National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Denali National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 9
Denali Park, AK 99755
907.683.9532 phone
www.nps.gov/dena
Release Date: August 31, 2017
Contact: Katherine Belcher, katherine_belcher@nps.gov, 907.683.9583
Denali Signs Sister Park Agreement with Mongolia’s Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area
DENALI PARK, Alaska – On August 25, 2017, Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, and Dulamsuren Oyunkhorol, the Minister of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, signed a Sister Park Arrangement between Denali National Park and Preserve and Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area in Zavkhan province, Mongolia. The August 25 event was followed by a September 2 signing of a Biennial Work Plan by Deputy Superintendent Denice Swanke and Director D. Batdelger in the Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area. This Sister Park Arrangement demonstrates the committed partnership and friendship between our two nations as we commemorate 30 years of United States-Mongolia diplomatic relations this year.
August 28-September 4, Deputy Superintendent Swanke visited Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area to receive an overview of the park’s resources and management issues and to discuss future cooperation on park management and conservation. In addition to the National Park Service, the effort has been supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Mongol Ecology Center, a Mongolia-based NGO.
The Sister Park Arrangement between Denali and Otgontenger will promote cooperation between the two parks through the exchange of professional and technical knowledge and through sharing lessons learned and best practices in the administration of both protected areas.
Through professional exchanges, training opportunities, and conferences, the agreement also facilitates information sharing on a variety of topics, including national park management, enriching visitor experiences, resource conservation, and collaboration with local organizations and communities.
Denali Park information is available at www.nps.gov/dena or by calling (907) 683-9532 from 9 am – 4:30 pm daily. Stay connected with “DenaliNPS” on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and iTunes.
Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area information is available at www.mpa.gov.mn/thg/child/14/19.
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More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.
