National Park Foundation Applauds Inclusion of National Park Service Commemorative Coin Bill in NDAA Public Lands Package
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015, which contains the language of the National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. The coin bill would authorize the minting of commemorative coins in celebration of the Centennial of the National Park Service in 2016. Proceeds from this commemorative coin program will go to the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, to directly fund projects and programs that help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the National Park Service.
Earlier this year, the bipartisan coin legislation passed the House of Representatives with more than 400 votes and it has garnered the support of 75 senators.
“We’re very pleased that the National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act has been included in the NDAA. We thank Speaker Boehner, Senator Reid and Senator McConnell for their leadership in ensuring that NDAA proceeds with the coin bill,” said Dan Wenk, interim president of the National Park Foundation. “Chairman Hastings, Chairwoman Landrieu and Ranking Members DeFazio and Murkowski were instrumental in negotiating the public lands package and we appreciate them including the commemorative coin language.”
“Congressman Paulsen and Congresswoman Kaptur have been dedicated champions of the effort to pass the NPS 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. The legislation would not have gotten to this point without their leadership,” added Wenk.
The centerpiece of the National Park Service’s 2016 Centennial will be a broad public engagement campaign to reintroduce the national parks and the work of the National Park Service to a new generation of Americans, inviting them to visit and get involved. The two-year effort will begin in 2015 and will run throughout the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary year in 2016. Plans for the campaign, entitled Find Your Park, are underway in collaboration with the National Park Foundation.
For more information about the National Park Foundation and the National Park Service Centennial, please visit www.nationalparks.org
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org