout the Southwest. Scott is the author of “Conserving America’s National Parks.” He will sign books after each half-hour presentation. www.nps.gov/lake

December 10 An Ozark Christmas Celebration Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri The park is hosting an old fashioned Christmas celebration for the public at the Alley General Store. www.nps.gov/ozar December 10 Winter Star Party Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah To celebrate and share the beauty of our dark night skies, Cedar Breaks hosts a series of star parties during the winter season. Each star party is conducted by park staff and astronomy volunteers at nearby Navajo Lodge in Brian Head. Once the light fades, the party kicks off with a laser light tour of the constellations, followed by star viewing through several telescopes. www.nps.gov/cebr January 1 First Day Hikes Nationwide First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors. On New Year’s Day, hundreds of free, guided hikes will be organized in all 50 states. Kids and adults all across America will be participating in First Day Hikes, getting their hearts pumping and enjoying the beauty of America’s public lands. www.naspd.org/initiatives-special-programs/first-day-hikes

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Centennial Event of the Month Each month this section highlights a park or program Centennial event. Centennial events can be small and intimate, such as a kids program in the local community, or grand, such as a concert or a naturalization ceremony. Either way, the options are endless with more events being added to the calendar every day. Check the Find Your Park website calendar or your local park calendar for events near you.

Season’s Greenings: National Parks and Historic Places Visit the U. S. Botanic Garden Holiday Show

November 24, 2016 – January 2, 2016 Immerse yourself in the sights, smells, and sounds of the

season in the U.S. Botanic Garden’s annual holiday show Season's Greenings. See thousands of blooms throughout the Conservatory from exotic orchids to a showcase of heirloom and newly developed poinsettia varieties. Throughout the Conservatory, the Garden will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, including displaying one of the largest indoor trees decked out with ornaments from national parks. In this year's model train show, the trains will chug around, below, through, and above plant-based

recreations of iconic national parks and historic places. See the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful Inn, the Gateway Arch, Mount Vernon, the Statue of Liberty, and many more. The collection of D.C. landmarks, all made from natural materials, will return to fill the Garden Court. Season's Greenings: National Parks and Historic Sites runs from Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2016, to Monday, January 2, 2017. The best times to visit Season's Greenings are weekdays early in December or on select Tuesday and Thursday evenings in December when the Conservatory is open until 8 p.m. with live seasonal music. For more information visit: https://www.usbg.gov/plan-your-holiday-visit

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Fee Free Days for 2017 Ten More Great Reasons to Visit a National Park

Combine great scenery and history with great savings and visit a national park for free on one of 10 fee free days in 2017.

The ten entrance fee-free days for 2017 will be:

• January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• February 20: Presidents Day

• April 15-16 & April 22-23: National Park Week Weekends

• August 25: National Park Service Birthday

• September 30: National Public Lands Day

• November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend

“National parks are known for their priceless beauty,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “They are a bargain anytime but on these ten days in 2017, they really will be priceless. We want everyone to visit their national parks and the fee free days provide extra incentive to experience these amazing places.” During the fee free days, all National Park Service sites will waive their entrance fees for all visitors. Usually, 124 of the 413 national parks charge entrance fees that range from $3 to $30. The other 289 sites do not have entrance fees. The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for things such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours. To continue the national park adventure beyond these fee free days, the annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks,. There are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens, current military members, fourth grade students, and disabled citizens. The National Park System includes more than 84 million acres and is comprised of 413 sites including national parks, national historical parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, national battlefields, and national seashores. There is at least one national park in every state. Last year, 307 million people visited a national park. They spent $16.9 billion which supported 295,000 jobs and had a $32 billion impact on the U.S. economy.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/NPS photo

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in parks so, as the climate changes and affects parks, we can continue to serve visitors and provide stewardship and protection of natural and cultural resources.” The National Park Service manages 88 ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes parks and this handbook has resources applicable to them all. An additional 35 parks are subject to coastal influence, though some do not manage a shoreline. In all, more than one-third of the 413 parks in the National Park System must prepare to adapt to coastal climate change impacts. The Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook complements an earlier compilation of 24 case studies from NPS managers working to combat climate change impacts on coastal park resources. The report comes during the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary in 2016 and is part of Director Jarvis’ Call to Action, in which the NPS highlighted a need to plan for climate change in how we manage America’s iconic natural, historic and cultural landscapes.

Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook Released Includes Lessons Learned on Fourth Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy National parks near coastal areas of the Northeast have long since recovered from Hurricane Sandy and are in better shape for the next tropical storm. “We learned a lot after Sandy,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “It’s a case study in how we look at protecting vulnerable coastal resources and infrastructure from avoidable impacts.” Lessons from Sandy and other case studies are part of the Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook, a summary of what scientists and park managers know about climate adaptation in coastal areas. The handbook highlights the processes and tools parks have available for response and recovery from tropical storms and hurricanes and offers strategies to address rising sea levels.

Handbook co-editor Dr. Rebecca Beavers, the NPS’ lead coastal geologist said, “This is an important guidance document - a compilation of experience and best management practices for parks in the coastal zone. There is no other handbook available for coastal managers in the public or private sector that addresses this array of topics.” Beavers and co-editors Courtney Schupp and Dr. Amanda Babson, compiled contributions from more than a dozen NPS authors and partners with expertise in natural and cultural resources management and science, infrastructure, planning, communication, and policy. Those authors, Schupp said, have decades of experience in managing park resources and providing context for addressing current park challenges with new strategies from the field of climate change adaptation. Babson said the handbook also outlines decision-making processes NPS managers can use in protecting parks threatened by diverse coastal climate change challenges. “We are moving forward with strategies and taking action

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With a September’s breeze

F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N … Who else is a Congressional Friend of the National Park Service Centennial? You can find a full list on the NPS Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs and the NPS Centennial websites. Know a colleague who may be interested? See our contact below:

Susan Farinelli NPS Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs susan_farinelli@nps.gov 202-208-7676 www.nps.gov/legal

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Surveying Vegetation on Pitamaken Peak in Glacier National Park, Montana.

What We Do – Join Us! Careers in the National Park Service

What comes to mind when you think about working for the National Park Service? Park rangers in flat hats in a beautiful landscape? Staff in period clothing interpreting our nation's history? Sure, we have lots of employees who do that, but in reality National Park Service employees wear a lot of different hats—or no hats at all! From budget and finance to scientific research to community assistance to park rangering, employees fill a variety of roles as we work to preserve our nation's special places and stories.

Inviting new audiences to apply for summer seasonal jobs is a great way to connect with and create our next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates. Check out our new careers website that highlights some of the unique and exciting jobs available with the National Park Service. The site will be continuously updated, so check back for new posts. Then learn how your constituents can work with us whether it is as a volunteer, a student intern, or a career employee!

https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/workwithus.htm

Channel Island's Park Dive Officer, Kelly Moore, with a spiny lobster that thrives under the protection of the Marine Sanctuary. Outside of the

sanctuary, lobsters are usually taken before growing to this size.