AmericathebeautifulNDMEDORA, N.D. – Congressman Kevin Cramer said the image of Teddy Roosevelt sitting on his horse overlooking the Little Missouri River on the new America the Beautiful quarter further secures North Dakota’s association with the nation’s 26th president.  “A coin, while commemorative, is not a legacy,” Cramer said. “Coins are collected, moments are commemorated, birthdays are celebrated. But legacies are continuous. And the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt is embodied in this park.”

The quarter was released at a ceremony Thursday at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) Painted Canyon Visitor Center near Medora. The coin release was held in conjunction with today’s 100th birthday of the National Park Service (NPS), which is being celebrated across the United States.

Established in 1978, TRNP is North Dakota’s only national park, covering more than 70,446 acres in McKenzie and Billings counties. Two national historic sites, also administered by the NPS, are located in North Dakota — Fort Union Trading Post and Knife River Indian Villages.

AmericathebeautifulND1Cramer said national leaders and Congress need to engage in a serious discussion about conservation and preservation.  “As we enter the second century of the National Park Service, we need to consider what the federal government’s responsibility is to our parks,” he said. “There is a conflict of visions — one is preservation and the other is attracting visitors. This conversation needs to continue.”

He said a coin is a document of sorts, “but the true legacy for our children is embedded in our national parks.”

This quarter is the 34th release in the United States Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a 12-year initiative to honor 56 national parks. Five new quarters are being released every year, depicting one national park in each state, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories.  The program was established by Public Law 110-456, which passed Congress in 2008.

Also participating in the release ceremony today were National Park Service Deputy Regional Director Patricia Trap, TRNP Superintendent Wendy Ross and U.S. Mint Principal Deputy Direct Rhett Jeppson. After the coin release ceremony, Cramer participated in a meeting with park leaders and stakeholders on the future of the TRNP.

Cramer is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. From 1993 to 2000, he served in North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer’s cabinet, first as State Tourism Director from 1993 to 1997, and as State Economic Development and Finance Director from 1997 to 2000.