From Brian OUNeill
General Superintendent
Golden Gate National Recreation Area

In 1972, Congressman Phillip Burton championed legislation to bring a dream
into reality.  His dream was to create a national park - an urban national park
in the Bay Area - that combined important natural resources and historic areas
with incomparable open space.  The resulting reality is Golden Gate National
Recreation Area (GGNRA).

In nearly 18 years since that landmark legislation, GGNRA has shown its value
to the Bay Area and to the nation.  The park now hosts 20 million visitors each
year, among the highest of any national park in the country.

Over the next few years, the park faces perhaps its most exciting challenge: 
planning a great future for the Presidio, and implementing a smooth transition
to civilian use.

We at the National Park Service are committed to preserving the Presidio - its
history, its open space, its beauty.  We are also committed to your involvement
in the planning process.

 Our thinking about the PresidioUs future should be both visionary and
pragmatic.  We are looking for ideas that involve longPterm opportunities for
the Bay Area, the nation, and the global community.   I hope you will join us
in the search for those ideas.



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