Right now the Park Service is experiencing what may be the most challenging period in its history. Budgets are tight, many operations are dependent on soft money, and positions are being lapsed. Yet the park employees responsible for maintaining and protecting America’s national treasures continue to perform their jobs with competence and professionalism. In many ways ANPR finds itself in a similar position.

For 27 years ANPR has been at the forefront of many issues pertinent to the health of the parks and the well being and professional development of park staff. ANPR has been involved with issues ranging from 6c to Ranger Careers. The association has also been involved with resource issues, such as the taking of eaglets at Wupatki.

In the past year ANPR has remained active in its role as an advocate. Last spring we assisted our close partner, NPCA, with their Endangered Ranger report. ANPR then followed it up with its own in-depth Beyond the Endangered Ranger: A View from within the Parks. Both reports have received extensive media attention and illustrated to the American public the current fiscal and staffing problems within the system. ANPR is being proactive by starting work on the 100th anniversary celebration of the NPS in 2016. A task group has started work on ANPR’s role in this important milestone in NPS history. ANPR’s role in advocacy continues and my view of that role’s future is bright.

But to ensure this advocacy we must turn around our membership and financial situation. For a long time I have heard people say that membership was better when the association had regional reps. Perhaps there is something to that. I would like to bring back regional reps, not as members of the board, but contacts in the parks who can recruit and pass information back and forth. Perhaps a new group of regional reps can organize ANPR gatherings locally such as the one that took place near Gateway recently. This may be the best way to expose employees to ANPR and explain our mission. All of us also need to talk to our co-workers about our experiences at Rendezvous to let them know that we are a professional organization with their interests at heart. We need to update our recruitment brochure the same way we have updated membership notifications and then distribute them to appropriate venues.

We have new strategic goals in place and have formed a fundraising committee to enhance revenue. Shortly after Rendezvous we will be ready to start the grant application process. This effort will concentrate on operating funds. But we also have programs in motion for generating additional income.

We are exploring the marketing of DVD versions of the Lost but Found, Safe and Sound video in cooperation with other organizations such as NPCA. We have entered into an agreement with All Terrain to allow customers to select ANPR to receive 10 percent of their purchase. I am confident that these efforts will help ensure ANPR’s future and that we are turning a corner.

I would also like to take this opportunity to announce the launch of the Muir Fund. As you are aware ANPR is one of the founding members of the International Ranger Federation, which holds a congress every three years. At the last congress in Australia many of us noted that in the American (ANPR) contingent, everyone seemed to be GS-11 and above. Lower-graded employees simply could not afford to make the trip. This meant that front-line staff missed out on a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas and gain experience through attendance at an IRF congress.

Upon Tony Sisto’s recent retirement he asked that instead of a retirement gift, donations should be made to a scholarship to fund attendance at IRF congresses. The fund has been named for John Muir who was born in Dunbar, Scotland. This seems appropriate because the next IRF congress in 2006 will be held in Scotland. So far $1,500 dollars have been collected for the fund with more on the way. We will work toward setting up a standard to determine how the money will help fund front-line staff to attend that congress. The kind of dedication and thoughtfulness for others shown by Tony is one of the reasons that lead me to believe that ANPR has a promising future.