Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Erik Paulsen’s (MN-03) bill, H.R. 627, to authorize a series of commemorative coins celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. Proceeds raised by the sale of the coins will go to the National Park Foundation, a charitable organization that supports the management of national parks. The minted coins will consist of a five dollar gold coin, a silver dollar, and a clad half dollar. When minting commemorative coins, there is no cost to taxpayers.

“Many of my favorite memories are with my family enjoying the beauty of our national parks,” said Paulsen. “In Minnesota, we’re lucky to have places like Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota and the Mississippi River and Recreation Area in the heart of the Twin Cities. We need to ensure the continued preservation and protection of these great natural resources so that our children and grandchildren will have the same opportunity to enjoy our country’s wonderful history and scenery.”

Each year, national parks are enjoyed by over 278 million people across America. In Minnesota, national parks are visited by 650,000 people annually and contribute $34 million to the economy. Since its creation in 1916, the National Park System has come to include our most cherished monuments, battlefields, lakeshores, recreation areas, and pristine rivers and trails.

Video of his floor speech on H.R. 627 can be found here.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

Website photo courtesy of 2008 National Park Service

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