Resolution Passes: National Park Week is April 15–23

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park: The glow above is emitted from the lava lake in a vent located in Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. Photo courtesy Steve Geiger/NPS.

Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the ranking member and chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, celebrated the unanimous U.S. Senate passage of their resolution to mark April 15 through April 23 as National Park Week.

“Last fall, I joined our National Park Service ‘ohana and Hawai‘i students to celebrate the centennials of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park,” said Sen. Hirono. “National Park Week is an opportunity to continue to celebrate the rich heritage and cultural significance of the National Parks System, and to honor the 22,000 National Park Service employees in Hawai‘i and across our country.”

Last year, Sen. Hirono visited Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park to celebrate the parks’ 100th anniversaries and promote the Every Kid in a Park program, which gives fourth graders and their families free access to National Parks for a year.

“In 2016, the National Park Service celebrated a century of caring for and connecting parks with people,” said Cindy Orlando, superintendent of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. “The staff at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park extends our deepest appreciation to the Senate for their support of National Park Week.”

“We at Haleakalā National Park thank the Senate for designating National Park Week in this resolution, which honors our mission – to conserve precious resources and provide for their enjoyment unimpaired for future generations,” said Natalie Gates, Superintendent of Haleakala National Park.

“As a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up just a short drive from Yellowstone National Park, and as Chair of the National Parks Subcommittee, I’m excited that the U.S. Senate has passed our resolution to highlight the value that our National Parks bring to our national heritage,” said Sen. Daines. “From America’s hallowed battlefields in Gettysburg and Fredericksburg, to the glacial peaks, geysers and big game in my home state of Montana, to the ancient cultural resources, volcanoes, and marine life of Hawai‘i and all across the plains, many of the units of the National Park System bring remarkable opportunities for cultural education and outdoor recreation for people from around the world to enjoy.”