Hello Friend of the national parks,

I hope the spring showers are treating you and your garden well. The Mid-Atlantic team is taking advantage of this wonderful time to grow and deepen our roots in our region. Since we last spoke, our team has been in the field and on Capitol Hill advocating for our national parks. Of course, we cannot do this alone. We are grateful for your continued support of NPCA and the special spaces we love and enjoy.

Park Advocates head to Capitol Hill during National Parks Advocacy Week

Every April, hundreds of NPCA members, supporters, partners and volunteers, travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress to advocate for the protection of our more than 420 national parks. While NPCA meets with members of Congress and the administration regularly about challenges that impact our national parks, our annual lobby day gives park advocates from across the country the opportunity to collectively speak up for the future of their national parks and communities. Read our 2024 Agenda for National Parks and how you can take action.

New Legislation to Protect American History and Culture

We're celebrating the introduction of the Cultural Resources Challenge Act (HR 7936) which would provide $250 million in funding for historic and cultural resources at America’s national parks—including the many historic sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. In honor of America's 250th birthday in 2026, this funding would be a much-needed infusion that would help the National Park Service hire hundreds of historians, archivists, ethnographers, and other cultural resources experts. We need your help. Urge your member of Congress to cosponsor this vital legislation to support cultural resources in America's national parks.

Your Advocacy at Work: National Parks Across the Region Reopen with Improved Visitor Experiences

As you visit national parks throughout the region this summer, you’ll see that your support of critical funding for national park funding, such as the Great American Outdoors Act, is showing results. National Park Service efforts to repair and upgrade parks are well underway and we’re celebrating these new and improved upgrades for visitors:

• First State National Historical Park completed a $5.4 million rehabilitation of the Sheriff’s House in New Castle, Delaware to serve as its first welcome center.

• Shenandoah National Park completed a $15 million restoration of 56 miles of Skyline Drive, including 19 overlooks, the Big Meadows Area and Loft Mountain Campground.

• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will reopen George W. Childs Park with restored trails, bridges, boardwalks and picnic and overlook areas.

A Major Step for the Chesapeake National Recreation Area

On May 15, the National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act (S. 2620). Senator Angus King (I-ME) lauded the effort to establish the new national park unit as a “model for public input.”

Mid-Atlantic Regional Office Welcomes New Fellows

Join us in welcoming three Fellows joining our team for the spring:

• Autumn Powell (Afro-Dine) is our Mid-Atlantic Indigenous Engagement Fellow, based in Baltimore, supporting Indigenous engagement in Maryland.

• Connor Tupponce (Upper Mattaponi) is our Chesapeake Indigenous Fellow working to engage Indigenous voices in our campaign to establish the Chesapeake National Recreation Area.

• Blanca Andrade is our Latino Community Outreach & Engagement fellow, based in Philadelphia, where she will be supporting our advocacy work in national parks along the Delaware Rive to improve engagement with the Latino community.

Service in Action with NPS at New River Gorge

Park Rangers at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and West Virginia Program Manager, Samantha Nygaard, led a service day pulling invasive garlic mustard growing along the Rend Trail with students from Marshall University along with community volunteers, including Lauren Hatcher from the Mid-Atlantic Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC).

ICYMI: Lead Proof: A recent ballistics discovery at Fort Necessity National Battlefield confirmed where the French and Indian War began. Read more in "National Parks" magazine.

Clearing the Air: NPCA has released its 2024 “Polluted Parks” report, showing 97% of national parks suffer from air pollution. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency recently strengthened its air quality standards, which will provide additional protection to these places we love, including Shenandoah National Park and New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Here are the latest developments and what they mean.

Meet us in the national parks. We are so excited to invite you to join us for upcoming NPCA or partner events. I invite you to learn more about the Mid-Atlantic parks on our webpage, attend an upcoming NPCA event or take action to protect parks.

Thank you for being an advocate for your national parks!

Michalea Pavlat
Indigenous Partnerships Field Representative