Dear Friend of the National Parks,

National park rangers and staff are the guides, teachers, scientists, historians and custodians of the natural and cultural history of our nation -- entrusted with some of the most important places in America.

Yet year after year, park staff have been asked to do more with less. More and more visitors come to the parks but staffing and budgets have fallen behind.

That could all change if park supporters speak out today! The new budget proposal from the White House would increase funding for the National Park Service by $295 million -- the largest increase in decades.

Tell your U.S. representative, your U.S. senators that you want them to support a park budget that will send help to the rangers and staff who are so vital to our national parks!

Showing strong support for this budget could make all the difference in the world to the rangers and staff who have had to confront growing problems on a shoestring budget... but there's even more to be done. This year's park budget needs to:

- Protect and preserve wildlife habitat
- Improve transportation and infrastructure, like buses and roads in our busiest parks
- Fund ongoing work to protect and preserve cultural places and objects in the National Park System
- Repair critical air monitoring systems so we can make sure park air is clean and healthy
- Create a modern way for the next generation of conservationists to protect parks in a changing climate

Thanks to park advocates like you, Congress and the president took a major step last year by tackling half of the national park repair backlog. That backlog came about because of years of underfunding and projects that kept being put on the back burner.

We can't let Congress start that cycle again.

Send your personal message to your U.S. representative, your U.S. senators now and make sure parks -- and park staff -- get the support they deserve in the national park budget! />
Thank you for all that you do for America's national parks,



John Garder
Senior Director of Budget & Appropriations