“I believe it is important for today’s society as well as America’s future to preserve our national parks,” said Rep. Johnson.  “Such areas scattered around the country offer communities incentives for visitors, while offering tourists a glimpse into our nation’s great history.  The other benefits of national parks are too numerous to list, but I intend to maintain a pro-park voting record and continue my position as a steward of America’s great resources.”

“Our national parks rely on Congress for protection under federal law and for adequate funding,” said NPCA President Thomas Kiernan.  “This award honors the members of Congress who have stood up and defended the precious places that symbolize our history and illustrate our nation’s natural wonders.  All of Congress should join Rep. Johnson.  Americans want our national parks protected.”

The Friend of National Parks award was established in 1999 to track and publicize congressional votes on significant park issues.  The parks group examined six key House votes and three key Senate votes from the 107th Congress.  Senators who voted two out of three times received the award, as did House members who voted to protect parks on four out of six votes.

NPCA’s interactive Web tool at www.eparks.org tracks how Congress is responding to critical park issues.  Visitors to the NPCA Web site can type in their zip codes to learn if their representatives and senators voted to protect national parks.