US national parks are receiving record-high gift of $100M

Patrick Whittle, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The charismatic nonprofit statement of nan National Park Service is group to person nan largest assistance successful its history, a $100 cardinal gift nan fundraising group described arsenic transformative for nan country’s nationalist parks.

The National Park Foundation, which Congress created successful nan 1960s to support nationalist parks, will person nan aid from Indianapolis-based instauration Lilly Endowment Inc. The parkland instauration described nan gift connected Monday arsenic nan largest assistance successful history benefiting U.S. nationalist parks.

The money will beryllium utilized to reside nan needs of nan country’s much than 400 nationalist parkland sites, said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of nan National Park Foundation.

The instauration hopes to denote nan first information of grants stemming from nan aid later this year, Shafroth said.

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Exactly really nan money will beryllium utilized remains to beryllium seen, but 1 of nan foundation’s priorities is restoring coral reefs astatine Biscayne National Park successful Florida, Shafroth said, while different privilege is nan restoration of trout type successful occidental nationalist parks. Those are among nan foundation’s caller investments.

In summation to backing initiatives that protect vulnerable ecosystems and species, Shafroth said nan money will besides beryllium utilized to create opportunities for young group to sojourn nationalist parks.

“This assistance will let america to supercharge our efforts to guarantee our nationalist parks are for everyone, for generations to come,” he said.

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The system’s hundreds of units see nationalist parks, memorials, monuments, historical sites and different locations. It includes iconic nationalist parks specified arsenic Yellowstone National Park successful Montana and Yosemite National Park successful California, arsenic good arsenic beloved sites specified arsenic nan Lincoln Memorial successful Washington, D.C. It besides includes preserved areas that are little accessible to galore people, specified arsenic Buck Island Reef National Monument successful nan U.S. Virgin Islands.

The National Park Foundation is successful nan midst of its “Campaign for National Parks,” a $1 cardinal fundraising effort to support parks. Lilly Endowment made nan gift to support that effort, said N. Clay Robbins, chair and CEO of Lilly Endowment.

“We judge nan National Park Foundation’s run will heighten nan programming successful and beforehand nan early vibrancy of our country’s marvelous strategy of parks, monuments and historical sites,” Robbins said.

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The Lilly Endowment provides backing for Associated Press sum of democracy, philanthropy, and religion.