It long has been recognized that the National Park System appeals heavily to Anglo-Americans, and less so to minorities. Head away from the metropolitan areas of California and the East Coast and it often becomes more and more difficult to see many Hispanics, Asians, or African-Americans in the parks. The National Park Foundation hopes to reverse that trend through a grant program fueled with a $500,000 grant from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr., Fund.

Hoping to build on the rising interest in national parks being kindled by the upcoming Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, the foundation plans to distribute the money in the form of America's Best Idea Grants to 35 national parks around the country for the development of outreach strategies and engagement programs for groups that traditionally are underrepresented in their local national parks.

"The point of America's Best Idea - both the documentary and the grants program - is that the country is strengthened by the deep and lasting bond between people and their parks," said Neil Mulholland, president of the National Park Foundation. "Ken Burns has captured the amazing personal stories of men and women from all walks of life who helped form the parks because of their love for the natural and historical treasures they hold. We want to be sure to continue capturing those stories and building that legacy among audiences as diverse as the parks themselves."

The parks receiving grants range in location and size from Salem Maritime National Historic Park in Massachusetts, to Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and beyond.

"Universal access to the parks and engagement of diverse and under-served populations are important goals in the evolution of our national parks," said Ira Hirschfield, president of the Haas, Jr. Fund. "It is our great hope that America's Best Idea will provide people in cities and towns across the country the chance to find meaning and inspiration in the story of the parks, and a chance to make these cherished places their own."

Several of the programs, like the one in Bandelier National Monument, include targeted outreach to indigenous people - bringing native people back into the parks they inhabited initially. The projects are wide-ranging in scope and appeal, including sailing camps, wildlife education, contests and hikes with park historians. For information about the initial projects funded through this program, visit http://www.nationalparks.org/americas-best-idea/

Additional funding for the program was provided by the National Park Foundation and Popplestone Foundation.