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.
