National Park Trust Inc.

“The draft 990 is first reviewed by the Chief Financial Advisor and Executive Director for accuracy and content. Prior to filing, the full Board of Trustees is provided a copy of the final form 990.”

“Each Trustee and Officer is required to review a copy of the conflict of interest policy, which requires each person to disclose any relationships, positions or circumstances in which he or she believes could contribute to a conflict. Following full disclosure of a possible conflict of interest, the Board of Trustees shall determine whether a conflict of interest exists and if so, the Board shall vote to authorize or reject the transaction or take any other action deemed necessary to address the conflict and protect NPT's best interests. The Trustee or Officer who has the conflict is recused from any discussion and vote.”

“The Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees reviews and approves the compensation of the Executive Director, as well as reviews and approves compensation for other senior staff when requested by the Executive Director. Periodically, the Governance Committee reviews external data for comparable positions to ensure that NPT salaries are in line with the market.”

“The governing documents and conflict of interest policy are made available to the public upon request. The financial statements are available on NPT's website.”

“Our mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. For 33 years, National Park Trust (NPT) has worked on hundreds of park preservation projects from Maine to Alaska and has been instrumental in preserving nearly 42,000 acres of park lands from development. We are unique in that we move quickly to select, acquire and preserve land and water by dedicating funding to communities and projects that need it most. Often, we serve as a partner with large national land trusts and friends groups to provide critical bridge funding and acquisition resources to complete park preservation projects. Now, through our nationally recognized environmental education initiatives Buddy Bison School Program, Kids to Parks DayTM and Kids to Parks Day National School Contest, NPT has further impacted park preservation by providing in-depth environmental and outdoor educational experiences for kids, their families, and teachers - with a strong focus on under-served communities. Our goal is to cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards and conservation professionals who will make important decisions about the future of our parks and public lands and water, and to promote a healthier lifestyle through outdoor recreation. To date, NPT's programs have reached more than 2 million children and families and the programs have garnered recognition from leaders in the education, medical, recreation, and conservation communities including the Department of Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS), America's State Parks, American Academy of Pediatrics, President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, NFL Players Association, National Recreation and Park Association, and National Education Association. Our programs also support the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative and the President's Every Kid in a Park initiative. In the coming years, NPT will work to expand and further integrate our land conservation and youth education programs so that we not only create meaningful experiences in nature where children gain important academic and social skills, but also learn important lessons in conservation and their role in protecting our nation's parklands. With a potential federal workforce retirement rate of 40 percent in the next decade, NPT has a tremendous opportunity to provide young people with hands-on experiences in nature and expose them to green career pathways as technicians, scientists, engineers, land managers, and educators, among other professions.”

“From hiking to the top of Watchman Overlook at Crater Lake National Park, to canoeing along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., National Park Trust is making conservation relevant to thousands of students from inner city and rural communities across the country. Our programs center around our lovable pint-sized woolly mascot, Buddy Bison who reminds kids to "explore outdoors, the parks are yours!" Buddy Bison is not only a tangible reminder that kids need to get out and go, but he also connects kids across the country with each other. Families and teachers alike want to know "Where's Buddy Bison been?" In addition to providing more than $285,000 in direct funding in the 2015-2016 school year to create robust park experiences for under-served youth, NPT has worked with more than 90 "Buddy Bison" schools in 24 states and the District of Columbia to provide educators with classroom resources (books, maps, DVDs, lesson plans, worksheets, STEM activities, etc) and a dedicated education team to introduce environmental concepts and enhance school curriculum in the areas of history, STEM, geography, reading, language arts, music and art. As an extension of our rapidly growing Buddy Bison school program, NPT also initiated national Kids to Parks Day in 2011. This grassroots day of play engages children and families with parks nationwide, teaching them not only about park stewardship, environmental science, and history, but also about the importance of a healthy lifestyle through outdoor recreation and healthy nutrition. Kids to Parks Day has captured the interest of many communities across the country with 420 mayors from all 50 states and 23 governors coast to coast signing official proclamations - many cities and towns hosted events in their community parks to celebrate the day. In 2016, 1,137 park events were branded as Kids to Parks Day programs and more than 731,000 people visited a park on Kids to Parks Day. Our goal for our Buddy Bison school program and Kids to Parks Day is to inspire a generation of future conservation leaders and park enthusiasts. Through spring 2016, the Buddy Bison program has been implemented in the following states: Arizona - 1 school, 70 students California - 5 schools, 1250 students Georgia - 3 school, 450 students Illinois - 1 school, 150 students Indiana - 2 schools, 400 students Iowa - 2 school, 250 students Indiana: 1 school, 70 students Louisiana - 2 school, 400 students Maryland - 7 schools, 1300 students Mississippi - 4 schools, 550 students Missouri - 2 school, 200 students Nevada - 4 schools, 500 students New York - 2 schools, 100 students New Jersey - 3 school, 400 students New Orleans - 1 school, 250 students North Carolina - 1 school, 200 students Oregon - 2 school, 200 students Pennsylvania - 1 school, 300 students Texas - 1 school, 200 students Virginia - 3 school, 400 students Washington, DC - 13 schools, 2800 students Below are samples of Buddy Bison school events implemented by NPT: California: February 2016: 90 4th-grade students from Hoover Elementary visited Muir Woods National Monument. Students learned about the history, culture, and ecology of Muir Woods. March 2016: 90 students from Hamilton Elementary visited Rosie the Riveter/WWII Homefront National Historic Site and SS Red Oak Victory. The students learned about the ways people at home supported the war effort and the changing roles of women. Georgia: February 2016: M. Agnes Jones Elementary took 200 3rd and 4th grade students to Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site. Students learned about Martin Luther King Jr.'s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. March 2016: Fair Oaks and Holly Dale Elementary schools brought 480 students to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park over 2 days. The students learned about what life was like for a Civil War Soldier and went on a hike of Big Kennesaw. Illinois: January 2016: 30 students from Jose de Diego Community Academy in Chicago traveled to Peggy Notebaert Nature”

“NPT continues to make great progress with our park conservation efforts. In the late 1990s, we were the lead organization to create a new unit of the national park system dedicated to preserve our country's prairie ecosystem - the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. NPT continues to be instrumental in adding critical private lands to other parks including Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, GA; Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, MN; Yosemite National Park, CA; and George Washington Forest, WV. In 2014, we transferred the title of the Ivanpah Desert Tortoise Research Facility in Mojave National Preserve, CA to the National Park Service to help protect this endangered species. We continue to support the facilities research. In 2016, we transferred the title to 30 acres of needed land for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN to the National Park Service. We are currently working on several new unique preservation projects including: Jean Lafitte National Historic Park, LA Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN Yosemite National Park, CA Rocky Mountain National Park, CO Olympic National Park, WA For a complete list of all of our completed projects, please visit our website at www.parktrust.org. Recent and ongoing projects include: Arkansas: Johnnycake Ranch (Ongoing since 2003) NPT holds the conservation easement on this 2000 acre ranch, which abuts the Ouachita National Forest and the Poteau Mountain Wilderness Area. The forest is home to 79 proposed, endangered, threatened, and sensitive species. The easement also provides habitat protection for the bald eagle. The conservation easement benefits both the Wilderness Area and the National Forest by providing a buffer zone to ensure the continued ecological viability of these federal assets. March 2013 through March 2016: NPT renewed contract with Oklahoma based land trust to oversee easement responsibilities on Arkansas project. California: Mojave National Preserve (Ongoing since 2009) NPT is managing mitigation funds for a Desert Tortoise facility at the Preserve. July 2012: NPT took legal custody for facility until it is ready to be turned over to NPS. NPT received donation/mitigation funds for the management of the facility over the next 5 years. NPT visited facility and met with scientists and NPS park officials in October 2012. Final transfer of property to NPS occurred in fall 2014. NPT continues to provide funding for research, with $97,132 in funding provided in 2016. Yosemite National Park (Summer 2014 to present) Partnering with the Trust for Public Lands to acquire, preserve, and donate 400 acres of critical habitat to Yosemite National Park. NPT held the semi-annual board meeting in fall of 2014. Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park (2016 to present) NPT is working with Wilderness Land trust and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to protect 30 acres within the national park. Indiana: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (Fall 2013 to present) NPT is working with the NPS and two area energy companies to acquire needed property at the National Lakeshore using funds the companies have committed as part of settlement agreements for environmental violations. The lands are then being donated to the National Lakeshore. Louisiana: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park - Chalmette Battlefield (2013) NPT is working with the Park on a landscape restoration project at the Chalmette National Battlefield and National Cemetery that will involve young students from local schools in commemoration of the upcoming bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. NPT board visited during semi-annual board meeting in October 2015. Minnesota: Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary (Ongoing since 2006) NPT is working to raise funds for the ecological restoration of this unique 27-acre park on the Mississippi floodplain east of St. Paul, Minnesota. The sanctuary includes spring-fed wetlands, floodplain forest, prairie and oak woodland habitat, and unusual concentration of cultural resourc”

“NPT's Board of Trustees is responsible for oversight of the audit, including selection of the independent accountant. The process has not changed from the prior year.”