Zion National Park Forever Project

- improving today - providing parks with resources immediately impacting and improving daily operations and visitor experiences. Critical projects included continued investment into Zion's eastern gateway and groundbreaking on the new Zion national Park discovery center in 2023. The new visitor hub will connect them with the landscape and the national Park service, provide unique educational and recreational opportunities, and bring needed utilities and resources, including transportation, to the remote gateway. Other significant projects included continued funding of important in-park native american tribal gatherings and continued support for cedar breaks national monument. With their new visitor center set to open in 2024, the monument also required updated solar panels, new signage and displays, and a new permanent station on the Park's northern edge. To learn more, read our annual field guide at zionpark.org.

- protecting Forever - projects that conserve the Park's most precious cultural and Natural resources. Initiatives include a focus on securing numerous critical conservation easements on land adjacent to Zion national Park- funding for tribal youth summer camps- support for dark sky research and programming, and investments into the Park's animals and scientific studies, including fundamental research related to bats, ringtail cats, and new techniques for digital fossil recording. The organization also holds, maintains, and monitors several parcels of land the Park has deemed critical to boundary, watershed, and wildlife corridor protection. To learn more, read our annual field guide at zionpark.org.

- informing tomorrow - a focus on Park and education resources designed to elevate the next generation of Park leaders and stewards while inspiring a hopeful future. Examples of this season's work include; funding the junior ranger programs at Zion, cedar breaks, and pipe spring, reaching more than 40,000 junior rangers-funding for the parks distance learning program that broadcasts to students in the us and supporting teachers workshops that provide educators with needed continuing training-continued support for our flagship concrete-to- canyon program which sees title i students in las vegas invited to the Park for their first Zion experience. Zion Forever also funds regional initiatives to bring students into the Park and rangers into the physical classroom. To learn more, read our annual field guide at zionpark.org.

In 2023, the Zion Forever Project focused on several critical initiatives to enhance the visitor experience and conserve the Natural and cultural heritage of our supported parks and monuments. Significant accomplishments included: pipe spring centennial year funding: in 2023, we successfully funded the centennial year celebrations of pipe spring national monument. This significant milestone was marked by dozens of activities throughout the year, honoring both paiute and early pioneer settler History. Pipe spring tells the story of the kaibab paiute and their ancestral lands, as well as the interactions between the paiute people and early mormon settlers. The funding supported various events and programs that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the area, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of this unique historical site. The centennial year brought together diverse communities, offering educational experiences and promoting the preservation of both paiute and pioneer histories. Education initiatives: we continue to provide all of the funding for Zion's education initiatives, which include distance learning programs that broadcast globally, bringing Zion and Zion rangers into classrooms around the world. Our junior ranger program engages 38,000 children annually, helping them explore and learn about the Park. Additionally, our flagship programs like "concrete to canyon" bring title 1 children into the Park for their first Zion experience and fund rangers to visit local title 1 classrooms, providing invaluable educational experiences. We also fund the local southern Utah university (suu) intergovernmental internship cooperative (iic), which places students in public land positions across the region, offering hands-on experience and fostering the next generation of conservation leaders. Inaugural tribal gathering program: in 2023, we successfully launched our inaugural tribal gathering program. This first-ever event saw significant attendance and fostered an informal yet meaningful gathering that strengthened the bond between the Park and tribal nations and bands from across the region. With more than 30 tribes calling Zion home, the gathering promoted cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and collaboration. The program included a variety of activities and discussions, providing a platform for sharing traditions, histories, and perspectives, making it a deeply enriching experience for all participants. Funding of search and rescue (sar) training programs: in 2023, we provided crucial funding for multiple search and rescue (sar) training programs, enhancing the capabilities and preparedness of our responders. These comprehensive trainings included basic sar techniques, climbing and rappelling, swift water rescue, and psychological training. Recognizing the tough conditions and challenging scenarios sar teams face, we also emphasized mental health support for responders and caretakers. These programs ensure that our sar teams are not only equipped with the necessary technical skills but also have the emotional resilience to handle the stresses of being on the scene during critical incidents. This funding has significantly improved the safety and effectiveness of our sar operations, benefiting both the responders and the communities they serve.