From left to right, award-winning journalist Gwen Ifill; Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne; civil rights leader, former U.N. Ambassador and this year's honoree, Andrew Young. Hi-Res

Secretary Kempthorne Represents National Park Service at National Park Foundation's African American Experience Fund Reception

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne represented the National Park Service at the National Park Foundation's African American Experience Fund (AAEF) fourth annual fundraising gala. This year's event commemorated the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while paying special tribute to Ambassador Andrew Young for his significant contributions as a great American statesman, businessman, humanitarian and civil rights leader. The event took place Thursday, April 10, 2008 at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. This year's theme, Celebrating Commitment to The Dream, featured other distinguished guests, including Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.

The mission of the AAEF is to connect Americans from all walks of life to the considerable contributions of African Americans throughout our country's history by raising private funds to support educational, volunteer and community engagement programs in National Parks and Historic Sites that celebrate and tell the story of American history and culture.

Our National Parks are rich with African American history, from Historic Sites that tell the stories of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, and George Washington Carver, to others that preserve the legacies of the Tuskegee Airmen and Frontiersmen at Nicodemus. These National Parks and Historic Sites speak to the important role of African Americans in building America. more

• African American Experience
  National Park Sites

Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett Testifies on Preserve America and Save America's Treasures

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett asked the Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee to authorize the Preserve America and Save America’s Treasures programs.

“The results are clear.” Deputy Secretary Scarlett said at the hearing. “Both programs have demonstrated significant on-the-ground success in fostering preservation partnerships, leveraging private dollars with public funds, and sustaining efficient resource management strategies and sound business practices in the preservation of our heritage assets.”

If enacted, the Preserve America and Save America’s Treasures Act (S. 2262) would, for the first time, formally codify the Preserve America and Save America’s Treasures programs. Both are grant programs that were started through Presidential Executive Orders. Formal congressional authorization of the two programs would work to ensure their long-term viability. more

• Additional Information

About the Department of the interior
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s principal conservation agency. Interior is a large, decentralized agency with over 80,000 employees and 180,000 volunteers located at approximately 2,400 operating locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and freely associated states. more
Mission Statement	History
Key Officials	Past Secretaries
Organizational Chart	Quick Facts
DOI In the News	Strategic Plan
DOI en Español	Interior Library
Below are links to some DOI sites that may be of interest:
Water	Science
Floods	Astrogeology at USGS
Supply in the West	Hurricanes
Conservation	Earthquakes
Resources	Energy
Land	Wildlife
Fire	Endangered Species
Maps	Habitats & Conservation
Parks / Refuges / BLM Lands	Wild Horse & Burro Adoption
Offshore Lands/Volcanoes	Duck Stamps
Communities	InfoLinks
Special Trustee	www.HealthyForests.gov
Indian Trust	Avian Influenza Information
Territories and Islands	2005 Hurricane Recovery