Superintendent Bogle's Speech at the SNP 75th Ceremony

Karen Beck-Herzog, who handles community relations at Shenandoah National Park, was kind enough to send along a copy of Park Superintendent Martha C. Bogle's remarks at the recent 75th Anniversary observation at Big Meadows.  I've copied in the full speech, less some of the ceremonial parts, below.  The full remarks give a lot of recognition to the people and organizations that we can thank and should honor for founding the park - but the passage she gave at the very end of the ceremony were most inspirational:

"And now, my friends, in the year 2011, WE seek to pass on to OUR children a richer land and a stronger nation. Let us join together for the future, as we have so well in the past. Let us renew the promise of preservation and in it, the rich and boundless promise of Shenandoah. Let us all take pleasure in rededicating Shenandoah National Park, rededicating it to this and to succeeding generations of Americans for the recreation and for the re-creation which they shall find here."

The last part harkens back to FDR's dedication speech.  I guess Mary and I are some of those recreators - and re-creators...we really appreciate having the park so close by, and understand what it does for the little community in Page County where the Hawksbill Cabin stands.  So, without further ado, here is the full speech that Martha Bogle had given earlier:

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This year is an exciting one for Shenandoah National Park, the Commonwealth, our nearby communities, our neighbors, and our partners. Your National Park is 75 years old this year. Your National Park -- and today’s rededication -- wouldn’t have happened without the vision, sacrifices, and hard work of many people. I would like to take a moment to recognize some of those people. In the 1920s, the Commonwealth of VA was successful in lobbying for a National Park to be created in these Blue Ridge Mountains. At the time, several Virginia businessmen and state officials believed a National Park could play a key role in improving the dire economic situation facing the region and at the same time preserve the natural beauty of the area. Today that vision has become a reality – tourism is a big business in many of the park’s gateway communities.


Several hundred families had to move to make way for the vision to become a reality – some willingly sold their land to the Commonwealth of Virginia; others didn’t. Today, people from all over the world come to spend a few days or weeks in these same mountains they called home. What a gift those landowners gave to America. If you owned land in what is now Shenandoah National Park or your family did, PLEASE stand now so we can recognize you and thank you for this great gift to our country, the Commonwealth, and our communities.

Your National Park was a gift from the Commonwealth of Virginia to all Americans. Today Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Maureen Matson is here representing the Governor’s office. I know she’s busy this year because the Virginia Park Service is also celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Thank you for being here with us today.

We have other special guests as well, including Senator Hanger, Delegate Scott and Delegate Landes, several Chairmen and members of our County Boards of Supervisors, and more than a dozen mayors and town council members from our gateway communities. Shenandoah’s visitors and employees depend on our communities for all kinds of services, and we couldn’t survive without their support.

The Park also couldn’t survive without our wonderful non-profit partners, including the Shenandoah National Park Trust – the park’s fundraising partner; the Shenandoah National Park Association (affectionately called SNPA) are the ones that sell the books and other educational materials in our visitor centers – 100% of the profits go to support the park’s educational and interpretive programs; and last but not least, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club whose volunteers maintain more than 300 miles of Shenandoah’s trails. We couldn’t operate this park without their support. Many of you may have noticed PATC’s volunteers helping park cars today. The Trust and Association also have provided financial support to help celebrate Shenandoah National Park’s 75th anniversary.

A team of more than 30 people from our adjacent counties and communities began meeting two years ago to help plan a yearlong celebration to recognize Shenandoah’s anniversary. 75th Anniversary Coordinator Donna Bedwell headed up a team made up of park staff and county government and tourism officials from all the counties adjacent to the park. The Shenandoah staff and the other committee members have worked hard for two years to plan ways to recognize and celebrate Shenandoah’s 75th anniversary.

In addition to the three signature events planned by the park, our nearby counties and towns have planned more than fifty community sponsored 75th anniversary sanctioned events. Please stop by the Community Partnership tent to learn more about the park’s neighboring communities, its partners, and the events.

Wonderful friends from our communities and counties keep stepping up to recognize Shenandoah’s 75th in very special ways. Local artist Kevin Adams painted a beautiful work of art for the park. One of the park’s most famous mountains -- Old Rag -- was his subject. He donated 500 signed and numbered prints to the park with 100% of the proceeds going to support the park. Please be sure to stop by and visit with him after today’s ceremony. He will be available to talk with you outside the Community/ Partnership tent.

Also, the Blue Ridge Chorale from Culpeper commissioned a musical composition called Shenandoah in honor of the park’s 75th. I had the pleasure of hearing it performed by the group at Culpeper’s Remembrance Days where I was a speaker. The piece was so beautiful and was so beautifully performed that it brought tears to my eyes. You will have the opportunity to hear the choral group this afternoon at 3:45 on the mainstage.

The next generation of the park’s caretakers, Park Rangers, and scientists also got into the act. Luray, VA students have written a one act play in honor of the park’s 75th birthday. They will perform it at 4:30 today on the mainstage.

Also, seated to my left on the ground are K – 12 students from Rappahannock Public Schools and Hearthstone and Belle Meade schools. These students, along with their teacher, came together to design and paint an 8’ high by 15’ long mural to celebrate nature and to commit to protecting our natural world, including Shenandoah. You will not believe their incredible work – stop by the Family Fun tent to see the mural and to hear the students talk about what they learned as part of the experience. We also have many other talented local artists performing on the main stage during the day. Check your program for details about today’s activities and plan to stick around for lots of music and fun.

After working for more than 30 years for the National Park Service in 12 different National Parks, I am convinced that the National Park Service cannot protect National Parks . . . that is without the help of our partners, neighbors, and communities, of course. The health of Shenandoah National Park’s natural and cultural resources and the economic health and quality of life in our communities is connected. If we continue to take care of the resources and values that bring people to visit Shenandoah, those values and resources will also be here for us to enjoy . . . and our visitors will continue to seek services and support the economies of our local communities. I firmly believe that if we can find more ways for the park and the communities to connect and to partner with each other that we all will be stronger.