Funds matched by the National Park Foundation
YELLOWSTONE FOREVER
BOZEMAN – Yellowstone Forever, the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park, raised $1 million in private funds over three days at the end of September. Those funds have been matched dollar for dollar using federal funds appropriated for the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, delivering $2 million directly to Yellowstone National Park for the North Entrance Project.
“We couldn’t accomplish all that we do without partners like Yellowstone Forever and the National Park Foundation,” said Cameron Sholly, superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. “These funds will help the National Park Service leverage the federal funding already allocated for this project.”
The current North Entrance Station in Gardiner is not equipped to meet the challenges of increasing visitation and traffic. Last year 365,397 vehicles came through this entrance, up 22 percent from 2013.
The upcoming project will add an additional lane and kiosk to improve traffic flow and reduce queuing lines, replace the existing two buildings with one larger building and two kiosks, improve the flow of employee and delivery traffic from Robert Reamer Avenue, improve pedestrian safety by realigning parking along Robert Reamer Avenue, and replace the water line along Robert Reamer Avenue.
“This $2 million donation helps the park reach its funding goal for the North Entrance Project,” said John Walda, interim president and CEO of Yellowstone Forever. “We would have not been able to capitalize on this remarkable opportunity for Yellowstone if it wasn’t for the support of our generous partners and donors, and we thank them for the chance to provide a lasting impact on the park.”
“This critically important project demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships to accelerate investments that improve park visitor experiences in a very tangible way,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation.
Yellowstone Forever has provided over $106 million of cash support and over $64 million of in-kind support since 1933 for various projects in Yellowstone National Park.
