Could ads be coming to national parks?

The National Park Service is considering allowing individual donors and corporations to place logos and signage within the park’s boundaries.

Under the current proposal, visitors wouldn’t see billboards within the parks. There’s no indication of sponsorship either. For example, you’ll probably never visit the Budweiser Smoky Mountains or the Coca-Cola Cumberland Gap anytime soon.

The NPS is calling it a “donor recognition program,” and it would include signage and logos on benches, programs and the occasional NPS-owned vehicle. Despite the proposed parameters, critics believe it sets a bad precedent.

Public Citizen’s Commercial Alert program and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood are leading the charge against the NPS proposal.

The NPS hasn’t made things easy on itself. Per protocol, it held a public commenting period in May. Instead of offering some transparency, NPS kept those comments under wraps—and it’s clear why.

After CCFC filed a Freedom of Information Act request, NPS released the 345 comments from May. Nearly 80 percent of those comments were negative and clearly opposed the donor recognition program.

RELATED: Learn to produce newscast-ready video and B-roll that media notice and fans share.

A statement from Kristen Strader, campaign coordinator for the Public Citizen’s Commercial Alert program reads:

It’s disappointing that the NPS did not post these comments for public review, said in a statement. But the public has spoken loudly and clearly against corporate sponsorships in our parks. We urge the National Park Service to hear their voices and abandon this plan, so the parks will forever be places to appreciate nature and American history, unspoiled by commercialism.

A group called CREDO Action has joined the other organizations in creating a petition. It’s garnered more than 215,000 signatures.

Our national parks are America’s treasures, held in trust for future generations, and are not ‘brought to you by’ corporations,” CCFC campaign managers David Monahan says. “To teach children that an appreciation for our history, culture and natural resources is more important than materialism, the park experience must remain free of corporate logos and recognitions.”

The NPS issued the following statement to Consumerist:

The National Park Service greatly values the deep interest Americans have in preserving and protecting their national parks. We will carefully consider public feedback as we finalize updates to policies guiding the longstanding tradition of philanthropic support for national parks.

The NPS will rule if it move forward with the program by the end of this year.

(Image via)

from PR Daily News Feed http://ift.tt/2d4ZVbG