NYCkayaker Help Shape the Future of New York's Gateway to Our National Parks!

[Arielle Schwartz]

Dear Friends,

We need your help!  On behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA),  I am writing to inform you of our international public design competition--"Envisioning Gateway."  The competition is an open call for ideas to help transform Gateway National Recreation Area into an iconic national park and a rich regional resource.  As you may know, Gateway stretches from Queens, across parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, to the northern tip of New Jersey, and is one of the largest urban national park in the United States.  The park bears tremendous natural, historical, and cultural resources, but suffers from chronic funding shortfalls, resulting in crumbling buildings and threatened natural resources.  A recent poll conducted by Zogby International demonstrated that more than half of New Yorkers had never heard of Gateway or visited the park.

Here's how you can help:  NPCA is working to encourage community involvement to help restore New York's national park.  The public can view the Envisioning Gateway finalist proposals, make comments, and vote for a winner until tomorrow, January 31, 2007 at www.npca.org/gateway.      All votes will be counted, and all comments will be presented to the National Park Service for consideration during Gateway's upcoming General Management Plan.

Only two days remain in the voting period, so this is your last chance to make your voice heard on what YOU want the new Gateway to look like!  I invite you to take a few minutes to visit the website and vote, and to please pass along the website to your friends and colleagues; public input is critical for the success of a new vision and future for the park.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  For more information, contact Alexander Brash, Northeast Regional Director, 212.617.2771 or abrash at npca.org.  Thank you so much for your time and consideration.  

Gateway belongs to all of us - let's ensure that the future of New York's Gateway to our national parks is bright!

Happy voting!

Best regards,

Arielle Schwartz
Outreach Intern
National Parks Conservation Association