The Parkway needs your support this holiday season!
Ten years ago, the Blue Ridge Parkway had 240 permanent positions to manage the 469-mile-long scenic drive. Today continued budget cuts to the most visited National Park Service site have reduced the staff to only 170, leaving a third of the maintenance department unstaffed.
Yet, the workload has not diminished at all.
With less than 10 permanent interpretive rangers available for the 14 visitor centers along the Parkway, this year park managers will need $600,000 to hire seasonal employees needed to keep those facilities open and provide information and ranger programs to 1.5 million visitors using these facilities annually.
The fall season on the Parkway has come and gone, and snow has already fallen at higher elevations. Smaller ponds are freezing over, and the park is hunkering down for the cold months ahead. But FRIENDS' stewardship continues through the winter, and the support of FRIENDS members makes that possible.
Make your donation today. Your gift will matched by FRIENDS Board Members, to work twice as hard at preserving one of the most beautiful and treasured landscapes on earth.
As special thanks for your donation of $500 or more, we would like to offer you an incredible photograph by Nye Simmons, a value up to $350 based on your donation! For $1,000 or more, receive a 20" x 24" photo which retails for $350. For $500 to $999, receive a 16" x 20" photo which retails for $200. Please view the available prints pictured below. Download the letter to indicate which print you would like, or donate online and a FRIENDS staff member will call you to confirm your selection.
DONATE TODAY ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE. TO MAIL YOUR DONATION, DOWNLOAD OUR LETTER HERE.
Availble prints by photographer Nye Simmons:
