Dear Friend,

It’s going to be a tough summer for our national parks.

Across the country—and especially here in the Northeast—parks are struggling under the weight of unprecedented staffing cuts. Rangers, scientists, maintenance workers and cultural resource experts are being pushed out, and because of the ongoing hiring freeze, most of their jobs are not being filled. Some parks have lost as much as 25% of their staff and still they’re being told to stay open, greet visitors and keep everything running as usual.

Our national parks need your help!

• Here are five things you can do to support our parks.

• Visit a park and share your experience with us via this survey.

Advocating for Parks 

In early April, NPCA hosted our annual National Parks Advocacy Week in Washington D.C. It was a productive and inspiring gathering at a critical time for America’s national parks. Advocates like you participated in over 70 meetings with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill, calling for federal funding and standing up for park staff, emphasizing the importance of reauthorization of the National Parks and Public Land Restoration Fund introduced as the America the Beautiful Act. Thanks to everyone who joined us in DC! We also held several in-person, virtual, and in-district meetings during National Parks Week. Thank you to everyone who participated in those meetings!

Take Action: You can help by contacting your members of Congress and asking them to co-sponsor the America the Beautiful Act.  

Celebrating the American Revolution and the Commonwealth, by Chad Lord

Listening for the shot heard around the world! 

Every park tells the story of America, but only two-thirds of them are specifically set aside to help all of us understand our nation’s history and culture. Parks are special places, and they often interpret once-in-a-lifetime events. My family and I experienced one of those at Minute Man National Historical Park on April 17, 2025. British troops and American rebels started a war 250 years ago on this day that would ultimately separate the colonies from a King. We learned about that story walking the Old North Bridge and the paths along the road between Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. We toured historic homes not normally open to the public due to the understaffed National Park Service. And we witnessed the annual re-enactment of the harassment of the Red Coats by scrappy soldiers of a fledgling nation’s Continental Army.

My experience at these national parks brought home the sacrifice and courage of American’s fight to replace a monarch with a Republic, and an aspirational goal that all men (and women) are created equal with a government deriving its power from the consent of the governed. It was a thrill to mark such an important occasion with thousands of others at a spot protected by everyone, for everyone. 

From Stonewall to Stewardship: Honoring Our History in Our Parks, by Mark Segal

As someone who stood on the front lines during the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, I never imagined that 55 years later, I’d be taking on the title of Ambassador for Change with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Learn more about my story by watching this short video.

Today, I’m honored to partner with NPCA to help protect and elevate our LGBTQ+ community’s rightful place in America’s national parks and historic landmarks. NPCA played a key role in the creation of the Stonewall National Monument—our country’s first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history—which will mark its 10th anniversary next year. 

As we look ahead to that milestone, let’s also look forward. It’s time to imagine—and work toward—a fuller, more inclusive presentation of our shared history.  Together, we’re working to ensure that national parks share the critical role and influence LGBTQ+ Americans have had throughout American history.

Take Action: Help ensure that the National Park Service continues to tell the full story of the people and places that helped shape our nation, like those at Stonewall National Monument. 

Donate: Join us in honoring Stonewall's legacy of hope and inspiration and together, help safeguard our shared history. DONATE TODAY and make twice the impact.

Visit Maine Parks This Summer  

Maine is colloquially known as “vacationland”, in no small part due to being home to six national park sites. You read that right! In addition to Acadia National Park, which annually attracts nearly 4 million visitors, Maine boasts five additional parks that showcase its natural beauty and rich history and culture. If you are planning a trip to Maine this summer, consider visiting these lesser-known national park sites, which can all be accessed from Route 1.  

As you head up Route 1 on your way to Acadia, be sure to stop and visit the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, one of our nation’s newest national parks. Nestled along the banks of the Damariscotta River, the site honors Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a Presidential Cabinet as Labor Secretary under FDR and the architect of The New Deal. The park preserves the Perkins family homestead, including the historic 1836 Brickhouse which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

Two hours north of Acadia off Route 1 you’ll find Roosevelt Campobello International Park. Located on Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada, just across the bridge from Lubec, Maine, Campobello preserves Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s magnificent 34-room summer home and boasts several miles of hiking and biking trails.

One hour north of Campobello on Route 1 you’ll find Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. The park preserves the site of the first French presence in North America. In 1604, Pierre Dugua led a fateful expedition of 79 French explorers who settled on Saint Croix Island located in the Saint Croix River. The site also preserves and interprets the history of the local Passamaquoddy tribe, the original stewards of the region.

Have a wonderful summer and thank you for being a national park advocate!

Sincerely,

Kristen Sykes
Northeast Regional Director