The Glacier National Park Fund announced this week that they have awarded funding for 14 of the recently requested critical projects to Glacier National Park. The funding for these projects comes from the sale of the Montana Glacier National Park specialty license plate, along with support from annual donors.
The news of National Park budgets being cut is causing concern that our National Parks will be “cash-strapped.” A cut to Glacier National Park’s budget is challenging and has encouraged the Park to depend even more on their official fundraising partner, the Glacier National Park Fund, to increase support related to education, research, visitor experience and preservation.
While the Fund was created in 1999 as the Park’s designated philanthropic partner, the history of private/public partnerships has a long history in Glacier National Park. “We are fortunate to have so many donors who love Glacier National Park and understand the importance of giving back to ensure that we can enjoy into the future what we have enjoyed in the past.” says Jane Ratzlaff, Executive Director of the Fund.
The funding for this year’s 14 grants has all come from private philanthropic donations:
• Avalanche Lake Trail Rehabilitation
• Promote Youth and Adult Citizen Science
• Wireless Water Tank Monitoring System
• Bear-Proof Food Storage Boxes
• Roadway Sign Inventory Management
• Ptarmigan Trail Rock Walls and Trail Rehabilitation
• A Fisher Survey
• Winter Ecology School Program Interns
• Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Service Program
• An On-Line Citizen Science Program
• Half the Park Happens after Dark – Astronomy Program
• Discovery Cabin and Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
• Going-to-the-Sun Road Podcasts
• A Wildlife Sighting Notebook
Jane Ratzlaff also commented, “Those of us who cherish Glacier National Park or benefit from having the Park in our back yard have a choice to leave it in the hands of what the National Park Service can afford, or step-up to the plate to help keep our Park accessible and protected. We invite you to go to our website - http://www.glacierfund.org/ - to read about $3 plus million in projects that private donations have helped us accomplish, as well as projects planned for the future.”
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com
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