NEW LEADERSHIP FOR CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL PARK CONSERVANCY AND CRNRA FOCUS ON PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PARK IMPROVEMENTS

Strategic course set to build a community of support for much needed upgrades

of local national park

Atlanta, Ga 10/15/21 — The Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC), the official

philanthropic partner of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA), welcomes

a new executive board to work with Park Superintendent Ann Honious on a strategic direction to

increase awareness of park resources and help fund improvements.

CRNRA is a unit of the National Park System and receives more than 3.5 million visits a year. In

2020, CRNRA was the 16th most visited national park unit, receiving more visitors than the

Grand Canyon or Yosemite. The constant stream of hikers, bikers, walkers, dogs, paddlers, and

more and a steady increase in visitation have placed a strain on the park's trails, facilities, and

resources since the park’s establishment in 1978.

Superintendent Honious and her team at the National Park Service are currently nearing

completion of a Comprehensive Trails Management Plan to address the park's needs and will

partner with CNPC to help secure resources for the long-range implementation of the plan. The

new CNPC executive committee and board, led by President and Board Chair Graham Dorian,

will build on the momentum and community created during the group's almost ten years in

existence to gather the support needed to help fund the park’s improvements.

Dorian explains, “Everyone loves the beauty and resources of the park, but most do not know it

is part of the National Park System. We want to continue to build awareness of all of the park's

resources and needs to help garner financial and volunteer support for this well-loved treasure.

The park improves the quality of life for so many Atlantans and visitors from all over, and our

goal is to make sure that the national park receives the care it deserves.”

CRNRA makes up 20% of the metro Atlanta area’s public greenspace and is an accessible

source of recreation and education, boasting diverse natural resources and historical

significance. The park is made up of 15 units along 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River,

designated the first National Water Trail in 2012, and runs through Cobb, Fulton, Forsyth, and

Gwinnett counties.

As of October 1, 2021, CNPC’s entirely volunteer-led executive committee includes Graham

Dorian (President and Board Chair), Britt Stork (Vice President), Raymond Steed (Treasurer),

and Peter Coffman (Secretary). Ann Honious, the recently arrived Superintendent of the

CRNRA, began her assignment on August 1, 2021, relocating from Washington D.C., where she

served as Deputy Superintendent of National Capital Parks - East.