Help Shape New York’s Gateway to Our National Parks!

On behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA),  I am writing to inform you that we are wrapping up the public input part of
our international public design competition — “Envisioning Gateway.” You may go online to view the finalists, make comments, and vote for a
winner until December 31, 2007 at www.npca.org/gateway. All votes will be counted, and with all comments, be presented to the National Park
Service for Gateway’s upcoming General Management Plan.Held this past spring, the competition was an international call for ideas to help transform Gateway National Recreation Area into an iconic
national park and a rich regional resource.  As you may know, Gateway stretches from Queens, across parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, to
the northern tip of New Jersey, and is one of the largest urban national parks in the United States.  The park contains tremendous natural,
historical, and cultural resources, but suffers from chronic funding shortfalls, resulting in crumbling buildings and threatened natural
resources. In fact, a recent poll conducted by Zogby International showed that more than half of all New Yorkers contacted had never heard
of Gateway or visited the park.

So we invite you to visit the website and vote, and to please pass along the website to your friends, colleagues and members; public input is
critical for the success of a new vision and future for the park.  Each vote is not only a voice about design choices, but is a vote in favor of
the park, and a message to our elected officials to make your choice come true.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Happy Holidays!

Best regards,  NPCA