Park Service seeks to boost visitor diversity

Park Service seeks to boost visitor diversity

The National Park Service, disturbed by studies showing that a disproportionately large number of visitors to national parks are white, is planning some changes to boost visitor diversity, USA Today reported last week.

Rangers are being urged to include more "untold stories" about civil and human rights in park talks and displays. And new web sites promote parks with minority connections, such as Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, and offer Spanish language descriptions.

The NPS also has set a goal of increasing minority seasonal staff hires by 25% this summer, on top of a 39% increase last season. Minority hiring is now a factor in performance reviews of park managers (Gene Sloan, USA Today, 3/26).

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