NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RELEASES 5 YEAR PLAN

In a town hall meeting at the historic Ford’s Theater last week, NPS Director Jarvis met with NPS staff and partners to officially lay out a five year plan in preparation of the National Park System’s Centennial celebration in 2016. The report entitled “A Call to Action” identifies 36 points of action to be accomplished within the next five years. Nearly all the action items were designed to be no or low cost. According to the plan, “The NPS should encourage local communities and national constituencies to find the best strategies to conserve the resources they consider important.  Those strategies could include creating new parks, natural and historic landmarks, heritage areas, national trails, or local designations that do not require federal funds.” In his remarks, Director Jarvis touted the economic and job creation impact of the National Park System and specifically discussed the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit program and its $5 billion a year economic contribution. He also mentioned the importance of historic preservation to our nation’s well-being and that our nation is experiencing a history knowledge deficit. The 36 recommendations run the gamut – from more healthful eating to greater diversity in the workforce. Many recommendations track those proposed in President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative. The report also includes a recommendation for a $1 billion legacy endowment to be assembled from philanthropic sources and calls for the protection of five large landscapes – specifically identifying the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. While only one action item (#25) explicitly relates to historic preservation, we were informed by NPS staff that historic preservation is expected to be integrated into a number of other action items. NCSHPO and our partner organizations will be working with the NPS’s cultural resources department to identify which action items we can help facilitate. Action item number 25 – “What’s Old is New” Modernize historic preservation methods and technologies, show how historic structures can be made sustainable, and support efforts to rebuild the economic vitality of rural and urban communities by updating the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties in consultation with historic preservation partners. For a complete copy of the report visit: http://www.nps.gov/calltoaction/ The video of the Town Hall meeting is also expected to be available on the website next week.