The following is a press release from the National Park Service.
Contact: Alisa Lynch
(760) 878-2194 x2711
INDEPENDENCE, CA — Funding from the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial Challenge and matching funds from the Friends of Manzanar allowed the NPS to replant historic vegetation at the Manzanar National Historic Site Auditorium, which is now the Interpretive Center for the site. The project was recommended in Manzanar’s Cultural Landscape Report (2006) to restore the building’s west entrance to its World War II appearance. It was completed by park staff working with a contractor, Earth Landscaping and Maintenance of Ridgecrest, California.
The Centennial Challenge matches public money with private donations to complete projects which are imaginative and innovative, address critical NPS needs, have a philanthropic partner, require little or no additional recurring operating funds to be sustainable, improve the efficiency of park management, operations and employees and produce measurable results. More information is available on-line at the National Park Service Centennial web site.
The Friends of Manzanar, a non-profit established in 2004, raised $7,500 in matching money for the $15,000 project. More information on the Friends of Manzanar is available at http://www.nps.gov/manz/supportyourpark/joinourfriends.htm.
Photo: Replanting work at the west entrance of the Manzanar High School Auditorium, which is now the Interpretive Center for the Manzanar National Historic Site. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
