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First Ever Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol

On March 10, 2010, Voyageurs National Park Association (VNPA) will be part of Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. This is our day to conference with the delegation and inform them of the important issues and opportunities for Voyageurs National Park and its gateway communities.

VNPA is a planning partner of this event, along with the Park, the City of International Falls, Destination Voyageurs National Park, and the counties of St. Louis and Koochiching. The Day at the Capitol is an historic event representing the efforts on behalf of all groups involved to collaborate for the betterment of the Park, its local communities, and its visitors.

Each of the groups attending the Day at the Capitol will bring key concerns and projects to the table. Laurel Beager, editor at the International Falls Daily Journal, interviewed several participants—including VNPA executive director Cory MacNulty—to learn about the many needs that will be discussed at the event. Read Beager’s article here: “Park’s Needs Subject of VNP Day at the Capitol” (1/19/10).

VNPA’s top priority to discuss with the delegation is our Land Preservation Initiative, our program to help the Park acquire private property within its legislated boundaries from willing sellers. The key to success and sustainability of this program is in securing federal dollars to purchase available lands. Thanks to a generous contribution from the WM Foundation, VNPA has established the Wallace C. Dayton Voyageurs National Park Legacy Fund to help purchase properties when they are on the market. Federal appropriations are necessary to free up Legacy Fund money for future purchases in order to protect the most land while its offered for sale. Read more about the Land Preservation Initiative on page 7 of our Winter 2009-2010 newsletter (PDF).

Read the International Falls Daily Journal for more about Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol.

We need your help, too! We’re going all the way to Washington, D.C. because this is an extraordinary, collaborative opportunity to protect Park lands, as well as achieve the many other important projects initiated by the Park’s communities. Please let your district Representative and your Senators know it’s important to you! Ask them to attend Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol, for the benefit of the Park’s gateway communities, the state of Minnesota, and the nation.

Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010