CNPSR Collaborative Service Corps Initiative
The Collaborative Service Corps Initiative
Coalition of National Park Service Retirees
The collaborative initiative intends to extend the focus of Coalition efforts into a more broad-scale collaborative program assistance effort between the Coalition, the National Park Service, other interested parties, and the public, including actions that the Coalition believes will maintain or strengthen the National Park System. It further intends to recommend certain actions that will maintain and strengthen the National Park System. Since the formation of the Coalition the organization has necessarily focused its energies on protecting and supporting the National Park Service through an effective issue driven response and advocacy effort reacting to what the Coalition perceives as threats to the integrity of the National Park idea and the traditions of the Service and System.
The Coalition hopes to more effectively use over 550 present members as Voices of Experience by organizing a more supportive collaborative program with the National Park Service directorate. The program will emphasize new opportunities to connect National Park Service retirees in more focused support roles in the specific areas of program assistance, mentoring and counseling, training, volunteering, and informal and formal advisory roles.
Additionally, this initiative will focus on long-term sustainability of the national park idea by more effectively presenting the Coalition as a multi-dimensional organization that can bring talents and energies to the table to assist the National Park Service and other partners in their efforts to protect and manage our National Park System. It will include an educative role for the organization to present to the public, through a variety of venues, the story of our national parks and their importance to our nation and the world.
This project should be pursued in concert with the Coalition’s other two initiatives: the National Park Service Centennial Commission; and the Centennial Institute for National Park Studies.
This initiative conforms to the mission, vision and goals of the organization as articulated in the 2006 strategic plan for the Coalition.
MISSION AND VISION:
“We will speak and act for the protection of America’s national park areas and for the enjoyment of them in such manner that does not impair their resources nor their intended values and purposes.” “The CNPSR participates in the national dialog regarding the management of America’s National Park System. The Coalition is considered to be a principal stakeholder in the planning and decision-making processes, a status that reflects the more than 550 members with 15,000 years of experience in National Park Service leadership, management and operations that they possess. The Coalition works with other interested parties to assure that management decisions made by current NPS leaders are consistent with the legislative guidelines enacted by Congress.”
Goals for the Collaborative Initiative:
I. Resource Stewardship: The Coalition believes that the primary responsibility of the National Park Service must be protection of park resources from internal and external impairment, and this will represent the focus of the Coalition in undertaking the Collaborative Initiative.
II. Public Use and Enjoyment: The Coalition feels that each park unit should be managed to provide the nation’s diverse public with access to, and recreational and educational enjoyment of, the historical and ecological lessons contained in that unit, while maintaining unimpaired those unique attributes that are its contribution to the National Park System. The Coalition is ready to assist in these efforts.
III. Environmental Leadership: The Coalition believes that the National Park Service must be a leader in local, national and international park affairs, actively pursuing the mission of the National Park System and assisting others in managing their park resources and values in ways that are compatible and complimentary of NPS objectives. The Coalition is ready to assist in this leadership effort.
IV. Organizational Renewal: The Coalition feels that the National Park Service must create and maintain a highly professional and diversified organization and workforce, and stands ready to assist.
Collaborative Actions and Opportunities CNPSR can take with others
1. National Park Service: - Develop an employee mentoring program with the NPS that can more fully connect experienced retirees and newly-placed career professionals;
- More effectively integrate professional retirees into NPS training programs coupling retiree talents and experiences with professional growth of career professionals;
- Develop a professional support program with the NPS that can use the interests and talents of retirees in specific programmatic areas;
- Develop a professional operational review capability that can assist the NPS in program and park reviews;
- Develop a volunteer cadre that can assist parks on specific projects where retiree talents can be helpful;
- Develop a program where retirees can serve on informal and formal advisory councils and boards providing assistance in the formulation of major initiatives, policy development and new program development;
- Encourage professional papers from retirees and career employees that might further support the Centennial Institute program;
- Develop an Awards Program to honor those within and outside the Service for their efforts in protecting parks (“Making a Difference Award”);
- Develop an effective relationship with the United States Park Police retirees.
2. Others (Federal, State, local, Tribal, NGO’s, private organizations and individuals):
- Develop a Speakers Bureau with individuals who can offer viewpoints and programs to a wide variety of organizations;
- Develop media articles that assist the NPS in portraying national parks (and park programs) in a positive light encouraging appreciation of the resources protected in our National Park System, and conveying the breadth and value of the System;
- Develop media articles that bring the membership of the Coalition to the forefront providing their Voices of Experience as a way to connect to the public’s interest in parks;
- Collaborate in sponsoring symposia and conferences
3. Congress:
- Develop groups in key states (with a goal of every state), to promote and support important National Park System issues;
- Collaborate with the Congressional National Park Caucus on issues of common concern;
- Conduct dialogue on a regular basis with key members of Congress and Committee staffs on issues important to the mission of the National Park Service and National Park System
4. International:
- Develop connections to global conservation and tourism efforts that will continue to support the mission of protected areas;
- Develop CNPSR as a source of expertise and assistance for global protected areas;
- Collaborate with other foundations/organizations working in the international arena
Potential Collaborators/Partners (Groups and Individuals)
Groups/Organizations
- Andrus Center for Public Policy
- Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy
- Center for Rocky Mountain West (Carroll & Nancy Fields O’Connor)
- Outdoor Alliance
- Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP)
- National Geographic Society
- American Association of Retired People (AARP)
- International Executive Service Corp
- George Wright Society
- Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR)
- Employees & Alumni Association (E&AA)
- International Ranger Federation (IRF)
- National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)
- Center for American Progress (John Podesta)
- Kennedy School of Government
- Conservation Foundation (Charles Jordan)
- International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
- Nature Conservancy
- Trust for Public Lands (TPL)
- George Hartzog Center for Parks (Clemson University)
- The Wilderness Society
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Civil War Trust
- Society for American Archaeology
- American Institute of Architects Committee on Historic Resources
- National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
- National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers
- The National Association of State Park Directors
- The Society for Organizational Learning (SOL)
- Association of Partners for Public Land
Individuals
CNPSR is also interested in collaboration with numerous individuals who have a long-time interest in the System and the Service (such as public officials, members of Congress, retired members of Congress, University professors, and others).
Actions Required and Suggested Next Steps to Undertake this Initiative
1. Assess the coalition’s interest and capability to undertake the initiative
-Many of the tasks listed above (mentoring, training, writing) require a substantial commitment of time, energy, and funding, more than many may want to promise
2. Assess the interest of the NPS in this initiative
-Discuss with Director Bomar
3. Focus several members of the Executive Council exclusively on this initiative
-Integration of the Initiative will take place at the Executive Council level but separate working groups of volunteers would be put into place to undertake the program (implementation team)
4. If agreed to this initiative will need management, structure, organization, and money
-Consider grant applications, fund raising, and charging for certain services;
-Planning should anticipate some paid staffing;
-Consider pro bono services as well
5. How to sell/market the initiative on a bipartisan basis