National Park Foundation Lauds Centennial Anniversary of Glacier National Park

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May 11, 2010, 12:35 ET

GULF OIL SPILL UNDERSCORES SIGNIFICANCE OF PROTECTING NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS LIKE GLACIER

In 100 years as a National Park, Glacier has also been named a World Heritage Site and an International Peace Park

WASHINGTON, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation, official charity of America's national parks, today honors the 100th birthday of one of our nation's most treasured places. On May 11, 1910, President Taft signed legislation officially protecting Glacier National Park in Montana. In honor of the anniversary, National Park Foundation President and CEO Neil Mulholland made the following statement:

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"The significance of Glacier National Park's centennial could not be more apparent against the backdrop of the environmental crisis in the Gulf. While national parks are not immune to oil spills and other calamities both natural and man-made, they are places where we do our best to protect nature at its finest.

"National parks like Glacier were created and have long been protected by citizens who took action to preserve these spaces for generations to come. We congratulate the National Park Service and its partners whose celebration today reminds all of us that the parks are ours to enjoy -- and ours to safeguard in the next century and beyond."

The Glacier National Park Fund is a non-profit that works on behalf of the park, which was originally created by the National Park Foundation. Since being designated as a unit of the National Park Service, Glacier has also been designated an International Peace Park and a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

More on Glacier National Park's centennial can be found here.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

You are the part-owner of 84 million acres of the world's most treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historical sites -- all protected in America's nearly 400 national parks. Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks. We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to help connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow. Join us – This is Your Land. www.nationalparks.org

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