Dear Friends,

Bison in Yellowstone National Park, tropical and temperate species of flora and fauna in Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, George Washington’s family homes in Charles Town, West Virginia – these and other national treasures continue to inspire us, our children and grandchildren thanks to your continued support to National Park Trust.

In Yellowstone National Park, NPT continues to work with our local partners; we are particularly concerned because the bison herd diminished in number from an estimated 5000 last year to 3300 this year. In addition, the thousands of acres that NPT has earmarked for protection within the Big Cypress National Preserve still requires our close attention. But these long-term projects represent only a small part of our total work. We have begun the monumental and exciting work of preserving and protecting homes built by George Washington’s family in West Virginia. Most recently, several new critical land protection projects -- in Alaska, California, and Minnesota will now be the focus of our attention, expertise, and resources. All of this work will be highlighted in our upcoming Legacy 2007 Annual Report.

And we continue to honor those leaders who support our mission. Recently, we presented Congressman George Miller with the 2007 Bruce F. Vento Award in celebration of his lifelong work protecting and preserving our critical public lands. Congressman Miller chaired and continues to serves on the National Resources Committee. He played key roles in establishing the Great Basin National Park and the California Desert Protection Act. He is also known for his key role in several parks in California including the John Muir National Historic Site, the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park, and the World War II Memorial of Port Chicago. The festive mood at the award ceremony was a wonderful reflection of the achievements of George Miller.  Please Click here to view photos from the event and the inspiring beautiful video which features our national parklands and shows the results of your support of NPT

Also in June, the Board of Trustees and staff celebrated the legacy of NPT’s founder and former president, Paul Pritchard, at his retirement dinner held at a beautiful historic home in Paul’s beloved Charles Town, WV. Paul was presented two memory books filled with letters and tributes written by his numerous colleagues and friends across the nation. When Paul founded NPT in 1983, his dream was – and is to complete the national system of parks -- for this generation and for perpetuity.

We at NPT are committed to Paul’s dream.  Can we count on your continued loyal, generous support of the National Park Trust to make this dream a reality…. one park at a time?