August 23, 2016 • Page 12 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Park Place MNRR Prepares To Celebrate Centennial Of National Park Service With Special Program BY RANDY DOCKENDORF randy.dockendorf@yankton.net s a newcomer to Yankton, Daniel Peterson has learned a great deal about the Missouri River — and not just because of his job. Peterson works for the National Park Service (NPS), serving as interpretive services director for the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR). He arrived here from Arizona and returned to the NPS after working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “I’ve been here four months, and I see the park system through new eyes,” he said. “During my career, I’ve worked at the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, the Badlands and Voyageurs National Park. But this stretch of the Missouri River is unique — it’s so rich in its culture and history.” The MNRR staff members, based in Yankton, want others to see the national park in the same way. They invite the public to help celebrate the NPS centennial with a special Founders Day program next Thursday (Aug. 25) at the Riverside Park amphitheater in Yankton. The event runs from 6-8 p.m. and is free and open to the public, according to NPS ranger Dugan Smith. The program falls on that date for a special reason, he said. “On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act creating the National Park Service,” he said. “We had national parks before that time, but this act created our agency.” The MNRR covers a 98-mile stretch located between Fort Randall Dam at Pickstown to Ponca State Park. The 98 miles consists of two segments, 39 miles from Pickstown to Running Water and 59 miles from Gavins Point Dam to Ponca. Established in 1978, the national park straddles the South Dakota-Nebraska border. Thursday’s program will feature music, dancing, river art, hands-on activities, appearances by NPS rangers and junior rangers, and a special “guest appearance” by President Theodore Roosevelt. The program starts at 6 p.m. and features openings comments by MNRR Superintendent Rick Clark and Yankton City Manager Amy Nelson. A Yankton youth choir will perform a song written for the NPS centennial, and a girls dance troupe will perform. A modern re-creation of Roosevelt, performed by Adam Lundquist, will step on the stage at 7 p.m. Since 2008, Lundquist has traveled the country as Roosevelt and has entertained audiences with his remarkable likeness to Roosevelt. According to his website, “… I discovered I was the same height and weight, with the same color eyes and hair as Roosevelt. Since that day in 2007, I have not looked back.” His portrayal of the 26th president earned him first place in national living history competitions in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The program closes with the youth from the program helping blow out the candles on the birthday cake. A UNIQUE PARK One of seven National Park Service sites in South Dakota, the MNRR contains national heritage areas, historic trails and two free-flowing segments of the Missouri River. The MNRR is considered a partnership park working alongside communities, tribal governments, state and federal agencies, and private landowners to preserve the cultural and natural stories and resources associated with the river. The MNRR stands apart from other national parks, Peterson said. “The National Park Service has everything, from as large as the Grand Canyon to a small patch of prairie covering 280 acres,” he said. “This river is unique in that it’s long and linear. We also straddle two states and don’t own a lot of land, which is why we rely on partnerships.” The MNRR has been designated a wild and scenic river, containing some of the last remaining unchannelized areas of the 2,341-mile Missouri River, Superintendent Rick Clark said. “We’re the only National Park Service unit in eastern South Dakota. The rest of them are on the western side of the state,” he said. “We are also one of the few areas that still reflect the history as seen by (explorers) Lewis and Clark. People from this area have really embraced the park, and the centennial provides a unique opportunity to celebrate this spectacular area.” Peterson described the national park with a term not often associated with southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. “I’ve worked at parks where the closest cities are 50 to 60 miles away,” he said. “You could consider this an ‘urban’ park because you have Yankton and Vermillion along the flow.” LINKING PAST AND FUTURE The NPS celebration honors the past, but it also looks forward to the future. That’s particularly true when it comes to protecting national parks for future generations. The MNRR has hosted activities such as the annual school festival, river clean-up and clean boat event to fight invasive species. The school festival has seen rapid growth in a short period of time. The initial year drew about 125 students but quickly expanded to around 500 students from southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. The MNRR has hosted other school events and outreach programs in the past dozen years, Smith said. “The kids back then are now adults, with some of them bringing their own kids to these events, he said. “We gear programs to the younger kids because they’re so curious and engaging, and they’re so receptive at that age. We want to make things both fun and informative. We’re also reaching future generations who will enjoy our national parks.” COURTESY PHOTOS: MNRR TOP PHOTO: This aerial shot features the confluence of the Missouri and Vermillion rivers, one of the lower stretches of the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR). BOTTOM PHOTO: The National Park Service partners with American Indian tribes, including this ceremony. The NPS has worked hard to reach more people with information about the MNRR and its importance in their back yard, Smith said. Some programs are held at the river, while other locations are reached by the mobile ranger station in which the traveling exhibit features the river’s history, science and culture. Another program features the mascot Roscoe the River Otter. The outreach effort has paid off greatly, he added. “It’s better than 10 years ago,” he said. “Back then, you could ask community groups how many knew that the Missouri National Rec River was part of the National Park Service, and only one or two hands would go up. But now, you would have half to two-thirds of those people knowing it.” EXPLORING THE RIVER More people are exploring the river and realizing the rich treasure, Smith said. “Surveys show that people are looking for experiences, no matter what their age. And we’re seeing a wider range of groups,” he said. “Five years ago, you may not have seen many canoes and kayaking. Now, they’re really popular and we have a water trail. People want to try and experience the water system more and more.” Tourism and recreation exert a powerful economic influence up and down the river, Clark said. He noted the NPS also partners with the Niobrara State Park, Ponca State Park, the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center (with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and the Yankton Sioux, Santee Sioux and Ponca tribes. A National Park Service report shows 134,762 visitors to the MNRR in 2014 spent $5,564,000 in gateway communities within 60 miles of the 100-mile linear park corridor. That spending supported 88 jobs in the local areas and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $6,435,000. National park tourism is a significant driver to the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service. “We have the motto: ‘Embrace Your River’,” Clark said. “We need all these partnerships with communities, state and federal agencies, tribes and private landowners. They all need to be part of it to be successful.” The MNRR is working with its website and social media to extend its message, Peterson said. This week, the agency added Instagram to its outreach. As part of his learning experience, Peterson is learning more about Lewis and Clark, the tribes and others who have lived and traveled in the area. “Their stories are just amazing. You can go to places like Spirit Mound (near Vermillion) and see this beautiful prairie just off the river,” he said. “But we’re also teaching people about the importance of the ecology and environment, including the endangered species.” The MNRR has formed a partnership with the newly- 3 Day Sale The More You Buy... The More You Save! Final Weekend of Anniversary Savings! Free r y! elive lue D 69 Va $ Friday, Saturday, Sunday August 26, 27 & 28 Additional! 5% Cash Discount* 6 Years* 20% 0% APR for apply. OFF *Some restrictionsvalid onSee store for complete details. 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The NPS centennial comes at a great time as the MNRR finds itself at an exciting crossroads, Smith said. “This river is unique,” he said. “It has so much history and culture about the people who have lived and traveled through here for hundreds and even thousands of years. We have everything from the Native Americans to the steamboat traffic.” The “Mighty Mo” provides an important connection, Smith added. “The river continues to provide an important link, a tie between regions and cultures,” he said. “It’s like a string of pearls linking one part of the country to another.” And that link provides one more reason to celebrate the upcoming centennial milestone, Clark noted. “You’re only 100 once,” he said. Clearance Center & Clearance Mattress Sets ~ All Brands Personal Injury Attorney Injured? • Auto Accidents • Work Injuries • Defective products or conditions • Uninsured motorists Delay can be a serious and expensive mistake! 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