Voyageurs National Park Chosen by National Park Trust and National Park Service as 2024 Challenge Cost Share Awardee

News Release Date:
September 5, 2024

Contact:Haley Smith

Voyageurs National Park Chosen by National Park Trust and National Park Service as 2024 Challenge Cost Share Awardee.

$361,000 awarded to 17 projects nationwide that promote stewardship, provide access to outdoor recreation, and connect people to the outdoors.

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. - Voyageurs National Park has received a $20,000 award from the National Park Trust to power the ongoing Wetland Restoration Project. The National Park Trust, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), announced recently that a total of $361,000 was awarded to fund 17 enriching education and outdoor recreation initiatives through the 2024 Challenge Cost Share Program. Each project connects a local community to a nearby national park, national trail, or wild and scenic river, fostering a deeper connection with our natural and cultural heritage. This year's group of awardees will engage more than 6,500 participants in active, healthy outdoor recreation, conservation, and education initiatives.

Voyageurs National Park received the $20,000 funding to support the continuing Wetland Restoration Project which develops native plant communities and removes the invasive plants threatening our lakes and waterways. The $20,000 award will go towards additional contracted cattail removal services and improving the capability of our NPS-owned cutting machines.

"National Park Trust is thrilled to once again partner with the National Park Service and community partners across the country to connect people of all backgrounds and abilities to national parks while engaging the newest generation of outdoor enthusiasts and stewards," said Grace Lee, executive director of National Park Trust. "The Challenge Cost Share program is a terrific example of an initiative that leverages public and private funds to invest in communities to create sustainable partnerships that benefit parks and people."

Wetlands in Voyageurs National Park's large lakes have been degraded over the last several decades by invasive cattails, which reduce biodiversity, decrease habitat for fish and wildlife, and out compete the culturally important plant, wild rice, manoomin. The Voyageurs Wetland Restoration Project was initiated in 2016 to combat invasive cattails and restore ecological function to the park's wetlands.

Phase 3 of the project began in 2023. The park continues mechanical treatment methods to remove invasive cattails and other vegetation, including use of contracted harvesting machines, park owned-cutting machines, and hand crews in more inaccessible areas. The park's natural resource team will also be using prescribed fire and reseeding to enhance the project's outcomes. Wild rice will be collected in the fall, which will be used to seed project areas that have recently been restored.

"The work of this program is only possible by the support of groups like The National Park Trust. The funding from The Challenge Cost Share Program will certainly improve the outcome of this project and allow us to engage the community in volunteer events, such as the annual harvesting of wild rice," said Haley Smith, Program Lead and Ecologist.

"Partnering with the National Park Trust allows the National Park Service to reach more people and communities through the Challenge Cost Share Program," said Lauren S. Imgrund, NPS associate director for Partnerships and Civic Engagement. "We appreciate the work of local partner organizations across the nation, who are using their resources and skills to support conservation, recreation, and education projects that are meaningful and impactful to their communities."

About Voyageurs National Park Wetland Restoration Program
The Voyageurs Wetland Restoration Project, initiated in 2016, arose from a need to restore the degraded wetlands within Voyageurs National Park. Phases 1 and 2 of the project were initially geared towards developing methodology and designing techniques for restoration in a region where minimal restoration had previously occurred. Phase 3, which began in 2023, uses the proven techniques that have been developed to improve these waterways and wetlands by decreasing or eliminated hybridized cattails, improving substrate quality for native plants, and reseeding native plants when needed.

About National Park Trust
National Park Trust's mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 55 national park sites across the country. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison, College Ambassador and Military Family Programs, and National Kids to Parks Day, serve tens of thousands of children annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org.

About The National Park Service
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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