Protect our National Parks and National Historic Sites — and those who steward them.
At Friends of Minidoka, we are committed to preserving and protecting Minidoka National Historic Site. We need your help as our national park system faces sale of surrounding public lands, reduction in its workforce, and slashes to funding.
We will keep this page up to date with new information and calls to action. Thank you for your support!
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Contact Your U.S. Senators - Public Lands Are Not for Sale!
Mindoka National Historic Site is surrounded by public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Auctioning off and selling these lands to the highest bidder with no public input on what could be developed threatens the solemn and reflective nature of Minidoka. Contact your U.S. Senators to oppose the reconciliation language from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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Contact Your U.S. Representative: Fund the Japanese American Confinement Sites program
The Japanese American Confinement Sites grant program in the National Park Service has been critical for the development of Minidoka National Historic Site. Friends of Minidoka has received grant funding for projects at the site, including the replica Military Honor Roll, replica Guard Tower, the Issei memorial and exhibit in the Visitor Center, and our documentary, Betrayed: Surviving An American Concentration Camp.
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Parks in Crisis, by Katherine DeGroff and Rona Marech
The National Parks Conservation Association published an excellent article in its recent National Parks Magazine on the attacks on our national parks. Read more to stay informed!
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Take Action with NPCA
National Parks Conservation Association is a champion for our National Parks, including Minidoka National Historic Site. NPCA has been an exceptional partner over the years, helping Friends of Minidoka fight to protect Minidoka. They have petitions for individuals like you to sign on to letters to protest the indiscriminate firing of National Park staff as well as other action items. Go to their action page to sign on.
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Friends of Minidoka joins NPCA in letter to Congress
Friends of Minidoka signed on to an organizational letter from the National Parks Conservation Association to U.S. Senators and Representatives urging them to reverse the indiscriminate federal terminations and halt any further workforce reductions.
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Impact of Federal Directives on Minidoka
Since recent federal directives were issued, Friends of Minidoka (FoM) has been closely monitoring the situation to understand how Minidoka National Historic Site (NHS) will be impacted.
The “buyout” of federal employees, hiring freeze for seasonal workers, and potential firing of probationary employees (those in their position less than a year) concerned Friends of Minidoka because of their effects on Minidoka NHS. Since then, we learned that the freeze on hiring seasonal workers has been partially lifted. However, the firing of probationary employees has commenced. Read about probationary employee firings in this New York Times article.
