Wildfire Relief Funds Will Support Great Smokies Recovery Efforts

On Monday National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) presented a donation to the Friends of the Smokies to support ongoing local recovery efforts in the wake of wildfires that devastated Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding communities in November.

Through a generous donation by NPCA Board of Trustees Vice Chair Greg Vital, NPCA was able to contribute $20,000 to Friends of the Smokies to support wildfire recovery efforts in the park.

Vital, a Chattanooga, TN, businessman, is a long-time supporter of National Parks and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Don Barger, NPCA’s Southeast Senior Regional Director, formally presented the donation to the Friends of the Smokies at the organization’s Board of Directors dinner on Sunday.

“The Smokies are home to some of America’s most breathtaking views and incredibly diverse wildlife. The importance of the work that Friends of the Smokies does to support this beloved park cannot be overstated,” said Barger. “NPCA is honored to help support these critical restoration efforts.”

“Friends of the Smokies is very grateful to Greg Vital for his generous support for the park at this time of very special need. The important work NPCA does year round to help insure the preservation and protection of our National Park system as a whole, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in particular, is critical not only now but for future generations,” says Jim Hart, President of Friends of the Smokies.



Jeff
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