Press Room

Gateway communities are the front doors of our National Park System, and the Bay Area is fortunate to have many. Read the Op-Ed by Parks Conservancy President & CEO Christine Lehnertz to see how we're delivering on the promise of these unique national park sites to build welcoming and belonging in local communities.

"The United States does not put its history into secret boxes." "History aims to improve the nation by learning the lessons of the past."— Christine Lehnertz, President & CEO of the Parks Conservancy, talks to KQED for a piece on the importance of preserving history in the national parks. The Parks Conservancy works to tell the full story of the GGNRA through signage, programs, and youth education, so we can learn from our shared past and build welcoming national parks for the future.

A coalition of conservation partners is joining forces to protect one of the Bay Area’s most colorful and endangered residents, the San Francisco garter snake. At the heart of this effort is an ambitious habitat restoration project in San Mateo County’s national parklands, led by the Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service, as we work to build national parks where people and nature can thrive.

Parks Conservancy Deputy CEO Michele Gee appears on KQED Forum to talk about the importance of Alcatraz Island as a national park site and a global site of reflection and conversation.

The San Francisco Examiner previews the Parks4All: Brewfest, where people will come together to celebrate, with all proceeds going to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

"Alcatraz challenges us to listen, to learn, and to carry forward the stories that still shape our world today," Christine Lehnertz, president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, said in a statement sent to the BBC.

"This is where history speaks — and where we learn from the past to shape a better future."

Axios covers Earth Day on Alcatraz, with events from the Alcatraz Historic Gardens to crabbing off the island.

In this opinion piece, Chris Lehnertz and Cassius Cash, leaders of the Parks Conservancy and Yosemite Conservancy, come together to urge bipartisan reauthorization of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).

"Go with an expectation that when you visit this year, you are like an honorary park ranger. You are a steward of that park." Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy President & CEO Christine Lehnertz offers advice on visiting parks responsibly this summer.

The Marin Independent Journal covers the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force and $10.9 million in funding for forest health improvement and wildfire prevention project, awarded to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and One Tam.

Christine Lehnertz, President & CEO of the Parks Conservancy, talks about how to give back to parks amid uncertainty about their future: “During this time when we’re seeing so much change for federal agencies, we will have to do more to ensure that these parks are here for future generations."