In a conference call earlier today with leaders of national park friends groups and other park advocacy groups, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne issued an urgent call to action.

His remarks came during an update on pending legislation designed to pump up to $3 billion into the National Parks over the next decade, to get the Parks ready for their second hundred years by the system's centennial in 2016.  read more (363 words)

The Friends have underwritten a reward offered by the Park for information on recent thefts at its Chickamauga Battlefield unit. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Superintendent Shawn Benge announces a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the individuals responsible for the theft of two bronze plaques from monuments at the Battlefield.   read more (168 words)

During the hottest, driest summer on record in the Chattanooga area, a crew of high school students worked together on a variety of tough outdoor projects at the Park and made an impact for visitors and residents living near the Park's units.



(Pictured above) CYC crew members at work on clearing the viewshed of Bragg Reservation at Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga.


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Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites visitors to attend upcoming special interpretive programs presented in commemoration of the 144th Anniversary of the Battle of
Chickamauga. A variety of educational programs will be offered from Friday, September 14 through Sunday, September 23, 2007, at the Chickamauga Battlefield in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The visitor center hours will be extended from 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. during these days.  read more (1,725 words)

Friends of Moccasin Bend, sister organization to Friends of the Park, announce three free public events for this fall. All three lectures focus on the history and potential of the Moccasin Bend unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and will take place at 7:00 P.M. in Chattanooga's Tennessee Aquarium Auditorium. Mark your calendars for September 10, October 1 and November 5 and plan now to attend these Monday night events, made possible through the generosity of Chattanooga area businessman Greg Vital.

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(Excerpted from the Fall 2007 issue of Hallowed Ground, the magazine of the Civil War Preservation Trust)

While state and local governments continue to diminish the Civil War's place in American History curricula, the Civil War Preservation Trust annual summer institute offered workshops that stress the central role this time period plays in our nation's history. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, over the weekend of July 20-22, a series of lectures, workshops, discussions, and battlefield tours gave all who participated in the institute information and methods to take back to their classrooms.

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In a second wave of overwhelming support from the American public, “Restore our U.S. National Parks” has been voted one of the top five projects in the American Express Members Project. If you are an American Express Cardmember, you can show your support for this worthy project to “Restore our U.S. National Parks” in the third and FINAL round of voting at www.membersproject.com.



Wilder Tower at Chickamauga Battlefield, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
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The 3rd annual Leonard Fant ‘Play For The Park’ golf tournament will tee off on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at Battlefield Golf Course in north Georgia. Tournament chair Sam Woolwine and his planning committee have been hard at work putting together an event that will raise substantial dollars to benefit the Friends.



Leonard Fant: Founding Friend of the Park and Play For The Park Honoree  read more (354 words)

Members of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Park and Friends of Moccasin Bend gathered with the Park staff at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center on Tuesday evening, June 12 for living history, browsing in the Center bookstore, a barbecue dinner and a 'state of the Park' presentation by Superintendent Shawn Benge.



Friends of the Park Board President with Superintendent Benge at the 'Experience Your Park' event


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The American Express Members Project Advisory Panel has selected "Restoring our U.S. National Parks" as one of its top 50 charitable project ideas, making the National Park Foundation eligible for up to $5 million in funding from American Express! Please vote by July 15th so that the National Park Foundation has the opportunity to make the top 25!

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