GILLETTE, Wyo. — The National Park Service and National Park Foundation announced Thursday that $40 million dollars was gifted to the park from an anonymous group of donors for the expansion of employee housing within the park.
The donation will fund an additional 70 new modular units and improvements to existing housing that the park says are urgently needed.
“Affordable housing for employees in and near national parks is increasingly scarce and expensive, reflecting a trend impacting communities across the country, forcing park employees to commute long distances between work and home and making it difficult for NPS to recruit and retain employees,” the park said in a press release.
Leadership from both the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation expressed their gratitude for the gift, and said that addressing the housing shortage would benefit the experience of both the park employees and guests.
“These skilled, dedicated professionals at the NPS who protect our parks and make visitors’ experiences great deserve housing they can be proud to call home,” said Will Shafroth, President and CEO of the National Parks Foundation.
