Marcia Argust
The Pew Trusts
Alexandria, VA, United States
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Past articles by Marcia:
Landmark Investment in Our National Parks Is Underway
The National Park System is one of America’s greatest treasures, but it has become tarnished over the last century. Deteriorating historic buildings, crumbling roads, worn campgrounds, eroding trails, and outdated sewer and electrical systems have led to a backlog of repairs that will cost billions of dollars to fix. → Read More
Time Running Out for Congress to Protect Lands, Rivers, and Local Economies
From centuries-old redwood forests and panoramic deserts to sparkling waterways, America’s public lands and rivers are among the most captivating and ecologically diverse in the world. They filter our air, help keep our drinking water clean—and in turn reduce water treatment costs—and provide vital habitat for a range of wildlife, from bald eagles to salmon. → Read More
National Parks to Get Long-Overdue Repairs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives worked across the aisle to craft the Great American Outdoors Act, which recently passed both bodies with overwhelming support. → Read More
7 Reasons to Save Our Parks Now
Our national parks, which welcome hundreds of millions of visitors every year, are in trouble. The National Park Service has a repair backlog of nearly $12 billion. If we want our parks to continue documenting our history, providing world-class recreation opportunities, and bolster local economies, the time to act is now. Here are seven reasons why. → Read More
National Park Maintenance Needs Take Center Stage
The beauty, history, and stories behind America’s national parks leave many visitors in awe. Unfortunately, the curb appeal of the parks, recreation areas, historic sites, and monuments managed by the National Park Service (NPS) often masks significant challenges. → Read More
Job Creation Potential If We Restore Our National Parks
Our national parks are American treasures. They not only preserve significant historical sites and natural resources, but they also are economic engines for local communities and states. In 2016, the centennial of the National Park Service (NPS) drew record crowds: 331 million visits. These visitors spent more than $18 billion in communities adjacent to parks, which in turn supported 318,150… → Read More
Jobs Interactive: Potential in Restoring Our National Parks
Our national parks are American treasures. They not only preserve significant historical sites and natural resources, but they also are economic engines for local communities and states. In 2016, the centennial of the National Park Service (NPS) drew record crowds: 331 million visits. These visitors spent more than $18 billion in communities adjacent to parks, which in turn supported 318,150… → Read More
Philanthropy Helps Repair Our National Parks
When Americans step up to help preserve our most iconic places, big things can happen. Small and large donations are helping to ensure that our national parks are protected for future generations. → Read More
Corporate Expertise and Equipment Enhance National Parks
Fixing our national parks means more than ensuring that they will be enjoyed by generations to come. The valuable work also can provide a chance to learn new skills. These public-private partnerships are rejuvenating our national parks while offering job training for hundreds of volunteers. → Read More
A New Job Can Start With Park Repairs
In 2016, The Mission Continues, the National Park Foundation, and Boeing joined together to help returning veterans find work protecting, restoring, and rebuilding America’s natural and cultural heritage. The Veterans in Parks program holds events at national parks across the country where post-9/11 veterans can volunteer and potentially build careers. The events are held at both urban and rural… → Read More
Railroad Magnates, Philanthropists Helped Launch Our National Parks
Since the National Park System’s inception, the private sector has helped to build, expand, and protect our nation’s most cherished places. Here’s a look back at some of the public-private partnerships that helped the national parks get their start. → Read More
Diverse Group of American Leaders Urges Congress to Fix National Parks
A broad cross-section of business, political, community, and advocacy leaders from every state is asking Congress to fund much-needed repairs and maintenance in our national parks. In an April 4 letter, over 1,800 signers—including more than 300 local officials and 500 chambers of commerce, visitors bureaus, and business associations—urge Congress to provide reliable funding to the National Park… → Read More
Cherry Blossoms Face a Threat Worse Than Wild Weather
One of Washington’s biggest tourist draws, the famous cherry trees, faces a bigger threat than the unusual temperature swings that stunted this year’s bloom. The Potomac River, which runs adjacent to many of the trees from the capital’s Tidal Basin to Hains Point, is running over failing seawalls almost daily and threatening to rot the trees’ roots. → Read More
A Call to the New Congress and Administration: Fix Our National Parks
By almost any measure, the celebration and recognition of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary last year was a success. More than 300 million visitors experienced at least one of the 400-plus NPS sites during the centennial year, including President Barack Obama and his family, Oprah Winfrey, and other luminaries, along with the millions of less well-known Americans, many of whom were… → Read More
7 Popular National Park Sites Struggle With Deferred Maintenance
This year, the United States is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS) and the more than 400 cultural, historic, wildland, and urban sites that it protects. But even as rangers are welcoming record crowds, they are also grappling with a budget that is too tight to maintain the parks and fix broken and aging infrastructure. The NPS estimates that its list of overdue… → Read More