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National Park Foundation Partners with CSX Transportation to Plan and Implement Alternative Transportation Solutions in America's National Parks(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The National Park Foundation issued the following news release: Today, the National Park Foundation (http://www.nationalparks.org/), the official charity of America's national parks, announced its partnership with CSX Transportation (http://www.csx.com/) in support of the Foundation's Transportation Scholars (http://www.nationalparks.org/npf-at-work/our-programs/transportation-scholars/) program. Now in its 13th year, this program selects emerging transportation professionals to work side-by-side with National Park Service staff (http://www.nps.gov/) to find solutions that address the growing and unique transportation issues in America's national parks, including visitor safety, traffic, pollution, and congestion. The National Park Foundation awarded (http://www.nationalparks.org/connect/npf-news/national-park-foundation-awards-250000-grants-support-alternative-transportation) $250,000 in grants to five national parks across the country this year through the Transportation Scholars program. "CSX Transportation recognizes that addressing growing transportation issues is vital to the future of America's national parks and we are grateful for their support," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. "Through this partnership, the Transportation Scholars program can enhance visitor safety and accessibility, while simultaneously protecting America's national treasures." "Working with the National Park Foundation's Transportation Scholars Program helps protect the environment, a key area of CSX community focus, also while developing young people in the field of transportation logistics. This new partnership is a winning solution for the parks, the scholars and the transportation industry," said Tori Kaplan, CSX AVP of Corporate Social Responsibility. The Transportation Scholars program model has proven so successful that the Transit in Parks Technical Assistance Center (http://www.triptac.org/) (TRIPTAC) launched a complementary program in 2011, expanding the program to other public lands. This extension, the TRIPTAC Public Lands Transportation Scholars Program (http://www.triptac.org/PublicLandsTransportationScholars/Default.html), is based on the NPF program model and matches Transportation Scholars with other federal land management agencies. The two programs work together to train and mentor scholars with the shared goal of preserving our nation's valuable natural, cultural, and historic resources and enhancing the visitor experience by implementing sustainable, alternative transportation in national parks and public lands. Previous scholars' work has resulted in fourteen million dollars in private and public funding to put the Transportation Scholars' plans into action. Past scholars have gone on to careers with the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Transportation, and many private consulting agencies. For more information on the National Park Foundation (http://www.nationalparks.org/) and how you can support and protect America's national parks, please visit www.nationalparks.org. CC AutoTriage5rn-140213-30FurigayJane-4635689 30FurigayJane (c) 2014 Targeted News Service |