october 2013 issue
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Association of Partners for Public Lands News and NotesTRANSCRIPT
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Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013
N e w s w i r e
APPL NEWS
Online Forums News
Training News
Bridge To Tomorrow News
NEWSBITS
AGENCY NEWS
Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
CONVENTION NEWS
FEDERAL UPDATES
Legislative Update
MEMBER NEWS
VENDOR SUPPORT NEWS
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
November 2013
February 2014
MARKETPLACE
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
RESOURCES
APPL NEWS
The government shutdown has severe implications for public lands visitors and
partners. Over 1,700 employees from our member organizations have not been allowed
to enter their workplaces since October 1. In a weeklong shutdown, our member
organizations are projected to lose at least $3 million in revenue from cancelled
educational programs, unsold interpretive products and the lack of other visitor services.
The APPL board and staff want to thank everyone who has sent us information about
the impact of the shutdown on your organizations. Only with your on-the-ground
information and insights will APPL be able to fully represent your interests. With your
help, we have called on Congress to restore funding for all public lands and joined
coalitions to inform Capitol Hill and the Administration about the severe costs to our
organizations, visitors and local economies.
Visit www.appl.org/congress for ongoing updates from APPL on our efforts in this
ongoing crisis.
APPL’s Board of Directors will meet in Washington, DC October 11 -12. Among the
many items on the agenda are reports on Executive Director Dan Puskar’s first 120 days;
approval of the Association’s FY14 budget; and the selection of a strategic planning
facilitator.
If you would like more information about the meeting, please contact us at
Agency Partner of the Year and Outstanding Vendor nominations are now being
accepted from APPL members. This year’s nominations are being accepted online and
are due by Friday, October 25. To request a link to either nomination form please contact
us at [email protected].
Newswire is a monthly
publication dedicated to news
and information on issues
important to the public lands
community. Deadline for
submissions is the third Thursday
of each month. Items may be
submitted for review and
publication to [email protected].
To subscribe to Newswire, please send an e-mail with your
complete contact information to
[email protected]. We also
encourage you to add your board
members to Newswire’s electronic
distribution list.
Support APPL through the
Combined Federal Campaign. Use identification #12051 on your
CFC designation form.
Interact with APPL and
continue the dialogue at:
www.facebook.com/appl.fb
http://twitter.com/goappl
http://linkd.in/vqVDOH
www.goappl.wordpress.com
www.youtube.com/goappl
Supporting Education
and
Stewardship
2401 Blueridge Avenue
Suite 303
Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: 301 946 9475
Fax 301 946 9478
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.appl.org
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 2
Federal employees can support
APPL through the Combined
Federal Campaign (CFC) with a
pledge to #12051 this fall. Your
contribution will help us strengthen
public land partnerships by providing training and
resources to the growing network of nonprofits working to
build awareness and appreciation for America’s treasured
natural and cultural heritage. APPL participates in the
CFC as a member of the Conservation and Preservation
Charities of America, a federation of America’s top
organizations working to protect and restore the Earth's
natural environment and historic treasures. APPL is a
proud recipient of the Independent Charities of America
Seal of Excellence for quality administration and program
activity. If you have questions about donating to APPL
through the CFC, contact your campaign coordinator or
visit www.opm.gov/cfc. Thank you!
Online Forums News
APPL’s Online Forums are available exclusively to staff,
board members and volunteers of APPL Member
organizations. A full list of the forums may be found at
http://lists.appl.org/lists/lists. To join a forum please
contact us at [email protected].
The following discussions were posted during the
month of September on APPL’s Member Forum and
Buyers’ Forum:
Do you have names for your membership levels?
Are any associations paying a current seasonal
employee to perform various interpretation duties for the
Park during the winter at their current wage?
What rates does your organization pay for association
naturalist wages?
What methods do you use to accept and process credit
card payments at events?
What percentage of health insurance costs does your
organization pay for dependent coverage?
What is the percentage paid by your organization to
your employees for their retirement plan and is a match
required?
Do any Cooperating Associations, Friends Groups,
Foundations, or other park partners own any buildings
on National Park Service land?
Request to share board of directors Code of Ethics
standards.
Request for QuickBooks help.
Do any associations use donation boxes at the cash
register so that visitors can donate their change?
Stipulations to keep in mind when soliciting donations
from vendors for special events.
When giving bonuses to seasonal employees do you
have a percentage that you work from or is it a set dollar
amount? Do you offer an increase for the following
years if they return?
Results of discontinuing the use of plastic and paper
shopping bags in an effort to “green” your store.
Request for samples of store policy manuals and
guidance on selecting products for interpretive retail
stores.
Request for POS system recommendations.
Forum subscribers may access these discussions from the
online archives.
Want to join an online forum? Please email us at
[email protected] for more information.
Training News
If you would like more information on training and
capacity building opportunities for your organization,
please contact APPL Education Coordinator, Chuck
Benjamin, at [email protected] or 301-946-9475 x
225.
APPL’s first online Partnership Academy was
conducted September 16–20, and had nearly 50 public
lands professionals from around the country
participate. Because of the online delivery of the
academy, however, participants never had to leave their
home base. Travel was not necessary. Participants
included representatives from several federal agencies—
NPS, BLM, USFWS, USDAFS, BOR—and their
nonprofit partners. Agencies and nonprofits were also
represented among the presenters.
The content for the Partnership Academy was presented
online, over the course of five days, and featured
Webinars, facilitated dialogue, interactive exercises, and
curated readings over this five-day course. Participants
focused on taking their partnerships to the next level
through an exchange of ideas and experiences among
peers within the context of the online training process.
Participants were engaged throughout, and based on the
feedback to date, appear poised to take that next step.
APPL would like to thank all the participants who made
the academy such a success, along with presenters Barbara
Bell (Alaska Geographic), Jeff Kitchens (BLM),
Kimberlee Riley (Orange County [FL] Regional History
Museum), and Rich Weideman (NPS).
If you have an idea for a future academy, please contact
APPL Education Coordinator Chuck Benjamin at
Lisa Madsen and Laurel Rematore, members of the
APPL Training Corps, recently returned from Aztec,
NM where they conducted a three-day training
centered on effective board governance for the Friends
Supporting Education
and
Stewardship
2401 Blueridge Avenue
Suite 303
Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: 301 946 9475
Fax 301 946 9478
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.appl.org
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 3
of Aztec Ruins National Monument. In addition to
governance, FARNM received training in strategic
planning and fundraising, with the objective of
establishing a strong foundation from which the
organization can progress for the next several years.
Although full evaluations have yet to be completed,
initial feedback is positive, with FARNM board members
eager to help move the organization forward.
For more information on training and capacity building
opportunities for your organization, please contact APPL
Education Coordinator Chuck Benjamin at
[email protected] or 301.946.9475 x 225.
APPL will once again join forces with the NPS
Northeast Region to conduct a workshop November 20
and 21 for the region’s National Heritage Areas. The
workshop will be held in Pottstown, PA in the heart of the
Schuykill River National Heritage. A basic construct for
the training has been developed, focusing on
sustainability, with course and content development
coming soon.
Bridge To Tomorrow News
APPL’s Bridge to Tomorrow (B2T)
program provides young leaders an
opportunity to develop their professional
network and learn more about public
land partnerships.
APPL’s Bridge To Tomorrow program has undergone
a major facelift in the past few months and will now be
a year round, more fulfilling program. The new
program will include collective problem solving projects,
a convention presentation, convention networking,
mentoring opportunities, and career development
resources. Go to www.appl.org/b2t for applications (mid-
October) and general information on the program.
For the third year in a row, APPL has received a
commitment from a couple who are so impressed with
the passion and dedication of young professionals in
the public lands community that they offered up a
challenge and an opportunity. They offered a grant of up
to $3,000 to fund a project of the applicants design. This
year’s Mentoring Grant recipients are Robyn Whitted
from the Great Smoky Mountains Association and
Federica Corinto from Gateway National Recreation Area.
The recipients have been asked to send in video updates
throughout the process of their projects, to show how with
this grant, they are creating much needed mentoring
opportunities in the public lands community. Federica's
first update can be found at www.appl.wordpress.com.
Stay tuned for more updates from both recipients.
NEWSBITS
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is seeking
nominations for the 2014 National Wildlife Refuge
System Awards. These Awards honor outstanding
accomplishments by refuge managers, refuge employees,
volunteers and Friends groups. Recognizing the
excellence of these individuals and groups not only
highlights the dedication and devotion of those who
support the Refuge System, but also raises awareness
about the diversity of the National Wildlife Refuge
System, the challenges it faces, and the innovative efforts
across the country to meet those challenges.
Results will be announced in March 2014. Award
recipients will receive a commemorative plaque and a
monetary award ($1,000 for Refuge Manager, Employee
and Volunteer awards, $2,000 for Friends Group).
Nominations are due no later than November 15.
To learn more about the awards program and to
download and print the required nomination forms, please
visit http://refugeassociation.org/people/awards/overview/
or contact Debbie Harwood at
[email protected] or 202-417-3803 x 16.
The Fall National Parks Friends Alliance Meeting will
be held October 16-17 at Mount Rushmore, SD. Agenda items will include Centennial planning and a
discussion of DO 21.
For more information, contact Diana Saathoff,
[email protected]. Or call the Mount Rushmore
Society office at 605-341-8883.
AGENCY NEWS
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management held a Social Media
Meetup on September 28 to celebrate National Public
Lands Day. They invited the public to share photos,
videos, and experiences volunteering using the hastags
#NPLD20 and #mypubliclands, and the BLM and the
Department of the Interior shared them throughout the day
on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Yonder.
For more information, check out www.blm.gov/npld.
National Park Service
Last month the National Park launched a new online
service for educators that uses spectacular natural
landscapes to teach science and the authentic places
where history happened to infuse an understanding of
the challenges we have faced as a nation. The website at
www.nps.gov/teachers is user friendly and easily
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 4
searchable by location, keyword, and more than 125
subjects, ranging from archeology to biology to
Constitutional law.
The site also features materials produced by National
Park Service programs, including nearly 150 lesson plans
from the National Register of Historic Places’ award-
winning Teaching with Historic Places program.
NPS is also working with partners and educational
institutions to expand programs and encourage the use of
parks as places of learning. The agency has partnered with
the Department of Education to integrate national park
resources into core curriculums and, each summer, dozens
of teachers participate in professional development
opportunities in parks, creating education materials based
on park resources through the Teacher Ranger Teacher
program.
To learn more about the National Park Service’s
education programs, visit www.nps.gov/teachers.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Superintendent, Dale Ditmanson, announced plans to
retire on January 3, 2014 after 36 years with the
National Park Service. He has served in the Smokies as
Superintendent since May of 2004 and has been
recognized for his exceptional leadership as the 2009
Southeast Region’s Superintendent of the Year and the
2013 Association of Public Lands’ Agency Partner of the
Year which he shared with recently retired Deputy
Superintendent Kevin FitzGerald. Ditmanson is also a
recipient of the Department of Interior’s Honor Award for
Meritorious Service.
Ditmanson chose to conclude his NPS career at the
Smokies after nearly ten years where he had the
opportunity to develop significant relationships with park
gateway communities and partner organizations along
with implementing a number of highly successful
programs and collaborations including numerous events in
honor of the Park’s 75th Anniversary in 2009.
More information will follow regarding a farewell
celebration for Ditmanson in early January. Please contact
Park’s Public Information Office at 865-436-1207 or 865-
436-1203 for details.
Cinda Waldbuesser has been selected as the Northeast
Region’s Partnership Program Specialist. Waldbuesser
comes to the National Park Service from the National
Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA), where she
served as a senior program manager since 2006. She
brings with her an extensive background in working with
and for non-profit organizations, park partners, local, state
and federal agencies in the Northeast Region. She began
her new assignment at the end of September.
A painterly landscape of Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook,
N.J., was the top entry in the 2013 National Historic
Landmark Photo Contest. Amateur photographer Britta
Burmester of Linden, N.J., took the picture while looking
across the parade ground toward officer housing that
glows in the fall sunlight.
The annual National Historic Landmark Photo Contest
encourages people to discover landmarks throughout the
country – urban and rural, on vacation or in their own
backyards. Both amateur and professional photographers
entered hundreds of photographs in this year’s contest and
created a portfolio that offers an extraordinary glimpse of
stories and places waiting to be explored.
The contest web site is
www.nps.gov/nhl/2013photocontest/index.html and
photos can also be seen at
www.flickr.com/photos/nationalregister/galleries/7215763
5803111794/.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Nominations from across the Corps are being accepted
to recognize an outstanding Partner for their
contributions to the Recreation and Environmental
Stewardship programs. Award recipients will be
recognized at a ceremony during spring 2014, location and
date to be determined. Nomination criteria and procedures
are included as an enclosure to the memo announcing the
award.
Nominations are due by November 15 to Mr. Joel
Miller, Natural Resources Specialist, San Francisco
District: [email protected].
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This year’s National Wildlife Refuge Week (October
13-19) activities share a wilderness theme as refuges
look ahead to the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness
Act in 2014. The 1964 law created the National
Wilderness Preservation System, which protects nearly
110 million acres of wilderness nationwide. Twenty
million of those acres are on refuge land. Wilderness is
wild land – largely undeveloped and unmanaged – that
can offer outstanding opportunities for solitude, wildlife
observation and non-motorized recreation.
Check the special events calendar at
www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents
Calendar.cfm for Refuge Week events
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a
multi-faceted Urban Wildlife Refuge Initiative to make
its programs reflect the diverse perspectives, values
and cultures of America. The initiative strives to make
the Service’s programs far more relevant to millions of
Americans - 80 percent of whom live in big and small
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 5
cities - giving them myriad ways to participate in wildlife
conservation and recreation.
The Urban Wildlife Refuge Initiative is an outgrowth of
the Service’s Conserving the Future process, which set a
strategic path for the National Wildlife Refuge System for
the next decade and beyond. To stay engaged and
informed visit: http://americaswildlife.org/.
The initiative is built on four major elements:
Standards of Excellence for Urban National Wildlife
Refuges to help national wildlife refuges engage urban
Americans in new and more effective ways. The
standards are aimed at national wildlife refuges within
25 miles of urban areas with 250,000 people or more,
but also can benefit refuges serving more rural
communities.
Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships in geographically-
dispersed communities to expand the Service’s
conservation programs. Eight partnerships were
established in 2013 and more will be established by
2015.
A Director’s Order that authorizes and encourages all
Service programs to conduct cooperative fish and
wildlife conservation, education and outreach in urban
communities. These areas are partnership-based lands,
not managed by the Service, where people can enjoy
outdoor experiences that foster connections with fish
and wildlife resources and promote active engagement
of people in the natural world.
A first-ever Urban Academy for staff and partners at the
National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia
held on September 23-25. The purpose was to train staff
on cultural diversity, how to overcome barriers to
outdoor recreation, and create partnerships that engage
new audiences in order to foster a new conservation
constituency.
Adam Grimm of Burbank, S.D., is the winner of the
2013 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. This annual art
contest is the only juried art competition sponsored by the
federal government.
This is Grimm’s second Federal Duck Stamp Contest
win. His art previously appeared on the 2000-2001
Federal Duck Stamp.
Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from sale of the
$15 Federal Duck Stamp go to the Migratory Bird
Conservation Fund, which supports the purchase of
migratory bird habitat for inclusion into the National
Wildlife Refuge System. You can buy Federal Duck
Stamps at many national wildlife refuges, the U.S. Postal
Service or online at
www.fws.gov/duckstamps/stamps.htm.
Electronic files of the artwork can be downloaded from
www.fws.gov/duckstamps.
CONVENTION NEWS The Art of Partnerships: 2014 APPL Partnership
Convention & Trade Show, February 23-27, Albuquerque,
NM. Details coming soon to www.appl.org.
APPL has engaged its first keynote speaker for the
2014 Convention—author, adventurer, and resilience
expert Jim Davidson, a man for whom risk is a daily
occurrence. From Jim’s Website:
Jim is a resilience expert who distills compelling lessons
to help you persevere. As a motivational keynote
speaker, Jim Davidson shares inspirational stories
about facing life’s adventures and overcoming
adversity. Through his principles of rallying resilience,
you learn to harness inner strength and rebound from
setbacks. You can take on challenges outside your
comfort zone—and find the tenacity to prevail.
Resilience is not about avoiding risks or difficulties. It’s
about engaging them, and finding a way to succeed.
Rallying resilience even lets you find enjoyment in
grappling with hardship, because it makes you stronger
and more capable for other challenges and
opportunities ahead.
Jim, who will speak on Wednesday, February 26, is the
perfect choice to address today’s challenges in the public
lands arena; we hope you find him as fascinating and
inspirational as we have.
Registration for the 2014 Trade Show opened to all
exhibitors on Tuesday, October 1. Don’t miss this
opportunity to sell to buyers from more than 500 public
land sites across the country as well as market your
products and services to nonprofit fundraisers, educational
retailers and program providers. Visit www.appl.org to
learn more about the show and register online to select
your premium or standard booth location(s). With close to
60% of the show space already sold we are anticipating a
sold out show by the end of November so register now at
www.appl.org.
Don’t forget APPL Members as well as Vendor Support
Program Benefactors and Contributors receive special
discounts on booth fees.
If you have questions contact APPL’s Trade Show
Coordinator, Amy Norris, at [email protected]. To
view a current list of registered 2014 exhibitors visit the
Exhibitor Information page of the convention section at
www.appl.org.
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 6
FEDERAL UPDATES
The Internal Revenue Service is asking nonprofits to
test an interactive application for charity status that
may take the agency a step closer to an electronic
review system.
As applicants fill in the form online, pop-up windows
give examples, clarifying instructions, or links to further
information. Officials hope this will result in fewer
mistakes, reduce processing time, and speed up approvals.
The IRS hopes to complete tests by the end of 2013.
Nonprofits will not be able to print or submit the testing
version, but they will be able to examine all of its features.
Even when the online process is formally available,
groups will still have to print it out and mail it just as they
do now.
The interactive application is available at
www.StayExempt.irs.gov, an IRS Web site that provides
educational materials for charities. Comments about the
form can be sent [email protected].
Legislative Update APPL is tracking the following legislation relevant to the
nonprofit public land partner community.
H.R. 1300 To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956
Reauthorized volunteer programs and
community partnerships for the benefit of
national wildlife refuges.
Introduced By: Rep. Jon Runyan [R-NJ3]
Status: Passed House
S. 783
H.R.527
Helium Stewardship Act of 2013
Retains proceeds from the sale of helium from
the Federal Helium Reserve to pay for the costs
of operating the reserve and as a result would
provide funds to the National Park Service
(NPS) to improve infrastructure at parks.
Introduced By: Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]; Doc
Hastings [R-WA]
Status: Passed by the House on September 19;
Passed by the Senate on September 27; Sent to
president for signature
H.R. 638 National Wildlife Refuge Review Act of 2013
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966 to require that any
new national wildlife refuge may not be
established except as expressly authorized by
statute.
Introduced By: Rep. John Fleming [R-LA4]
Status: Reported by Committee
H.R. 2595
S. 1384
American Parks American Products Act
Requires that any products sold in gift
stores or visitors centers operated by the
National Park Service (NPS) or located in
areas operated by NPS or the National
Archives & Records Administration be
manufactured in the United States
Introduced By: Rep. Steve Israel [D-NY3];
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]
Status: In Committee in both House and
Senate
H.R. 2702
S. 1306
No Child Left Inside Act of 2013 Provides funds to encourage partnerships
between school districts, colleges, parks, and
non-profits and other community-based
organizations to implement the improved
curricula and provide professional
development for teachers on the use of field-
based, service, and experiential learning.
Introduced By: Rep. John Sarbanes [D-MD3];
Sen. John “Jack” Reed [D-RI]
Status: In Committee in both House and
Senate
S.601 Water Resources Development Act of 2013
Provides the ability for the USACE to
participate in America the Beautiful Lands
Pass.
Introduced By: Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA]
Status: Passed by the Senate on May 15
H.R.627
S.1158
National Park Service 100th
Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
Provides for the issuance of coins to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
establishment of the National Park Service.
Introduced By: Rep. Erik Paulsen [R-MN3];
Sen. Mark Warner [D-VA]
Status: In Committee in both the House
and the Senate
H.R. 684
S. 336
Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013
Restores States' sovereign rights to enforce
State and local sales and use tax laws.
Introduced By: Rep. Steve Womack [R-AR3];
Sen. Michael Enzi [R-WY]
Status: Passed by the Senate on May 6
H.R. 1212 Charitable Driving Tax Relief Act of
2013
Provides that reimbursements for costs of
using passenger automobiles for charitable
and other organizations are excluded from
gross income.
Introduced By: Rep. Thomas “Tom” Petri [R-
WI6]
Status: In Committee
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 7
Track the progress of these bills by visiting
www.govtrack.us.
To let your congressional representatives know your
views on these pieces of legislation visit
www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt.
MEMBER NEWS
Black Hills Parks and Forests Association (BHPFA) is
proud to announce that Patty Ressler became their
next Executive Director as of October 1. Patty has been
the BHPFA Operations Manager for four years. She is
very excited to face her new challenges.
Steve Baldwin has retired after 18 years as Executive
Director.
The Glacier Youth Corps Partnership provides diverse
work and educational opportunities for youth ages 15-
24 in Glacier National Park while supporting the
completion of important park projects.
The program began this summer, exposing current
Montana Conservation Corps crew members to a wide-
range of career paths at Glacier National Park through
immersive projects across several park divisions. Projects
include trail maintenance, citizen science data collection,
native plant restoration, historic structure maintenance,
noxious weed control, and backcountry shelter repair.
Youth involved with this program have the opportunity to
learn new skills and work alongside staff from Glacier's
fire management office, maintenance crews, and the
Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center.
The Glacier Youth Corps Partnership is currently a 2-
year pilot program. Due to the generosity of many donors,
the Glacier National Park Conservancy was able to
contribute $55,000 to fund the first year of the program.
The National Park Foundation awarded the program a
matching grant of $55,000 to fund the second year. Future
funding availability and continued interest from involved
partners will determine the program's longevity after two
years.
Future endeavors of the Glacier Youth Corps
Partnership include incorporating a mentoring component
in which Glacier Youth Corps Partnership members
mentor visiting youth groups that come to Glacier
National Park as part of Citizen Science High School and
Discover Glacier Education programs.
For more information about the Glacier Youth Corps
Partnership please contact Glacier National Park's
Volunteer Coordinator Jessica Kusky at 406-888-7851, or
the Glacier National Park Conservancy at 406-892-3250.
For more information about volunteering in Glacier
National Park visit
www.nps.gov/glac/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm.
Point Reyes National Seashore Association is pleased
to welcome Samaria Jaffe as their new Executive
Director. Visit www.ptreyes.org to learn more about this
National Park Service affiliated cooperating association.
Rocky Mountain Nature Association is assisting with
flood recovery efforts at Rocky Mountain National
Park which sustained significant damage in the recent
floods. To make a donation to the recovery effort, please
mail a check made out to RMNA - Flood Recovery to:
RMNA
Attn: Flood Recovery
PO Box 3100
Estes Park, CO 80517
Donations are also being accepted online at
www.rmna.org.
Your gift will be used for a variety of flood recovery
needs including trail, bridge and road repair, and to
support the work of RMNA’s American Conservation
Corps. The park has already requested the help of the
Corps to repair flood damaged trails and other resources
next season.
University of Nevada Las Vegas Public Land Institute
summer beach hosts Efren Gomez and Suheir
Nasereddin gained some useful insights into the
challenges of volunteer beach cleanup events at Lake
Mead over the summer.
Starting in May, Efren and Suheir worked as bilingual
event coordinators facilitating beach cleanup events and
informational outreach sessions. One of their key
assignments for the summer was to quantify and qualify
the effects of speaking Spanish with respect to visitors'
participation.
The summer outreach program was collaboration
between Lake Mead National Recreation Area and
UNLV’s Public Lands Institute. Efren and Suheir
supported summer volunteer programs in cooperation with
Chris Pietrofeso and Bryan Goodwin of the NPS volunteer
office. Together, they facilitated opportunities for visitors
to learn about and participate in volunteer programs at the
park. Events included impromptu beach clean-ups and
volunteer program information booths at local businesses.
It is always a challenge in a recreational setting to get
site visitors to take a break from planned activities to
participate in a volunteer event. At Lake Mead, NPS
personnel felt there was an additional roadblock to
volunteer participation caused by a language barrier
between park service representatives and Hispanic
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 8
visitors. Consequently, PLI and NPS set a goal this year to
increase volunteerism among the Hispanic community.
During this summer’s events Efren and Suheir
conducted an observational study of the cultural and
contextual factors that influence participation in Hispanic
visitors. The summer was an ongoing learning experience,
but one that yielded valuable data for moving volunteer
programs forward in future years.
A summer’s worth of observation and data collection
demonstrated that members of the Hispanic community
seemed more receptive and interested in impromptu beach
clean-ups when they felt related either physically,
culturally or linguistically with a park representative.
Simply having representatives who spoke Spanish led to a
significant increase in participation rates from last year to
this year.
Hispanic families were also more prone to volunteer for
a beach clean up as a whole family. In other demographic
groups it was far more likely for just a few family
members (like kids and/or teenagers) to volunteer for a
project. Efren and Suheir noted parents’ endorsement of a
program was associated with higher participation in young
Hispanics. Observation showed Hispanic parents attached
an educational value to the programs, explaining why they
encouraged their kids to be part of them.
Understanding the factors that contribute to Hispanic
families' decisions to participate in land stewardship and
environmental protection programs is essential for the
future of volunteer programs at Lake Mead National
Recreation Area. This study provides a starting point for
designing programs more closely aligned with the cultural
mores of the Spanish-speaking community.
VENDOR SUPPORT NEWS
Want to know which companies are supporting APPL
in our efforts to strengthen the public land partner
community? Find a list of our Fiscal Year 2014 Vendor
Support Program (VSP) donors at
www.appl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3445.
On behalf of APPL and our members we thank all of our
generous VSP donors for their continued support.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Merrell and Outdoor Nation recognize that sometimes
the smallest awards can make the largest differences. For this reason, the Pack Project Activation Grant
Program will be awarding $12,500 to a minimum of 5
projects. This grant program is designed to give
individuals between the ages of 18 and 28 or 501c3 non-
profit organizations the resources and funding needed to
bring their innovation and active ideas to life. Grants will
be awarded to the most innovative, impactful and
sustainable projects focused on increasing outdoor
recreation and creating meaningful connections to the
natural environment.
The deadline to apply for this grant is October 15. For
more information, visit
www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/quiz.display_questi
on?x_gm_id=4494&x_quiz_id=4958&x_order_by=1.
The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor
businesses whose collective contributions support
grassroots citizen-action groups and their efforts to
protect wild and natural areas in North America
where outdoor enthusiasts spend their time. Funded
programs should seek to secure permanent protection of a
specific threatened wild place or waterway for its habitat
and recreational values. The Alliance is not looking for
mainstream education, restoration, or scientific research
projects, but rather for active campaigns. Grants of up to
$50,000 are provided. Before applying for funding, an
organization must first be nominated by one of the
Alliance's member companies. The upcoming nomination
deadline is November 1. The Alliance will send each
nominated organization a request for proposal, including
instructions on submitting a full request, which is due
December 1. Grant criteria and application guidelines are
available on the Conservation Alliance website at
www.conservationalliance.com/grants/how_to_apply.
The National Trails Fund, sponsored by American
Hiking Society (AHS), provides support to grassroots
nonprofit organizations throughout the country
working toward establishing, protecting, and
maintaining foot trails in America. The Fund’s grants,
ranging from $500 to $5,000, help give local groups the
resources they need to secure access, volunteers, tools,
and materials to protect America's public trails. Grants
will be considered for the following: projects that have
hikers as the primary constituency; projects that secure
trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail
corridors and the costs associated with acquiring
conservation easements; projects that will result in
substantial ease of access, improved hiker safety, and/or
avoidance of environmental damage; and projects that
promote constituency building surrounding specific trail
projects. Applying organizations must be AHS Alliance
Members. Online applications may be submitted from
November 1 to December 13. Visit
www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-fund/ for
application guidelines as well as information on becoming
an AHS Member.
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 9
EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
November 2013
14th
Biennial Conference of the Partnership for the
National Trails System, November 3-6, Tucson, AZ.
Visit http://bit.ly/11z1IMY for more information.
National Association for Interpretation Workshop,
November 6-9, Reno, NV. More information may be
found at www.interpnet.com.
PubWest 2013: The Innovative Publisher, November 7-
9, LaFonda Hotel, Santa Fe, NM. Register now at
http://pubwest.org/conference/.
Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education
Conference, November 7-9, College Park, MD. Details
on this event at www.aore.org.
2013 BoardSource Leadership Forum, November 7–8,
Century Plaza Hyatt Regency, Los Angeles, CA. Details
are available at www.boardsource.org/blf/. To preregister
visit http://bit.ly/R7m1eq.
February 2014
The Art of Partnerships: 2014 APPL Partnership
Convention & Trade Show, February 23-27,
Albuquerque, NM. Details coming soon to www.appl.org.
MARKETPLACE Featuring donors to APPL’s Vendor Support Program
(VSP). View a directory of all our VSP donors at
www.appl.org.
Finley-Holiday Films is now the exclusive distributor
for KC Publications’ Story Behind The Scenery line of
national park books. KC Publications will continue to
publish new and current book titles.
Finley-Holiday Films will now take care of all your
Story Behind The Scenery book orders and billing,
including over 100 book titles, language translations,
Book/eBook Bundles and Book/DVD and Blu-ray Combo
Packs. For ordering information please contact:
Kadi Goines, Vice President of Sales
(800) 345-6707
Finley-Holiday Film Corp.
PO Box 619, Whittier, CA 90608
According to Kadi Goines “80% of KC’s customers are
also our customers, so the transition will be smooth – as of
October 1st, we have the entire line in our warehouse and
are ready to ship.” There are lots of exciting new “bundle”
and “combo pack” opportunities to merchandise
traditional media like books and DVDs with new media
like Blu-ray, digital video downloads, and eBooks. You
can take advantage of how travelers love to watch content
on their iPads, Kindles and tablets.”
With the new KC Pub book distribution arrangement,
Finley-Holiday Films is able to lower the dealer price on
one of the best-selling “bundles” in the industry – the
Book/DVD Combo Pack. These are in stock and ready to
ship.
Through summer of 2013, Finley-Holiday Films’ has
published 17 new National Park Blu-ray titles, a
spectacular way for travelers to share their national park
experience in high definition. All of Finley’s titles play
worldwide and are packaged as a “value-added” “Blu-
ray+DVD+Digital Copy” Combo Pack – unique in the
national park market.
Fiddleheads to Fir Trees: Leaves in all Seasons is the
latest title for young readers from The Mountain Press
Publishing Company. From the unwelcome prickle of
the thistle to the generous shade of the catalpa tree, leaves
come in a remarkable and surprising variety of shapes,
colors, and sizes. Children will be delighted by the
fourteen diverse North American plants depicted in
Fiddleheads to Fir Trees, from weeping willow and cedar
to cattail and poison ivy. The author introduces each plant
with a poem and explains its leafy character in a nature
note. The plants are organized by season, starting with the
tender fiddleheads of a fern in early spring and ending
with the snow-dusted needles of the balsam fir.
Scientifically trained illustrator Laurie Caple deftly
places insects and animals among the foliage in her
beautiful watercolors, adding to their visual appeal.
Details and ordering information may be found at
http://mountain-press.com/item_detail.php?item_key=652.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Additional position listings may be found at
www.appl.org.
The Grand Canyon Association (GCA) is seeking a
Buyer who can fill both strategic and operational
responsibilities within GCA’s retail and publishing
departments. Details regarding the position including a
full description and application information are available
on GCA’s website at www.grandcanyon.org/about-grand-
canyon-association/association/jobs-and-opportunities.
Association of Partners for Public Lands News and Notes October 2013 page 10
Rocky Mountain Nature Association is seeking a
qualified individual who will be responsible for the
development, recruitment and coordination of the
American Conservation Corps (ACC). They will also
assist the Field Seminars Manager with duties related to
the growth and continued success of the Field Seminars
program. This position is full-time, 40 hours per week.
Learn more about this opportunity at
www.rmna.org//rmna.cfm?Page=docs/ACCcoordposition.
htm.
Are you an experienced development professional with
a passion for Yellowstone National Park? The
Yellowstone Association (YA) seeks a Development
Coordinator to play a key role assisting with the daily
operations of our membership program, consisting of
nearly 35,000 individuals and families. YA has served as
Yellowstone's nonprofit educational partner since 1933.
They are a strong and successful organization, based in
Gardiner, Montana with an annual budget of $7.5 million
and a staff of over 40 full-time employees plus seasonal
and volunteers. They’re looking for an experienced
development professional to help take them to the next
level. Please see the full job posting and application
details at www.yellowstoneassociation.org/jobs.
The Yosemite Conservancy is seeking a General
Manager for its El Portal office. Visit
www.yosemiteconservancy.org/employment to read the
position description and to find application information.
The Chester River Association is seeking a dynamic,
creative and energetic leader to serve in its most senior
staff position as Executive Director. This individual will
manage all staff, programs, advocacy initiatives,
community outreach and fund raising efforts. He or she
will be supported by an experienced administrative staff
and work closely with an engaged and committed Board
of Directors to ensure progress in meeting the
organization's mission to have a clean, healthy and vibrant
Chester River. This individual will be an important
member of the regional and state environmental
community. View a full position description and find
application information at
www.chesterriverassociation.org/news/press-
release/chesterriverassociationseeksexecutivedirector.
The Great Basin Institute is seeking a Director of
Operations. Reporting to the Executive Director (ED),
the Director of Operations (DOO) will have overall
operational responsibility for all institute’s programs and
will manage program staff.
A detailed position description and application
instructions are available at www.indeed.com/cmp/Great-
Basin-Institute/jobs/Director-Operation-
fd16c5de7e98ddc9. For more information on the institute,
visit them at www.thegreatbasininstitute.org.
RESOURCES
Suggest a resource by e-mailing [email protected].
The Foundation Center is pleased to announce
Foundation Directory Online (FDO) Free, a tool that
gives users the ability search the basic profiles and IRS
Forms 990-PF of nearly 90,000 independent
grantmaking foundations. Foundation profiles include
contact information, fields of interest, financial data, and
program priorities. FDO Free is the newest member of the
Center's premier Foundation Directory Online suite of
fundraising research tools, which provide even deeper
access to a wealth of detailed, structured grantmaking
information that successful grantseekers have relied upon
for decades. Search FDO Free at
http://fdo.foundationcenter.org/.
Association of Partners for Public Lands 2401 Blueridge Avenue Suite 303 Wheaton, MD 20902 Phone: 301-946-9475 Fax: 301-946-9478 www.appl.org