Yesterday, NPCA President Tom Kiernan stepped down after a memorable fifteen years leading the organization. During his tenure, Tom dramatically increased the size and scope of the organization and played a pivotal role in our fundraising efforts. He’s also the kind of person who leads by example, sharing his genuine love of the outdoors and real sense of connection to issues that matter to so many of us in the conservation community. We know he’ll be a great success as the next chief executive officer of the American Wind Energy Association, an organization that shares NPCA’s interest in finding more sustainable energy sources that might address global warming.

During this transition, Executive Vice President Theresa Pierno will serve as our acting president. We asked Theresa a few questions about the days ahead as NPCA faces the prospect of change internally.

Q: Do you foresee any shifts in NPCA’s program work as a result of this transition?

Our strategic plan leading up to 2016 was already in place before Tom made his announcement. I don’t think you’ll find any surprises in the work we hope to accomplish in the coming months. We will work to protect parks from air pollution, to ensure parks are well-funded and managed, to broaden the base of national park supporters to include more diverse audiences, and to support legislation that would create new parks and protect park ecosystems. And we must also ensure the park system continues to evolve and reflect the diversity of America’s story.

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges ahead for national parks in the next six to 12 months?

As we prepare for the Park Service’s centennial in 2016, we have major challenges ahead to ensure that we are doing everything we can to preserve these treasured places for the future. From restoration work in the Everglades to maintaining strong interpretive ranger programs to protecting sensitive park wildlife and landscapes from the impacts of climate change, we have a unique opportunity to show that the American people value our national parks by giving them the resources they need to be healthy and thriving. Fortunately, park enthusiasts around the country understand what is at stake, and our 750,000 members and supporters regularly speak out on a host of issues, from clean air and water to preventing incompatible development. We also have a fantastic staff that works hard to preserve these critical places and stop legislation or policy decisions that could harm our parks.

I want to make sure my children and grandchildren get to see the best of America and enjoy these incredible, iconic places just as much as I do.

Q: Are there recent accomplishments you hope to build on during the coming months?

President Obama just added three new national monuments to the park system, including a site honoring Underground Railroad hero Harriet Tubman that we have spent years advocating for—a great victory and a signal that our federal government values preserving our history. And even with the recent funding cuts, NPCA and our supporters worked very hard with leaders in Congress to gain $400 million in national park restoration funding after Hurricane Sandy.

NPCA also co-founded and I co-chair the America’s Great Waters Coalition, a network of partner groups that protect vital watersheds around the country, from the Everglades to the Colorado River to the Great Lakes. These organizations are doing so much great advocacy and restoration work, from improving wildlife habitat at Galveston Bay in Texas to increasing public access to recreation on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. It’s inspiring to see what a coalition of committed people can do, raising the profile of these restoration projects nationally, securing funding to help important watersheds, and connecting people to new opportunities to enjoy the waters in their neighborhoods. Healthy national parks depend on healthy waterways.

Q: Do you think the transition will hamper NPCA’s ability to get things done?

We are sad to see Tom leave, but one of the very best parts of working at NPCA is our strong commitment to teamwork and our strong leadership team of experienced staff members who have been working on park protection for many, many years. We have a strong field presence with our 24 regional and field offices, as well as skilled, dedicated staff in our national office in Washington, D.C. We are ready to dig in and keep our great momentum going during this transition.

Learn more about Acting President Theresa Pierno on NPCA’s website and read NPCA’s recent press release announcing Tom’s departure.

Last September, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) approved a plan to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in Wyoming. This controversial delisting could someday allow state-run wolf hunting within the John D. Rockefeller Parkway, a 24,000-acre national park site that connects Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

National parks are created in part to serve as sanctuaries for wildlife. It would be very bad policy to allow hunters to kill animals fresh off the Endangered Species List within a national park boundaries. While authorities in the state have not yet permitted wolf hunting in the Rockefeller Parkway, it has claimed authority to do so, and they say they will review the option to permit such hunting annually.

FWS excluded Yellowstone from the allowable wolf hunting area, but the agency chose to keep the Rockefeller Parkway within the state’s “Trophy Game Management Area” (TGMA), which defines where wolves can be hunted. During the plan development, the Park Service formally requested that the Rockefeller Parkway be removed from the TGMA, but FWS ignored the request and the Park Service failed to take further action.

Not only has the state of Wyoming succeeded in keeping the parkway within the TGMA, but state officials have indicated that they will not rule out the possibility of a wolf hunt there—a bold assertion, given the fact that the Park Service is primarily responsible for wildlife on the lands it manages.

In response, this May, NPCA presented a formal petition to the Park Service requesting a rule prohibiting wolf hunting in the Rockefeller Parkway so that the issue can be put to rest before any wolves are ever hunted there. This rule would safeguard and protect wolves in the parkway and ensure that our national parks continue to provide sanctuary for this important animal, whose reintroduction has helped to restore ecological balance to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

According to its enabling legislation, the parkway—established in 1972—was intended to provide a “spiritual and physical connection” between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It also provides a critical link for park wildlife, including wolves, to safely move between these iconic parks.

While the Rockefeller Parkway’s enabling legislation does permit hunting, it clearly gives the National Park Service, not the state, the primary authority to manage wildlife there. In addition, the Park Service is required to evaluate the hunting of all species within the parkway boundaries and pass formal rules that either approve or reject hunting based on the health and integrity of the natural resources, as well as the safety and enjoyment of park visitors. Park Service officials have already stated that using these criteria, they cannot support wolf hunting in the parkway. NPCA’s petition simply asks that the Park Service move forward and use its authority to assure permanent sanctuary for wolves within this critical park site.

Learn more

• Read NPCA’s recent press release, “National Parks Group Acts to Safeguard Wolves Living Inside Wyoming National Park Unit“
• Get more on the history of the Wyoming wolf delisting in “Wolves under Fire in Wyoming“
• Learn more about NPCA’s work to protect wolves and bears

Theodore Roosevelt was our greatest conservation president. President Roosevelt’s boundless vision and determination resulted in a system of national parks that is the envy of the world, and has been called “America’s Best Idea.” Ironically, his namesake national park, which includes his North Dakota homestead, is currently facing a threat that could permanently degrade a patch of land that was supposed to be protected in perpetuity.

Across the nation, an oil and gas boom is taking place, largely through the utilization of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to extract oil and natural gas from shale formations buried deep beneath the surface. Wells have sprouted up on the outskirts of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and many more are planned there and across the nation, including near other National Park Service-managed lands like Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. But with this rapid boom, the negative impacts of large scale oil and gas development on national parks has largely been ignored. That is why the National Parks Conservation Association has released a new report on how fracking for oil and gas near national parks is already impacting these treasured places, and how impacts could increase unless we act now.

National Parks and Hydraulic Fracturing: Balancing Energy Needs, Nature, and America’s National Heritage is a comprehensive report on what large-scale oil and gas development adjacent to national parks does and could mean for these parks and the people who love and visit them. It details the known and suspected impacts of fracking on the environment, including harm to air, water, and wildlife—the things that make our national parks so special. It also provides five case studies that analyze national parks that are already in the middle of the oil and gas fracking boom: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Obed Wild and Scenic River.

This annual Earth Week celebration serves as a kind of “open house” for all 84 million acres of the National Park System, encouraging visitors to get out and explore them. Many individual parks are hosting special events—including everything from a spring planting festival at Big South Fork to birding tours at Padre Island to history walks along the Mississippi River at Jean Lafitte. Some sites also have special junior ranger events this week, so if you have young nature lovers in your life, be on the lookout for some of these excellent programs near you.

Of course, a national park trip is not just a classic way to get a great vacation for less money. It’s also a chance to enrich ourselves as human beings. Environmental enthusiast and NPCA Board Member Audrey Peterman describes it this way:

Having the imprint of such monumental natural wonders on my spirit gives me perspective on how infinitesimal I am in the world, and yet, how important. I am part of everything. Though a small part, I am connected to everything. It allows me to take a step back from whatever challenges I’m experiencing. My demeanor is always centered in the knowledge that there’s something so much bigger than myself.

How are you enjoying the parks this week? Take our poll or share your plans with us below! Still planning your next adventure? According to the National Park Service, every American is less than 100 miles from a national park site. Find a park near you using the handy map on NPCA’s website. See the official National Park Week website for more information—and check out this cool infographic from the National Park Foundation for some interesting facts and figures about the parks, too.

Safe travels!

-Jennifer Errick, Editor, Online Communications

Many of us remember the images from the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that left 11 people dead. The disaster opened a gushing wellhead that emptied 5,000 barrels of oil per day into the ocean off the coast of Louisiana. I worked as a teacher in Louisiana as these events unfolded, and for me, what happened eight days later was as poignant as the news on that first terrible night because it happened in my classroom.

On April 28, 2010, the world watched as clean-up crews set the Gulf of Mexico’s waters ablaze—the latest attempt to control the vast oil slick. The disaster became the topic for discussion among my 7th grade students in Jefferson Parish, less than 100 miles from the smoldering oil rig. The local news had just reported that oil would be washing ashore within hours.

My students were scared. They sought assurance and answers. They wanted to know why it was happening. The BP oil spill was more than an ecological disaster happening offshore; the impacts were real and they were quickly hitting home.

One student heard from his father, a commercial fisherman, that “all of the oysters and fish were going to die and there was going to be no more seafood.”

As students pictured the oil washing ashore and destroying beaches, many feared that their parents would lose their jobs in the tourism-based economy that the Gulf Coast relied upon. They talked about the places they had visited and loved—Jean Lafitte down the road, the beaches of Alabama and Gulf Islands. “Will we be able to go this summer?”

They turned to me and asked, “How did they let this happen?”

Being an English teacher, this would have been a great opportunity for me to invoke the lessons of The Lorax and provide a literary analogy. But I just told them to hold on to how they felt in that moment and not forget it.

This was just the beginning of a nightmare that went on to last 87 days. Over 210 million gallons of oil later, gulf ecosystems have been permanently changed. As we mark the three-year anniversary, the restoration continues. We still do not know the long-term consequences of the BP oil spill and how it will affect the landscape and aquatic life for years to come. A recent National Wildlife Federation report states the remnants of oil and dispersants continue to plague dolphins, sea turtles, and coral, which are dying at an abnormally high rate.

Three years later, more oil rigs are drilling in the Gulf of Mexico than before the BP oil spill. In the past year, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued 112 new drilling permits for wells deeper than 500 feet—more than each of the two years prior to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Have we forgotten the lesson from three years ago? I at least hope that my students have not.

BP and other responsible parties are currently on trial in a federal court in Louisiana to determine the extent of their negligence. Learn how financial penalties from the proceedings could help fund projects to strengthen Gulf waters and national parks in our recent story, “Three Years Later: Gulf Coast Still Recovering from BP Oil Spill.”

This Saturday, April 20, marks the third anniversary of the oil rig explosion that devastated coastal communities, waters, and lands in the Gulf of Mexico and imposed tragic loss among 11 families.

Nearly three years ago, I flew over the Gulf of Mexico in a small plane, to see firsthand the devastating impacts the 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill was inflicting on our national parks and the local communities, especially Gulf Islands National Seashore. I met with many workers and toured the National Park Service’s Oil Spill Command Center to discuss clean-up efforts, staff capacity, and the challenges they faced trying to protect park resources and wildlife.

As I walked along the beach of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the wind and rain from Tropical Storm Bonnie was strong. The brown-stained sea foam rolled in and out, leaving behind a thin sheen of oil on the beach. Though officials advised against it, I reached down to pick up some of the brown sand and felt the oil between my fingertips. I was not prepared for the stinging sensation on my fingers—a slight and persistent chemical sting. It was heartbreaking to imagine the oil spreading over the Gulf Islands’ beaches, into its wetlands, and onto its wildlife. The work ahead for the National Park Service was daunting, especially for the more than 600 staff from 120 national parks deployed to assist in the Gulf Coast cleanup efforts, in addition to thousands of others from federal agencies, national and local organizations, and nearby communities.

Recognizing that one of the worst environmental disasters to hit the Gulf Coast in U.S. history could bring about an unprecedented opportunity for recovery and restoration, Congress passed the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourism, Opportunities Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (also referred to as the RESTORE Act) last year. This bipartisan legislation ensures that 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalty payments stemming from the BP oil spill would be directed toward environmental restoration and economic development in the Gulf region, including national parks like Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, and Padre Island National Seashore, where the health of the Gulf is directly linked to the health of the parks.

Today, BP and other responsible parties are on trial in a federal court in Louisiana to determine the extent of their negligence and the financial penalties that will be leveed. In the meantime, there are many projects that could make a tremendous impact on the Gulf through the RESTORE Act.

The entire Gulf is one large ecosystem. Improving the health of places like Florida Bay, the Mississippi Delta, and Galveston Bay will support vibrant fisheries, wildlife habitat, and livelihoods that depend on a healthy Gulf. NPCA supports a variety of restoration projects with a goal of improving the overall health of the Gulf to allow it to be more resilient to future disasters.

At Gulf Islands National Seashore, one potential project would remove asphalt and road-base debris from areas that were once pristine sugar-white sand, but have been damaged by years of storm events. At Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve, a proposed project would restore wetlands damaged by old oil exploration and drilling canals, levees, and platforms in the Barrataria Preserve portion of the park. At Everglades National Park, another proposed project would bridge spans of a major access road known as the Tamiami Trail, allowing water to flow back into the park and out to Florida Bay, a highly productive Gulf estuary that has experienced a decline in fisheries and wading birds due to the lack of fresh water.

With five of America’s Great Waters and eight national parks located in the Gulf Coast region, we must not forget how these cherished places suffered, either by direct impacts from the oil or indirect effects such as lost revenues from spring and summer tourism seasons. These communities have been waiting for funds to begin critical shovel-ready environmental restoration projects that will rebuild the Gulf Coast, making it stronger and more resilient.

We must not forget how we felt when we heard the news three years ago and watched damage spread day after day. The communities, businesses and national parks in the Gulf Coast still need help to recover from it. The federal government must hold the responsible parties accountable and use the financial penalties to jumpstart these restoration projects that, once funded, will help to restore and rebuild the Gulf Coast to make it stronger than ever.

This year’s Most Endangered Rivers report from American Rivers makes one thing clear: It is not sustainable for a single river to support 36 million people.

That’s the situation today for the Colorado River. Though millions use its water, it is already so over-tapped that it now dries up to a trickle before reaching the sea. Climate change and population growth have the potential to make the situation worse. The Bureau of Reclamation’s own report (Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study, December 2012) stresses that there is not enough water to meet current demands across the basin, let alone support future demand increases. Scientists predict climate change will reduce the Colorado River’s flow by 10 to 30 percent by 2050. We can’t stay on the path we’re on now if we want this iconic river and its surrounding parks and communities to remain healthy.

That’s why, now more than ever, it’s time to talk about how best to conserve the river while ensuring our protected lands remain unimpaired for future generations.

Images of this iconic river are entwined with the majestic national parks it travels through, from the meadows and rich valleys of Rocky Mountain to the dramatic vistas of the Grand Canyon. A Park Service brochure of the region captures so much of it so well for me:

The national parks of the Colorado River basin set aside the best of the river corridor’s most scenic, natural, and cultural wonders to serve the country’s heart and spirit … Dinosaur National Monument’s cathedral-like canyons where the Green and Yampa Rivers meet … Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s steep, narrow gash through some of the hardest rock on Earth … Curecanti National Recreation Area’s vast blue shimmer in the Colorado high country … Canyonlands National Park’s meandering gulches in the heart of Utah’s red rock country … the stark meeting of big water and big desert in Glen Canyon and Lake Mead National Recreation Area … more than 2,000 sandstone arches at Arches National Park … and the breathtaking, mile-deep descent into geologic time that is Grand Canyon National Park.

These parks and recreation areas depend on the river for their health and vitality, and in turn create economic boons for surrounding communities throughout the basin. Yet, it is a nearly impossible challenge for the National Park Service to fulfill its mandate to conserve resources in these parks due to ongoing water management issues. The various federal agencies managing the river have aimed to provide a reliable supply of water to this rapidly growing region of the country but haven’t significantly considered how to incorporate the protection of parklands. Americans recognize the special character of these wild places and protect them for present and future generations. It is now my turn, and yours, to speak up on behalf of national parks to ensure these southwestern jewels remain for our children and theirs.

In their report, American Rivers points to the need for Congress to fund programs that will encourage better water management of the Colorado River for the 21st century. NPCA couldn’t agree more. All concerned agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Park Service must be involved in the development of a long-term, basin-wide framework to proactively manage water flows to address the needs of surrounding cities, agriculture, hydropower, recreation, and environmental resources. Full participation with an open, transparent process and adequate funding are both crucial to the future of this great American waterway.

NPCA’s Colorado River program is working to incorporate healthy river flows and healthy national parklands into the land- and water-management discussions more fully. These protected natural areas are part of larger landscapes and ecosystems that require collaboration among disparate stakeholders to protect. We work with federal, state, and local agencies to promote proactive measures for long-term restoration and protection of these public lands and waters. We believe that by highlighting the profound impact river management and continued diversion has on our national parks—places that are both beloved for their beauty and valued for their economic leverage—we can engage a diverse network of voices that will advocate to save the Colorado River.

For more information, see our recent press statement on American Rivers’ Most Endangered River and learn more about NPCA’s Colorado River program. You can take action for the Colorado River on the American Rivers website, and learn more by reading the Most Endangered Rivers report and watching the video below.

I get a real sense of accomplishment when the Park Service takes action on an issue we’ve been pushing for years. In early April, the agency renewed temporary regulations to keep hunters from killing black bear cubs and sows with cubs with spotlights at their den sites in Gates of the Arctic and Denali National Preserves.  And new temporary regulations were adopted to disallow using bait to hunt brown bears at Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Yukon-Charley National Preserves in Alaska. This is great news for bears in our northernmost national preserves.

For those less familiar with bear hunting, “spotlighting” is a controversial practice that involves crawling into a bear’s den while it is hibernating, waking it by shining a light in its eyes, and shooting it. That is hardly sportsmanlike, and it’s not “hunting.” That’s killing.

Why, do you ask, does the Park Service have to take this action to renew its bans on these practices each year? Because Alaska allows spotlighting, baiting, and other objectionable hunting methods throughout the state. The Alaska Board of Game makes the rules for managing wildlife, and its main goal is to ensure that there are more than enough animals for human consumption—quite a different approach to managing wildlife populations than the Park Service takes. In order to ensure there is plenty of moose and caribou for hunters to kill, the state has a very active Intensive Management program aimed at reducing populations of wolves and bears. To increase the number of wolves and bears hunters are permitted to kill, the Alaska Board of Game has increasingly liberalized hunting methods to include baiting and spotlighting.

This treatment of bears—which serve an important ecological role at the top of the food chain—is in stark contrast to how Congress directs the Park Service to manage wildlife. The Park Service must specifically maintain natural and healthy populations, in Alaska and throughout the nation, and Park Service management policies make it explicitly clear that manipulating any wildlife population (like wolves and bears) to benefit a hunted species (like moose or caribou) is not allowed. Period. No exceptions.

From the perspective of the state of Alaska, this is simply a state’s rights issue. Officials here have argued long and hard that the Park Service has no authority to reject these hunting rules adopted by the Board of Game. NPCA and the Park Service have a very different opinion. The Park Service has all the authority in the world to reject state hunting rules that conflict with Park Service regulations and management objectives. It has been successfully tested in states all across the country.

As I’ve said before, the issue is not if sport hunting is allowed on national preserve lands—it is. The issue is how you hunt.

Now that the Park Service has again exercised its right to push back on the Board of Game’s hunting regulations, we are highly supportive of taking the all-important next step of making the Park Service position a permanent regulation so the agency doesn’t have to renew these rules every year. We’re hoping that’ll happen this spring—and based on our past advocacy on this issue, we know we have thousands of NPCA supporters around the country behind us as we urge the Park Service to do the right thing to protect these important and iconic animals.

If you liked this story, you might also like

• NPS Should Not Be Forced to Support Alaska’s War on Bears (February 1, 2012)
• Getting Close to Katmai’s Bears in the Hopes of Protecting Them (July 31, 2012)
• Death of Alpha Wolf Sparks Renewed Concern over Hunting near Yellowstone (December 27, 2012)

To witness our new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in her element, it helps to find her outdoors, whether she’s hiking a trail, paddling a kayak, or climbing a mountain. I know because I’ve gotten to share a number of excursions with her over the eight years she has served on NPCA’s board of trustees, and it’s given me insight into her character.

Last year, for example, Sally was part of a small team of national park enthusiasts on an arduous climb up Mount Rainier. Four of us were climbing up the glaciers, persevering through snow, hail, rain, and fog as we negotiated many crevasses and steep snow ramps, all on a day with high winds and terrible visibility. Sally was focused, observant, exceedingly competent, and willing to make adjustments to our course as the weather (and finally lightning) managed to turn even worse. A good leader knows how to push limits while also listening to people and the surrounding environment to manage the risks and rewards of our decisions. I could not be more impressed with her skill and good judgment that day on the mountain.

For a great leader, however, it’s not always about getting to the top.

On a very different hike last October, a group of NPCA volunteers and staff members spent the afternoon with Sally at Acadia National Park. We started making our way along a trail with a significant drop-off on one side. Normally, the trail would not have been terribly difficult, but on this day, a recent rain had left the path slippery, and a member of our group understandably got nervous. Sally was the first to notice this person’s hesitation, and she immediately offered her arm, walking the hiker back down to a more comfortable spot on the trail. To me, this spoke volumes about Sally’s personality—it showed her sensitivity, her quickness to act, and her dedication to helping others, even if it means changing her own plans to take the most responsible action. It’s no wonder she has made such a successful career out of connecting people with nature—she gets nature and she gets people.

Now that the Senate has officially confirmed Sally as our nation’s next interior secretary, I can say without reservation that she is an ideal choice to oversee the National Park Service as it prepares for its centennial in 2016. Sally has the background and the vision to support America’s most beloved public lands as they enter their next century. As the head of one of our country’s major outdoor retailers, Sally also understands that investing in our national parks means supporting a whole economy of recreational opportunities that improves our health, connects us with nature, strengthens our families, and provides millions of jobs around the country.

Although the bulk of her career has been in the private sector, Sally has spent a great deal of time specifically addressing the needs of national parks—the issue closest to my heart. In addition to her years on NPCA’s board, she has served as a member of the National Parks Second Century Commission convened by NPCA in 2008, where she led efforts to better connect people to parks, reach diverse communities, and build a broad-based network of park and outdoor recreation advocates. She has been a strong supporter of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, and she has worked with former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne on the Bush Administration’s effort to enhance both public and private funding for our national parks.

When President Obama officially announced Sally’s nomination for the cabinet position, she joked with outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, “I’m going to do my best to fill those big boots of yours, but I think I might get lost in your hat.” It’s true; she has a great legacy to continue, and some sizeable footwear to fill. But I know she will work hard to ensure our public lands are preserved, protected, and more accessible for future generations to enjoy—and that’s something we all can celebrate.

Here are five interesting facts that stood out for me as I read through the report:

1. Civil War tourists love learning and tend to have cash to spare: They earn a higher household income, on average, than the general population, and more than half are college graduates, compared to the nationwide average of 24 percent.
2. The average family of four visiting a Civil War battlefield spends $1,000 on their trip—and their spending looks something like this:
3. In Virginia alone, tourists at Civil War battlefields stay twice as long and spend twice as much as the average tourist.
4. On average, visits by 956 tourists support one job in a battlefield community.
5. In Philadelphia, property values increase an average of 1.6 percent for each mile closer the property is to a national historic district.

For more great information on battlefield visitation in general and the specific effects places like Antietam, Chickamauga, and Harper’s Ferry have on their communities, read the report on the Civil War Trust website.

-Jennifer Errick, Editor, Online Communications

If you liked this story, you might also like

• Living History and Solemn Reflection at Antietam Commemoration (September 28, 2012)
• Did You Know? Only 28% of Civil War Battlefields Have National Park Protections (September 12, 2012)
• From Civil War to Civil Rights: All Peeps Created Equal (March 29, 2013)