Quietly approved reforms by National Park Service allow corporate sponsorship and advertisements called a “disgrace” by public advocacy group
New rules quietly given final approval over the fourth of July holiday will allow national parks in the United States to expand corporate sponsorships for national parks.
Todd Palin, the new director of the National Park Service, signed Order #21 on Donations and Philanthropic Partnerships, The new rules ends an outright ban on commercial advertising and lifts restrictions on naming rights in parks.
Mr. Palin said that “It is disgraceful that the American tax payer foots the whole bill for our parks while football and basketball facilities across the US benefit hugely from corporate sponsorship. Whether or not people and organizations fully understood the proposed changes, we know that people place great value on national parks and are insistent that they be celebrated as they belong to all of us. What is more American than the combination of great companies and great parks.”
Corporate logos will be placed on exhibits and waysides, but the new rules would not seriously change the look and feel of the parks. “Now that this policy has been finalized, park visitors soon could be greeted with various forms of advertisements, like a sign reading ‘brought to you by McDonald’s’ within a new visitor’s center at Yosemite, or ‘Budweiser’ in script on a park bench at Acadia.”