Featured Voices
During a thirty-year career with the National Park Service, Maureen Finnerty held leadership roles at the park, region, and national levels, including serving as superintendent of Olympic and Everglades National Parks. In retirement, she has continued to advocate for the National Park System and Service, serving on the board of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
LLO: Could you briefly introduce yourself.
During my 30-year career with the National Park Service I had two tours of duty in the Washington Office, one in a regional office, and 3 park assignments. In Washington I served as the Associate Director for Park Operations and Education. In Philadelphia, I was the Associate Regional Director for Park Operations. And I was superintendent of Olympic and Everglades National Parks. Upon my retirement I joined the newly formed Coalition of NPS Retirees (now the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks). I was a board member for 12 years, the last 6 serving as Chair.
What is the role of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks? How is it different from organizations that support the National Park Service?
The uniqueness and strength of the organization is its makeup of former NPS employees and volunteers – including directors, regional directors, superintendents, other managers, and front-line employees representing all disciplines. These individuals can speak from experience. They also have more ability to take positions on issues and concerns than current NPS employees. These “Voices of Experience” make the Coalition unique from other organizations that support the National Park Service.
The Coalition was established over 20 years ago to provide a strong voice in support of the National Park System and Service. Its goal is to leverage its credibility and integrity to continue supporting the NPS mission, NPS employees, and advocating for national park solutions based on the law and sound science. The Coalition has over 3100 members.
From your perspective, what big issues did the NPS and the Coalition face during the Biden administration? Any key achievements you would like to highlight?
The Coalition joined with the NPS as a strong supporter of the America the Beautiful Initiative (30 x 30 – to protect 30% of our country’s lands and waters by 2030). Under this initiative, ten new national monuments were established, two were expanded, two had its boundaries reestablished, and one had management conditions restored. The organization supported the NPS in advocating for increased diversity in stories and units within the National Park System to help ensure the inclusion of sites that reflect the diversity of this nation and its citizens. The Coalition also helped to successfully advocate against the Amber industrial mining road, stopping a 211-mile industrial mining road that would have sliced through Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. It successfully supported the BLM Oil and Gas Rule, which will hopefully steer leasing away from nearby national parks and better protect irreplaceable resources on public lands. The Coalition is also an active participant in litigation to help slow down bad policies – from Air Tour Management Plans to the construction of huge data centers adjacent to national park battlefields and sensitive landscapes. Internally, the organization has grown from approximately 2,000 members in 2021 to over 3,100 members today. It has hired more staff and expanded its advocacy and communication efforts.
What impacts or changes do you anticipate with the new administration? Where do you anticipate the Coalition focusing its energies, perhaps drawing on experience from the last Trump administration?
The Coalition is a nonpartisan organization that has worked with, and should continue to work with, all political entities. The Coalition can continue to play a key role in advocating for the importance of the National Park System as a significant American treasure. Possible areas of collaboration might be a focus on the lack of adequate and affordable housing for NPS employees and other needed support for the NPS workforce. As always with a change of administration, it is important to have open lines of communication and to find areas of common ground, while maintaining the organization’s vision, mission and goals.
Looking ahead 10-20 years, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the NPS?
The greatest challenge facing NPS continues to be grossly inadequate budgets and insufficient staffing at all levels and in all disciplines. These are not new problems, but continue to grow worse every year. A strong educational effort is required to build support on the Hill for these issues. The NPS has lost almost all of its congressional advocates over the last several decades. The educational effort needed will be massive. This is an area in which the Coalition could provide enormous help – educating and lobbying members of Congress on the value of the National Park System and the need to preserve and protect it. In regard to workforce development, it is now more critical than ever that the NPS develop a robust training program for current and future managers. It is critical that a leadership development program and strong succession plan be developed and implemented. Partner organizations such as universities should be enlisted to help in this effort. And, the NPS should give some thought to what role they can play in developing the next generation of conservation leaders. A strong internship program, developed in cooperation with numerous partners, would be a good place to start.
Previous Featured Voices
Mia L. Carey, an anthropological archaeologist and an inclusion and equity consultant.
John Sprinkle, historian and author of Saving Spaces: Historical Land Conservation in the United States and Crafting the Preservation Criteria: The Origins of the National Register of Historic Places.
Don Hellmann, the former Assistant Director for Legislative and Congressional Affairs for the National Park Service. Don ended his 40-year career working with Congress at the beginning of 2017, which included the last 22 years with the National Park Service.
Emily M. Bateson, coordinator for the Network for Landscape Conservation. She was previously Conservation Director at the Highstead Foundation and Coordinator of the New England Wildlands and Woodlands Initiative.
Jackie M.M. Gonzales, an environmental historian with experience working in the nonprofit and public sector.
Allen Dieterich-Ward, urban and environmental historian and author of Beyond Rust: Metropolitan Pittsburgh and the State of Industrial America