|
|
Dear Friend,
Happy Summertime! We've had a full plate this spring and are excited to share what we've been up to in the Southeast.
National Parks Advocacy Week NPCA staff and volunteers had a successful National Parks Advocacy Week in D.C., participating in Lobby Day and Salute to the Parks awards gala. We fielded teams from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North and South Carolina. We were excited to have members of our Young Leaders Council join us on the Hill to practice their advocacy skills.
|
|
 |
|
|
Big Win for Ocmulgee Mounds
By: Chris Watson
In a significant development in our land conservation efforts at Ocmulgee, our partners at the Open Space Institute (OSI) have closed on a large landholding adjacent to the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in middle Georgia and nearby the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. This deal was several years in the making with many bumps in the road. This makes the fourth major land deal in the Ocmulgee River Corridor within the last few years. NPCA partnered with OSI in successfully lobbying for federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) appropriations for lands within the Ocmulgee Mounds NHP boundary in fiscal years ‘21, ‘22, and ‘23. We will continue to work in support of OSI to ensure final funding and transfer of these new parcels to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additionally, after an extended delay, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act was finally introduced in the U.S. House and the Senate in April! This bill would extend protection of the archaeology and natural resources of the Ocmulgee River Corridor from Macon roughly twenty-five miles to south of the city of Warner Robins. The bill had its first hearing in the Senate in May and is currently awaiting action in the House.
|
|
 |
|
|
Concerns at Coastal Parks
By: Jeff Hunter
On June 21, SERO’s Jeff Hunter and Sarah Barmeyer from NPCA’s Conservation Team toured Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Fort Raleigh National Historic Park with Superintendent Dave Hallac and his Chief of Resource Management and Science, Meaghan Johnson.
At Fort Raleigh they saw first-hand the coastal erosion that threatens the park's archaeological resources, many of which remain undiscovered and un-inventoried.
At Cape Hatteras, they visited Buxton Beach where oil pollution leaking from a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) has closed a section of this popular national seashore. NPCA has joined our partners at Southern Environmental Law Center and North Carolina Coastal Federation urging Congress to provide the Army Corp of Engineers with the authority and resources to clean up this site and restore it for use by the public.
The dedication of Superintendent Hallac and his staff was clearly on display despite the many challenges they face including aging park infrastructure, oceanfront rental homes that periodically fall into the ocean (littering the national seashore with debris that endangers both park visitors and wildlife), and an access road (NC 12) that periodically washes out eliminating access and egress for local residents and park visitors alike.
|
|
 |
|
|
New Faces at NPCA
The Southeast Region extends a warm welcome to Katie Shea (above left), NPCA’s Tribal Co-Management Policy Fellow. Katie is a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and lives in Athens, Georgia. Prior to joining NPCA, Katie served the National Park Service as a Cultural Diversity Internship Program member at both Redwood National Park and the Office of Native American Affairs. Katie’s passion for stewardship and building relationships is largely influenced by her participation the Potawatomi Leadership Program, where she learned the values of culture and political sovereignty, and the unique obligations to celebrate and further uphold those rights. Her experience and insight are invaluable to fostering equitable work in tribal co-management.
Kristen Vaisman (above right), Director of Development, East has been working with NPCA in the northeast for almost two years and has now taken on a leadership role partnering with NPCA’s supporters along the east coast.
Krista brings over a decade of successful fundraising and philanthropy experience to serve the incredible donors and partners who support NPCA. She most recently joined NPCA from the nonprofit Global Citizen, where she led individual giving efforts globally as the Senior Director of Global Philanthropy, working closely with major donors, foundations and board members who have a passion for making an impact on global poverty and conservation issues.
|
|
|
|
Celebrating Emmett Till’s Birthday
On July 25th, we pause to celebrate the birthday of Emmett Till and reflect on his legacy. Emmett, affectionally called Bobo by friends and family, was born in Chicago where he lived with his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. He enjoyed riding bikes and was described by his cousins as a “jokester” who loved to make people laugh. Though he only lived to be fourteen, Emmett’s life has had an unquestionable impact. Nearly seventy years later, the story of his murder still carries palpable energy. Designated on Emmett’s birthday in 2023, The Emmett and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument was established to honor Mamie’s resolve and in remembrance of Emmett’s murder -- though who really could forget? The site consists of the Tallahatchie Courthouse in Sumner, and Graball Landing in Glendora. Visitors should also experience the interpretive center for storytelling and exhibitions.
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Watch/Read/Listen
The Secret Lives of Parks “Before the Gate”
In the latest episode of NPCA's podcast The Secret Lives of Parks “Before the Gate”, host Jennifer Errick travels to Beaufort, SC where she contemplates the impacts of resort-style developments and golf courses on the culturally and historically significant sea islands, indigenous lands of the Gullah/Geechee who still steward and reside in Saint Helena. Their story is a centerpiece of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Site. Queen Quet, chieftess and head of state of the Gullah/Geechee Nation gives a moving and electrifying testimony on the significance of the islands to her people, and the ongoing fight against the golf course.
Thoughtful consideration by Southeast Field Representative Joshua Jenkins asks the audience to reflect on the interconnectedness of the Gullah/Geechee and the land they steward, and how their lifestyle is an example of how we can become better environmentalists. Listen to “Before the Gate” here or on apple podcasts.
Call to Action: No Gates. No Golf. Help us protect Saint Helena and historical homelands of the Gullah/Geechee from the proposed golf course development plan featured in the podcast. Learn more and take action to protect Saint Helena.
Upcoming: Civil Rights Fellowship The southeast staff is excited for the addition of a Civil Rights Fellow to our team in late summer 2024. Based in Mississippi, the Fellow will work closely with local communities to support newly established park sites and build community engagement with NPCA and the Park Service. Your support will help ensure our fellow will have the resources they need to help build capacity working with new communities in the deep south. Stay up to date with current opportunities at NPCA on our website.
As you can see, we are working across the Southeast region to protect our parks and couldn't do it without members and supporters like you. To contact us, please use [email protected]. We are so grateful for all your support, for helping us defend these incredibly important places in our nation's natural, cultural and historic sites.
Sincerely,
|
|
Eboni Preston Goddard, PhD
Acting Southeast Regional Director
|
|
|
|
