Courtesy Emily Jones
Emily Jones, regional director of National Parks Conservation Association’s Southeast Region, loves exploring the outdoors at Great Smokies and Cumberland Gap national parks, and the 469-mile-long Blue Ridge Parkway. Passionate about the NPCA, she believes her work is “advocating for God’s creation.” She lives with her husband, Eric Vreeland, and Lucy and Ethel—who “don’t know they are dogs.”
Tell us a little about how you came to NPCA and your current role.
I grew up in a home in Knoxville with a view of Mount LeConte. Every morning my mother would open the curtains and say, “What a glorious day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” She grew up spending summers in a cabin outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and my great grandfather attended the Park’s dedication in the 1930s. Their love of the Smokies was passed on to me and my siblings.
I came to NPCA in 2003, and as regional director it is my honor to ensure our staff has the resources to protect national parks and bring attention to underrepresented history in the Southeast Region.
Our programs range from developing safe passage for wildlife across highways in and near the Smokies, to protecting the headwaters of Big South Fork and the Obed Wild and Scenic River. We’re also working to help protect the scenic experience at the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We continually work to improve air quality across our eight-state region as states develop plans to reduce air pollutants. Historically, we’ve worked to protect Cumberland Gap National Historic Park’s Fern Lake Watershed from strip-mining. As always, we work alongside local advocates and communities.
You are passionate about NPCA’s mission to protect parks for present and future generations. How does NPCA protect national parks?
The best way to protect parks is to fund them. We work with Congress to pass bipartisan legislation so parks can thrive. National parks are where our greatest natural resources are protected and our stories are told.
Parks are like cities with buildings and roads to maintain, along with sewer, electrical systems, campgrounds, visitors’ centers, trails and more.
NPCA supports advocates in speaking up when a park is threatened. Our work to defend the Great Smokies from the “Road to Nowhere” is a great example.
Park overcrowding is exacerbated by COVID. We’re addressing this through pilot programs and reservation systems.
Share with us a prominent ongoing project.
“Safe Passage” is a multi-organizational effort near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The goal is to design passes so wildlife can cross the interstate by going over or under it.Our team has documented wildlife mortality hot spots in the Pigeon River Gorge. The ongoing scheduled bridge repair at Harmon Den is our first opportunity to see this in action!
What recent accomplishment has made the biggest difference?
I’m proudest of our work with park champions like U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander to make the historic Great American Outdoors Act a reality. This Act is the result of years of relationship-building with communities and coalitions, and it means decades of maintenance and infrastructure will be addressed!
What might surprise people about NPCA?
NPCA is 102 years old! It was organized by the first director of the National Park Service to be the people’s voice for our national parks. We have 1.5 million members and supporters.
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2022 issue.
