Feb. 12, 2003 -- On Saturday, September 20, 2003, the largest annual, grassroots volunteer activity in the country -- National Public Lands Day -- will be held throughout the U.S.
This, the 10th annual effort, will once again give volunteers an opportunity to lend a hand to our special, one-of-a-kind natural resources -- the national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes and reservoirs belonging to and enjoyed by all of us.
These volunteers gather the last Saturday every September to help improve the public lands they use for recreation, education, and enjoyment. This year National Public Lands Day was held on September 28. It is estimated that there were nearly 70,000 volunteers on approximately 430 sites throughout all 50 states, The District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
They planted 11,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers, collected 700 tons of trash, built or refurbished 78 miles of trails, and installed or painted 400 bird houses. In all, more than $10 million in real work was finished.
The effort is directed by the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation. Chartered by Congress in 1990, NEETF is a private nonprofit (401c3) organization that develops and supports environmental learning programs to meet social goals and builds partnerships among the private sector, government and non-governmental organizations.
This year, National Public Lands Day teamed up with its federal agency partners for a premier event in Anacostia, Washington, D.C. Several federal and local land management organizations teamed up with several non-profit organizations at 4 locations on the Anacostia River on National Public Lands Day.
National Public Lands Day is dedicated to keep the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) alive by educating volunteers at work sites during National Public Lands Day. Please go to the above link and learn more about the fantastic work the CCC acomplished.
National Public Lands Day is a unique public-private partnership involving many federal, state, and local land agencies. These agencies work closely with business partners such as Toyota, Outdoor Life Network, and numerous non-profit organizations. The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation manages, coordinates, and generates financial support for the program.
For more information, visit http://www.npld.com/background.htm.
