Valley Forge National Historical Park

National Parrk ServiceUnited States Department of the Interior

2007 Annual Report

2007 was a year of solid progress at Valley Forge National Historical Park,and we invite you to take a look at the highlights that we’ve outlined in thisAnnual Report.

You’ll see several big priorities reflected over and over in our achievements:

More activities for visitors. Through partnerships and internal reorganization,we greatly expanded the number and kinds of activities that visitors can enjoyfor fun and education. Total visitation increased again this year.

Strengthened stewardship. Through the work we do everyday and thecontribution of volunteers, partners, and donors, we continued to restore thenationally significant resources of the park.

Improved financial sustainability. We continue to reduce our fixed costsand streamline operations to free up dollars for more visitor services andstewardship.

I am proud that—again this year—participation in stewardship of the park byvolunteers, partners, and donors greatly increased. Each of themunderstands the significance of Valley Forge, and we are honored by theirconfidence in the direction the park is moving.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, concerns, or ideas.What can we do together?

Mike CaldwellSuperintendent

Valley Forge National Historical Park

National Parrk ServiceUnited States Department of the Interior

1917 inscription on the Memorial Arch, pictured on cover.3

n Through agreatly enhancedpartnership withOnce Upon ANation (OUAN),40,000 visitorswere served withnew programs andactivities. Storytellingbenches were placedat the WelcomeCenter, the NationalMemorial Arch andWashington's Headquarters. Fifteenoriginal stories were crafted based onthe research of historians and parkstaff. A fee-based evening program,"Valley Forge After Hours," debutedduring which visitors were transportedback in time as members of a visitingcongressional delegation checking onthe state of the Continental Armyduring the encampment. Along theway, actors portrayed soldiers, MarthaWashington, George Washington andLafayette. Each program concludedwith a campfire and stories near theGrand Parade. Planning for expanded2008 programs already is underway.

n The park’s cooperating association,The Encampment Store, purchased atrolley and worked with the park andOUAN to expand existing fee-basedinterpretive tours of the park. 6,500people enjoyed the tours, a 5% increasein ridership over the previous year.

n One of our school programs,“Riding through History,” matured intoa two-hour, fee-based presentation forschool groups, during which rangersboard school buses for guided tours ofthe park. It has become the mostrequested of all the park’s educationalprograms.

n We continued to expand our use ofinterpretive technology to reach all ourvisitors at any time with programmingabout the history and natural resourcesof the park. Through a second year ofthe Healthy Parks/ Healthy LivingProgram, sponsored by the NationalPark Foundation and Lipton® Tea, anintern worked with park staff to revise,update, and expand the cell phone tourfrom 18 messages to over 50. In FY07,13,896 inbound calls were received,with an average of two messagesaccessed per caller.

n New monthly podcasts entitled"View from the Forge" joined others,including our orientation film andcampfire programming,as downloadableprogramming fromboth our website andiTunes.

n The park websiteunderwent significantchange and nowoffers many newinformation optionsfor visitors. Duringthe year, more than900,000 visits to thewebsite were logged.

n Two new museumprograms weredeveloped andinaugurated. Arotating series offour gallery talkswas presented dailyby park staff, interns, and volunteers.These talks provide stories about topics

such as encampment medical practices,the archeology of the encampment,and 18th-century clothing, allillustrated by the museum collections.A fee-based, reservations-only tour ofthe collections vault is held every otherSaturday, and provides interpretation ofartifacts and documents that are toofragile to be exhibited, as well asinsight into the preservation mission ofthe NPS.

n A full-time interpreter was re-assigned to Natural ResourcesManagement, and natural resourceinterpretation programs kicked offthrough a partnership with the JohnJames Audubon Center at Mill Grove.Visitors to the park’s Audubon WatchTent enjoyed birding information andlive raptors each Saturday during thesummer season. Two new campfireprograms—18th-century folktales ofthe Pennsylvania woods, and “TheRapture of Raptors”—were offered.

n Park curators designed and installeda temporary exhibit in the LowerProvidence Township building on therole of the Perkiomen Peninsula in theValley Forge encampment. In comingyears, we plan to install similar exhibitsfor each of the five townships of whichwe are a part.

n At the Welcome Center, atemporary exhibit titled “It Was aContinual Drill” focused on Generalvon Steuben’s innovative and essentialtraining of the troops, and featured arare copy of the manual he developedwhile at Valley Forge, which becamethe foundation for American militarydrill into the 20th century.

More Choices for VisitorsPark staff continue to work hard to anticipate the needs of our visitors and to expand programming to

reach more visitors. Again this year, new choices were added to the menu of programs, and existing

programs and services were improved and expanded. Many of these choices were made possible through

partnerships and volunteers.

Oneida Indians came to thepark several times this year to

share stories of theirparticipation in the

encampment.

Our expanded partnership with Once Upon A Nation brought vibrant

new programming to park visitors.

Children had more opportunities to interact with rangers duringenhanced school programs.

Natural resourcesinterpretiveprogrammingwas launchedthrough apartnership withthe Mill GroveAudubon Center

Guided tours onThe EncampmentStore’s newtrolley made itfun and easy forvisitors to see thepark.

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Photo: M. Kennedy for OUAN

Photo: M. Kennedy for OUAN

Photo courtesy of VFCVB

n The third annualValley Forge Teachers’Institute was held inpartnership with TheEncampment Store andthe Great Valley SchoolDistrict. This week-longevent was attended by24 teachers fromaround the country.This year’s theme,"Everybody'sRevolution," presentedexperts and sessionsfocusing on theunexpected peoplewho participated in theRevolution, such aswomen and children,Native Americans,enslaved persons, andindentured servants. Scholars andauthors such as Dr. Gary Nash, ThomasFleming, and Dr. Lawrence Littleprovided content sessions in themornings. Afternoons were dedicatedto techniques and tools to use in theclassroom when teaching history.Teachers were provided a stipend and

earned Act 48 continuingeducation credits forparticipating in theprogram.

n Park staff coordinatedthe development andproduction of an NPS

American Revolution education kit forteachers. “Honored Places” is availablein hard copy and CD ROM and isdistributed free to educatorsthroughout the country. The kitfocuses on using historic places andmuseum collections to explore theprimary themes of the period, includingcomplexity and uncertainty, the difficultchoices many participants made duringthe struggle, and the varied voices ofthose involved. E-mailVAFOsuperintendent@nps.gov to obtaina copy.

n The second annual RevolutionaryRun was held in partnership with the

Valley Forge Conventionand Visitor Bureau (CVB),the Friends, and 12 othersponsors. This five-milerace is sanctioned by theMid-Atlantic USA Trackand Field. Supported by

160 volunteers, 1,263 runners andwalkers participated in the race, a walk,and a youth-run through the park,raising $16,000 for park trails.Registration is open for the April 20,2008 run at www.revolutionaryrun.org.

n College interns worked with parkstaff to develop a new educationalbrochure on park birds. Printed with agrant from the HealthyParks/ Healthy LivingProgram, the brochurealso is available on thepark website.

n We worked withpartners including the Friends of ValleyForge Park and the 2nd PennsylvaniaRegiment to plan and present the firstof a series of bi-annual symposia: Lock,Stock, and Barrel: The World of theRevolutionary Soldier. Over 150registered participants heard the likes of

author Thomas Fleming, collector andhistorian George Neumann, and wellknown historical painter, Don Troiani.The weekend included special tours ofthe park and the park’s historiccollections. The next symposium hasbeen scheduled for March 2009.

n With support from the Friends ofValley Forge Park, we have invested$75,000 in trails maintenance since

2005. This year alsomarked the first of athree-year StudentConservation Association,Public Lands Crewprogram at the park, inwhich a team of sixteenaged workers spendssix weeks dedicated totrails projects in the park.

n Rehabilitation ofa half–mile section of thepopular Mount Joy Trail wascompleted by park staff, withreplacement of water controlfeatures, repair of thefoundation, and regrading and

replacement of the surface. Volunteersled by staff also rebuilt portions of otherpark trails, contributing over 8,000 hoursto trail work.

n More and better programming, theprovision of more ways to experiencethe park, and our marketingpartnership with the CVB continue toresult in increases in visitation andparticipation. The number of regularlyscheduled, distinct program offeringsdoubled this year. We extended oursummer season and created a morerobust spring and fall program. Thenumber of students experiencing NPS-led education programs increased 25%over 2006. The number of visitorsexperiencing park and partnerprograms increased 30% over FY 2006.In 2007, total park visitation increased3.86% over 2006.

Runners and sponsors of the2nd annual RevolutionaryRun raised money forrehabilitating park trails.

We completed and published a majorteacher’s guide, with a wealth of

primary sources and lesson plans forteaching the American Revolution,and ways to utilize the 30 NPS sites

that represent the revolution.

Living history interpreters delighted visitors throughout the year.

A celebration of General Washington’s birthday was one ofdozens of Saturday programs for families.

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Photo courtesy of VFCVB

Photo: NPS

n A long-awaited plan andEnvironmental Impact Statement formanagement of the deer herd wasinitiated. Public scoping, reports oninternal and public scoping, scienceteam consultation, and draftalternatives were completed. Adraft plan will be available forpublic comment in 2008.

n Through the PhiladelphiaChapter of the Garden Club ofAmerica’s Partners for Plantsprogram, funding and volunteers

were provided to the park to completean inventory of rare plants.

n We treated invasive plants on 80canopy acres in the park, working withthe NPS Mid-Atlantic Exotic PlantManagement Team, park staff, interns,and volunteers.

n The park and the PennsylvaniaFish and Boat Commission comprisea Trustee Council charged withimplementing the Valley CreekRestoration Plan. A website and

brochure providing information on thewatershed, the Valley Creek RestorationPlan, and how to apply for grants toconduct restoration activities weredeveloped made available to the public.The council approved a grant of$35,157 to Tredyffrin Township for twostormwater management demonstrationprojects. Two projects were completed:construction of a fishing deck by EastWhiteland Township and a detentionbasin retrofit by Valley Forge TroutUnlimited. See www.savevalleycreek.org.

n In partnership with TredyffrinTownship, Trout Unlimited, theDelaware Riverkeeper, and Boy Scoutsof America volunteers, staff completeda project to stabilize 150’ of thecollapsing Valley Creek stream banknear a major sewer line. Rocks and atree revetment were used as analternative to hardening the banks. Twothirds of the costs of materials andtechnical expertise were donated. Staffalso continued to work with the ValleyCreek Restoration Partnership onmaintenance of riparian buffer fencinginstalled in 2003/2004.

n Staff and interns worked with thePennsylvania Natural Heritage Programon planning and implementation of aspecies inventory in the park’s 900+acres of meadows. The purpose is todetermine species composition anddocument invasive species cover anddistribution. The early-2008 report willcontribute to development of desiredmeadow conditions and revision of thefield management plan.

n Red-bellied turtles, a state-listedthreatened species, were found in thepark in 2006, but little information wasavailable about their distribution. Parkinterns worked with the PennsylvaniaFish and Boat Commission to survey516 acres for nesting sites and todocument over a mile of Schuylkill Riverbanks for basking sites. The survey willinform mitigation measures for thereconstructed Betzwood Bridge.

n Construction drawings and contractawards were completed for Phase II ofthe historic rehabilitation of theWashington’s Headquarters Area. Thisphase includes restoration of thehistoric Valley Forge train station andre-use for visitor orientation; removal ofthe huge parking lot and restoration ofthe land to its historic contours;construction of a smaller, hiddenparking lot; new handicapped-accessible restrooms and paths; andnew interpretive features throughoutthe landscape.

n A Cultural Landscape TreatmentPlan for the Washington’s Headquartersarea was completed. The new park-wide Cultural Landscape TreatmentPlan also was started and will becompleted in FY08.

n Staff continued to work withPennDOT, the Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission, and our two counties andfive townships to plan and implementtraffic congestion relief and protectionof resources from traffic projects. Staffalso actively participates in two regionaltransportation coalitions that bringtogether governmental and private

organizations to seek solutions andconsensus on these issues.

n The Pennsylvania State HistoricPreservation Officer and the AdvisoryCouncil for Historic Preservation gavefinal approval to the proposedProgrammatic Agreement betweenthose offices and the park—this willsimplify historic preservationconsultation for most park activities.The agreement is a product of the newGeneral Management Plan.

n A milestone was reached with thesigning of the Record of Decisionselecting a remedial action for clean-upof the 112-acre asbestos dump site inthe park. The Commonwealth ofPennsylvania and the United Statescontinued negotiations to reach asettlement on theallocation of theremediation costs. NPSand the commonwealthalso are negotiating apath to allow the firstphase of the clean-upto occur in advance ofthe construction of theBetzwood Bridgeproject.

n The eastern portionof the farmhouse knownas General Knox’Quarters housed thefamous artillery masterduring the ContinentalArmy’s winter

Preserving Natural Resources FY07 was the first full year with a Natural Resources Manager

in place, and exceptional progress was made.

Preserving Historic ResourcesCultural resources management focused on planning and

preparation for upcoming major capital improvements.

Rehabilitation after two centuries of wear and tear onGeneral Henry Knox’ Quarters included major structuralrepairs and a new roof.

We continue to work with a number of wonderful

partners to protect and restore Valley Creek.

encampment. In later years, while thehouse was still in private ownership,structural supports were removed, andall three floors were sagging and indanger of collapse. In a $500,000project, the sagging supports werereplaced, allowing the reconstruction ofthe historic back-to-back fireplace aswell as bracing from the basementthrough the third floor. The roof wasreplaced. This stabilization will allowfuture rehabilitation and reuse of thebuilding.

The historic Valley Forge Train Station is being restoredto serve as a point of orientation for visitors toWashington’s Headquarters.

Volunteers and staff co

ntinued to eliminate exoti

c

invasive plants from

the park’s forests an

d meadows.

98

Photo: NPS

Photo: NPS

n Valley Forge NHP is the first nationalpark approved to use JNET (JusticeNetwork) and MAGLOCLEN (MidAtlantic Great Lakes Organized CrimeLaw Enforcement Network), which arefree Internet-based investigative tools.The park also will serve as a hub to theother 13 national park units in the stateof Pennsylvania, so that they can haveaccess to this site as well.

n To complete the dispatch transitionfrom NPS to Montgomery CountyEmergency Dispatch Operations, a finalset of portable radios was purchasedand installed, replacing those that hadbeen loaned to us. Through new laptopcomputers, rangers now have anincreased connection to the outsideworld and immediate access to lawenforcement information.

n Law Enforcement volunteersparticipating in the Park Watchcontributed 995 hours of servicepatrolling on foot and bike andhelping with special events.

n Two natural resources interns weretrained and completed a project toassess lands along the park boundaryfor resource management violationssuch as encroachments and dumping.The interns also learned how toinvestigate violations such as poachingand off-trail use and how to gather andorganize the information in a mannerthat makes it accessible for prosecution.

n Staff responded to multiple incidentsof hazardous trees and limbs alongtrails and roadways, repaired dangerouspot holes in roadways and parking lots,and addressed several washouts park-wide.

n Lead soil was removed andremediated at three park houses, andtoxic wastes were removed from thebanks of Covered Bridge Run.

n Staff spent over 700 hours toprepare equipment and vehicles forinclement weather conditions andremove snow and ice from park roadsand parking lots. This work allowedthe park to remain open to visitorsduring the worst of weather conditions.

n The Encampment Store (TES), thepark’s 501c3 cooperating association,

continues to be a critical partner inimproving the quality of the visitorexperience. TES worked closely withthe park on creative development andstaffing of all our special events,development of interpretive andeducational programming, and thecreation of educational products for ourvisitors. TES gross receipts grew by 5%this past year, resulting in an $88,000donation to the park.

n The Friends of Valley Forge Parkcontinued to grow into a larger, moreactive organization. New boardleadership, a revitalized missionstatement, and active interaction withpark management is transforming thepark’s oldest partner. Membershipincreased to over 400 individuals from100 in early 2006. Most of the memberswho have renewed their annualmemberships have increased their levelof support, as they continue to seeresults. The Friends provided majorsupport in funding, planning, andvolunteerism for Lock, Stock, and Barrel,the Revolutionary Run, the Lunch andLearn lecture series, and numerous otherinitiatives. As part of the Washington’sHeadquarters Area rehabilitation project,the Friends also have pledged $50,000toward development of a multi mediashow that will introduce visitors to theimportant stories associated with thisarea. Visit www.friendsofvalleyforge.orgfor more information.

n The Valley Forge Convention andVisitors Bureau (CVB) continued toserve as an invaluable partner inpromoting the park to visitors andopinion-makers, and helping us tounderstand, serve, and manage ourvisitors. The CVB spearheads and printsthe semi-annual park program guides,collaborates on press releases, ensuresinformation is distributed to a wideassortment of media outlets, keepsnumerous tourism websites updated withpark information, provides film and stillphotographers for professional shots ofpark events, provides expert advice andconsultation, and serves as an excellentliaison to hotels and other componentsof the vibrant regional tourism industry.See www.valleyforge.org.

n The CVB started a program to trackmotor coach groups visiting the park,and identified over 400 this year. Priorto tracking, neither the park nor thebureau knew how many bus groupsvisited the park, what they did here, orhow they wished to be served. Theprogram uses a CVB-paid incentive forthe bus driver or group leader to fillout a survey in the Welcome Center.The survey collects tour company orschool addresses, other sites the groupis visiting, and where they stayovernight. The CVB follows up withthese groups by conducting targetedmailings and establishing relationshipsto better serve them.

Protecting Visitors and Resource The hard work of previous years’ reorganization of the Law

Enforcement Division and its operations has borne fruit in terms

of smoother and more effective operations.

Building a Network of Support The park enjoys core partnerships with three very strong organizations, as well as with numerous regional

and national organizations. This reflects our strategic decision to emphasize working with partners and

volunteers both to gain from their expertise and connections, and also to provide them with the

outstanding experiences and benefits of working in a national park.

The Friends of Valley Forge Park sponsor events

through out the year, including t

he commemoration

of the March-In of the Continental Army.

In addition to running a vibrant museum store, TheEncampment Store organization was a key creative andstaffing contributor to park visitor events.

The Valley Forge Convention andVisitor Bureau—the regional voice ofheritage tourism—provided essentialservices and expertise to the park and tovisitors.

Ranger interns assessed the 14-milepark boundary for resource

violations, includingencroachments.

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Photo: NPS

n In addition to staff the CVB alreadyprovides to the park, a new VisitorServices Liaison was hired to aid inmanaging the Welcome Center deskand support sales /marketing efforts.This newly created position allows thepark to use fewer rangers to providebasic information at the desk, therebyplacing them in areas where theirinterpretive skills better serve visitors.

n Our reproduction huts arepopular with visitors, yet are bytheir nature ephemeral.Lockheed Martin volunteersassisted maintenance staff tore-shingle the roof and repairthe chimney of the Poor’sBrigade hut, and repair roofframing, roof shingles, anddamaged logs of theWeedon’s Brigade hut. Thisyear’s AmeriCorps crewworked with park staff tore-shingle the failing roofsof the four Commander-in-Chief huts at theWashington’sHeadquarters area.

n Over 300volunteers participated in

12 natural, cultural, and visitor facilityprojects during National Public LandsDay. REI and the Healthy Park / HealthyLiving program were the primarysponsors.

n National Trails Day attracted 125volunteers, as well as 26 environmental,conservation, and health organizationsthat provided education, information,and demonstrations. Special tours,hikes, and clinics were offered by thepark and these partners. The HealthyParks / Healthy Living program was aprimary sponsor.

n The park and the AppalachianMountain Club signed a ten-yearpartnership agreement at the fifteenthannual National Trails Day event. AMCvolunteers and the park will worktogether on trail maintenance,rehabilitation, stabilization, andresource protection projects on thepopular Mount Joy and the MountMisery trail systems.

n Park staff actively participated inTredyffrin Township’s 300th Anniversarycelebration, including research supportfrom our interpretive and culturalresource staff, sponsoring a booth withpark information at the festival, andopening one of our historic houses aspart of a township house tour.

n Park staff and interns continued toassist the board of the Upper MerionParks and Historic Foundation toaddress issues at the McKaig NatureCenter, including escalating recreationaluse and invasive non-native plantspecies. The park was delighted toreceive the UMPHF’s annual partnershipaward.

n We continued to benefit from ourlong partnership with the StudentConservation Association, whichrecruits and places well qualifiedcollege and grad-level interns in parks.Ten SCA interns served at Valley Forgethis year. We also launched anexpanded college internship program,with Natural Resources taking the lead.Colleges were identified; positiondescriptions written; and trainingmaterials developed. Four internsparticipated in the new program.Internships are a great way to connectpeople to parks—this year’s internsdeveloped and presented programs,brochures, and podcasts, helped to

conserve museum collections, helpedlaw enforcement rangers with patrolsand evidence, conducted historic andnatural resources research, andconserved plants and animals.

n For the third year in a row,volunteerism increased. A total of1,999 people volunteered at the parkthis year, a 34% increase over 2006.The number of hours contributed roseby 28%. Thanks to every individual,and to the following organizations,that provided volunteers:

• Appalachian Mountain Club, Delaware Valley Chapter

• Bicycle Coalition of GreaterPhiladelphia

• Boy Scouts of America, Cradle of Liberty Council, Chester County Council, and Monmouth Council

• Bryn Mawr Hospital

• Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

• Delaware RiverKeeper

• Delta Upsilon of Bucknell UniversityAlumni

• Eastern Mountain Sports, Easton and King of Prussia stores

• The Encampment Store

• Ernest Eadeh Enterprises

• 4-H Club, Chester County

• Friends of Valley Forge Park

• Garden Club of America, Philadelphia Chapter

• Scouts of the Girl Scouts of the USASoutheastern Pennsylvania

• GOALS ARA

• International Mountain BicycleAssociation

• Johns Hopkins University Alumni

• King of Prussia Rotary Club

• Leave No Trace

• Lockheed-Martin, Network of Volunteers

• National OutdoorLeadership School

• National ParksConservation Association

• Penn State AlumniAssociations of Chester andMontgomery Counties

• Reed Technology andInformation Services

Soldiers’ huts are the symbol of Valley Forge, and volunte

ers

contribute hundreds of hours each

year to these ephemeral

structures.

Formalizing a longstanding partnership, the park and theAppalachian Mountain Club signed an agreement to continue towork together to protect and maintain trails.

• REI, Conshohocken store

• Rotary Interact District 7450

• Sierra Club, National

• Sierra Club, SouthheasternPennsylvania Group,

• Sierra Club, Volunteer OutingVacation

• Saint Gabriel’s Hall

• Schuylkill River Heritage Area

• Telecom Pioneers of America

• Trout Unlimited, Valley Forge Chapter

• Valley Forge Military Academy

• Valley Forge Visitors and ConventionBureau

• Vanguard Group

• Villanova University Ray of Sunshine

• Wayne Rotary Club

Volunteers contributed 37,000 hours of service thisyear, helping themselves and visitors to make connectionsto this essential place.

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Photo: NPSPhoto: NPS

Photo: NPS

n We expanded the number ofdonation boxes located aroundthe park, with each focused onraising funds to supportresources and activities withinthose specific areas, resulting in a12% increase in such donations.We implemented two newinterpretive fee programs tocomplement the free educationprograms already given. Thesenew programs brought in anadditional $5,200 in FY 2007 thatwas used to fund supplies andmaterials for programs.

n In order to better manage andenhance preventative maintenance,we hired a full-time Buildings &Utilities Foreman, recruiting fromwithin. To strengthen project/contractsupport, we expanded the ProjectManagement Team that wasestablished in FY06 to include a seniorProject Manager, Historical Architect,Facility Operations Specialist andManagement Assistant, again recruitingfrom within. This team was instrumentalin acquiring, contracting, planning andmanaging over $15 million in projectfunds over the past two years.

n The park’s utility systems wereinherited from the state park, and after30 years, many are past the point of

obsolescence. We began a $150,000project to upgrade the telephonesystem and develop the infrastructurethat will allow for future wirelessconnectivity through the park.

n We continue to reduce costs andgain efficiencies. Office consolidationsbegan with the move of interpretiveoffices from a stand-alone building tothe Welcome Center, resulting in a$14,000 annual utility savings.

With the completion of the new GeneralManagement Plan, the park will continue to movetoward a future of more choices for visitors andmore flexibility in funding and staffing. We aremoving toward a future in which the park willserve as a life-long classroom on the AmericanRevolution and a healthy regional bio-refuge.And Valley Forge, an essential American icon, will continue to be a treasured placesupported by the ongoing effortsof an engaged and committedgroup of citizen stewards, and agrowing network of partners.

Implementing a New Business Model Looking AheadTwo years ago, we looked ahead and projected a 10% decline in “buying power” of our federal budget

by 2019. We developed and are implementing a five-year Business Plan to enable us to absorb the

increasing shortfalls and provide greater financial flexibility while still meeting our goals for greater

preservation of our historic and natural resources and for providing visitor services.

n We converted 55% of the park-owned fleet to GSA leasing. The resultwas a significant reduction in the ageof the fleet; increased flexibility to turnin vehicles and reduce the fleet size; a$60,000 saving in fuel and parts; andthe ability to use one of the park automechanics on other higher prioritytasks in facility maintenance.

n Beyond the cultural, natural, andrecreational benefits the park provides,it also makes an economic contributionto the region. The NPS “MoneyGeneration Model” (Michigan StateUniversity) shows that 2007’s 1.2million visitors spent $21 million withinan hour’s driving distance of the park,generated over $7 million in directpersonal income (wages and salaries)for local residents, and supported 667jobs in the area.

Reducing our fixed costs means more funding for

meaningful services and programs, such as portrayals of

General Washington.

n Over the past two years the park hasmade substantial progress in pursuingthe strategies and actions identified inthe plan. Again this year we reducedthe park’s fixed cost ratio, from 94% toapproximately 90%. The federallyappropriated budget for Fiscal Year2007 was $5,633,000, whichcomprised 84.6% labor and 15.3% allother costs.

n As part of a strategy to increasealternative support, we created a newposition for a full-time VolunteerProgram Manager and recruited fromwithin to fill it. The results have beengratifying, with 34% growth in thetotal number of volunteers and 28%growth in volunteer hours, to 36,909,valued at $692,773. Through ourformal agreements with the ValleyForge Convention and Visitors Bureau,The Encampment Store, the Friends ofValley Forge Park, and Once Upon aNation, over $330,000 in directdonations, in-kind services, and fundingof seven full-time-equivalent employeeswas realized this year.

n The park has taken a more proactiveapproach to recovering expenditures forspecial uses, such as movie shoots,professional photography, and outsideevents, resulting in a growth in our costrecovery over the past two years of140%.

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Valley Forge National Historical Park

1400 North Outer line DriveKing of Prussia, PA 19406

www.nps.gov/vafo

All photos: MJTiccino Images unless otuerwise noted. • Concept & Design: Ticcino Creative • Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.