PEOPLE: Park Service hires CAP's public lands director
Phil Taylor, E&E reporter
Greenwire: Monday, November 4, 2013
The director of the Center for American Progress' public lands program is now the deputy director for congressional and external relations at the National Park Service.
Christy Goldfuss, a former Democratic public lands aide in the House who has led CAP's public lands efforts for more than two years, will serve as the Park Service's liaison to Congress and will lead the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs and the Office of International Affairs.
The post was last held by Mickey Fearn, who now teaches at North Carolina State University and last week joined the board of directors at the Corps Network, which promotes youth service in conservation.
"Christy's solid experience in the public and private sectors, understanding of public lands and preservation issues, and energy and commitment to bring people together to reach common goals make her a natural addition to my executive leadership team," said Park Service Director Jon Jarvis in a statement. "As we ready the National Park Service for its second century of stewardship, we rely on close working relationships with many partners."
Goldfuss previously served as director for left-leaning CAP's Public Lands Project, an initiative launched in April 2011 to build public support for the protection of open spaces and the siting of renewable energy on public lands. At CAP, Goldfuss promoted conservation policies including the Antiquities Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which funds the acquisition of federal lands including the consolidation of Park Service inholdings.
"As the National Park Service prepares to celebrate its 100th birthday, I could not be more excited to help create and implement a vision that allows people to forge new relationships with this unparalleled asset that belongs to all of us," Goldfuss said.
Full funding for LWCF is a core priority for the Obama administration, which argues that land acquisitions bolster rural economies and can reduce management costs by simplifying land ownership. Goldfuss may be tasked with conveying that message to skeptical Republicans in Congress, notably Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who argue that the Park Service must first reduce its $11.5 billion deferred maintenance backlog before acquiring new lands or expanding or establishing new parks.
Lawmakers are currently exploring new funding options for the Park Service to tackle long-term infrastructure challenges.
Goldfuss' hire comes as Congress considers other controversial Park Service legislation, including measures promoting the use of motorized vehicles at a North Carolina seashore and to expedite logging at Yosemite National Park.
Goldfuss previously worked for the Democratic staff of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. Before that, she was a federal preservation advocate for Environment America and was a television reporter in Nevada and California.
One conservationist praised the Park Service move.
"Great fit for the job," said Kristen Brengel, legislative director for the National Parks Conservation Association, who said she has known Goldfuss for several years. "Christy is a natural leader and strong conservationist."
