Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell

 

A reef in Biscayne Bay National Park – credit National Park Service

The Good News Network gives us our good news story today.

US National Parks Are Receiving Record-High Gift of $100 Million to Protect and Restore Fragile Ecosystems

By

Andy Corbley–

The official non-profit organization representing America’s National Parks has received notice that it is set to receive the most significant philanthropic gift of its history.

$100 million has been set aside from the Lilly Endowment for the National Parks Foundation (NPF) to protect the fragile ecosystems in our parks.

Some national parks like Glacier or Canyonlands are enshrined to protect whole tracts of pristine landscape, while others are established to protect very small tracts of very vulnerable ecosystems, like Biscayne Bay and Channel Islands.

To that end, Lilly Endowment Inc. has stated that the $100 million is for protecting ecosystems at immediate risk of degradation.

AP reported that the money will be used to address the needs in sites beyond the 63 national parks, said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the NPF, of which over 400 are managed by the National Park Service.

Restoring coral reefs in Biscayne Bay National Park and other reef-bearing parks, restoring wild trout species in western parks, and protecting the most delicate ecosystems have all been among the NPF’s recent work, and Shafroth expects the first round of grants stemming from the Lilly gift to be within these areas.

Over much of the 21st century, a backlog of deferred maintenance in the national parks grew until it amounted to around $7 billion in needed work. The Great American Outdoors Act, passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Trump, attempted to address this by permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This mechanism diverts 50% of all the money from energy sales (coal, oil, natural gas) on federally-owned land to conservation grants.

Congress estimated this would generate $9.5 billion for the national parks over five years. However, a recent re-examination of the NPS’s maintenance needs places the needed funding at around $24 billion.

In light of this, the NPF has launched a fund drive looking for private donors to make up part of the difference. Lilly is the first to have contributed.

Philanthropic gifts like the one from Lilly are crucial as they allow the NPS to act immediately to address time-sensitive and critical projects while they, like all the other federal agencies, jockey over budget negotiations and allocation, the NPF said.

“For over 50 years, private philanthropy has played a vital role in bridging the gap between park needs and available funding. This grant will allow us to supercharge our efforts to ensure our national parks are for everyone, for generations to come,” President Shafroth said in a statement.

The good news in this article is that private funding will perhaps offset the financing deficit needed for park repair. Today’s JohnKu talks about private donations to help the parks.

Donate by John W. Howell © 2024

Thankful for big checks,

But even the smallest gift. . .

Will help with repairs.

67 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  5. I hadn’t heard about the Great American Outdoors Act, which is a shame. The mainstream news should devote more time to positive topics, like you do on Fridays. That act, in addition to the $100 million gift, is wonderful. National Parks are meant to protect the land. And I’m glad they’re receiving more money to do that.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Wonderful news, John. Thank you for sharing this hopeful sign. As I’ve said before, I always look forward to your Friday post. Thank you! 🌞

    Liked by 1 person

  11. This is wonderful. Unlike our idiot governor who planned pickleball and golf courses in our state parks here in FL. When word got out and protests started, he quickly threw his underlings under the bus and said he had approved nothing and this should not have been sent out to the press.

    Let’s help our ecosystems. Those do need our help! Thanks for this good news, John.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. This is great news, John. It’s sad that such a large amount of money is necessary, but it’s good that someone stepped up to make a start. You’re right though, every little bit helps.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Fri-Yayyy for sure.. this is a wonderful example of everyone pitching in! “private philanthropy has played a vital role in bridging the gap between park needs and available funding. This grant will allow us to supercharge our efforts to ensure our national parks are for everyone, for generations to come,””👏👏

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  20. What a fantastic project! Makes me glad to have worked for Big Pharma (and a tad ashamed that my fellow journalists didn’t find this worth reporting). On a personal note, please accept my condolences on Kizzy. I felt rather as if I knew her, and I hope she’s found our other dogs who’ve crossed the Bridge.

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Michele. Yes we are taking it one day at a time. To have a dog collapse and be gone is something we never experienced so it is taking some time for us to continue to run the check list to see what we could have done to prevent it. We know there isn’t anything but it is hard to move on. Move on we will in time. Thank you again, Michele. 😊

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  25. We are working our way out of a pickle of our own making.

    This is a cool bit of good news. Your JohnKu tells it like it is.

    Thanks John!

    🪙💸 🪙💸 🪙💸

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I can imagine! This is a hard trial. One point is when you already realize that the end is coming, the other thing is when it happens suddenly. Send your daughter my deepest words of support. Be strong, my friends! This is a leap year.😪

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