The Coalition secured special designation for the National Park System through the World Monuments Fund’s Irreplaceable America initiative, which recognizes heritage places that reflect the breadth of the American experience and face urgent preservation challenges.
Cheryl Schreier, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition, shared:
“National parks are the great cathedrals of the American story—places where geology, history, culture, and democracy meet beneath an open sky. They remind us that our nation is not defined solely by what we build, but by what we choose to protect.
From the sacred landscapes of Chaco Canyon, where ancient civilizations still speak across the centuries, to the monumental heart of Washington, D.C., where our democratic ideals are etched in stone; from the geysers and wild horizons of Yellowstone, to the towering faces of Mount Rushmore, to the windswept shores of Cape Hatteras and the Outer Banks where land and sea are locked in an eternal dance—these places belong not to any one generation, but to all generations.
They are America’s shared inheritance, and our enduring obligation is to leave them as inspiring, as awe-inspiring, and as accessible as we found them.”
You can explore all ten Irreplaceable America sites and learn more about this special designation here.
Emily Thompson
Executive Director
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks