NPS Mission - National Park Service

National Park Service FY 2013 Budget Justifications
years of age. The NPS utilizes non-profit youth serving organizations to perform critical natural
and cultural resource conservation projects at NPS sites. The purpose of this program is to:
• Perform in a cost effective manner, appropriate conservation projects on eligible service
lands where such projects will not be performed by existing employees;
• Assist in performing research and public education tasks associated with natural and cultural
resources on eligible service lands;
• Expose young men and women to public service while furthering their understanding and
appreciation of the Nation’s natural and cultural resources;
• Expand educational opportunities by rewarding individuals who participate in national service
with an increased ability to pursue higher education or job training;
• Stimulate interest among the Nation’s young men and women in conservation careers by
exposing them to conservation professionals in land managing agencies.
• The National Park Service funds PLC projects through multiple fund sources including the
Youth Partnership Program, Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, and Cyclic
Maintenance.
In FY 2011 1,811 young people received employment opportunities under the PLC Program
Legal Authority.
• Youth Conservation Corps (YCC): The YCC is a summer employment program for 15-18 year
old young people from all segments of society, who work, learn, and earn together by engaging in
conservation projects on public lands. Due to the nature of the work performed, this program is
discussed in greater detail in the Facility Management and Operations section of the budget on
page ONPS-90. The NPS annually accomplishes a minimum of $3.0 million in work performed by
YCC employees. The work is funded primarily through park base or cyclic maintenance project
funds.
FY 2013 Program Performance
The program would contribute to NPS maintaining its all-time high overall visitor satisfaction of 97
percent, and would continue to introduce Americans from all walks of life to the wonders of our Nation’s
natural and cultural treasures. Additionally, the program would serve an estimated 152 million visitors to
facilitated programs and attain a 94 percent level of satisfaction among visitors served by facilitated
programs and an 87 percent level of visitor understanding of park significance. In FY 2013, the
Interpretation and Education Program would:
• Strive for 7.66 million VIP hours, an increase of 0.8 million hours over FY 2011 and 0.4 hours
over FY 2012 projected, and continue to support the parks with an increasingly valuable VIP
Program.
• Maintain the levels (2.15 million) of K-12 students that participate in National Park Service
education program. Education programs are formal, curriculum based programs that match a
group’s educational objectives with park resources. Some examples are class field trips, online
lesson plans and curricula, and distance learning opportunities. Parks report the number of
participants they reach in each program that qualifies as an education program and it is reported
through the Servicewide Interpretive Report.
• Continue to increase the number of youth involved with the Junior Ranger Program and
WebRangers. In 2011, over 700,000 children participated in Junior Ranger programs and there
were approximately 190,000 registered WebRangers with an average of 650 visits to the website
each day.
Through outreach to teachers and other educators as well as through its own programs, the NPS would
continue to educate young people about the national parks and the precious resources contained within,
and about their responsibilities as future stewards of these resources, thereby fulfilling the NPS mission to
preserve them, unimpaired, for the enjoyment of future generations. In FY 2013, the Youth Program
would:
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