A group of advocates for our National Parks met with members of the editorial board yesterday.

The topic was Sen. John Danforth’s and the Danforth Foundation’s call to transform public access to the Arch grounds and challenge to think big about how Eero Saarinen’s masterpiece might be complemented by a world class cultural institution developed in part through an international design competition.

Represented were the National Parks Conservation Association and the Jefferson National Parks Association. Both seemed to me to be sharp organizations.

Below are extended audio excerpts from the conversation — offered at length because the advocates were especially thoughtful and because this is a big deal whose community of interest is situated not just in St. Louis but nationwide.

In addition to helpful factual context for planning activities underway at the National Park Service, I gained two overall impressions from the session, which you can weigh yourself by listening to the audio clips:

• The Danforth call to action demands a lot from the National Parks Service — which appears to be genuinely rising to the occasion and seriously investigating and weighing ideas for what may come next for the Gateway Arch.

• There is some appreciation from the community of traditional — and cautious — parks advocates that the Danforth vision, while tricky and challenging, also is exciting.

I consider these to be positive developments (in my prejudiced opinion.)

Lynn McClure is Midwest Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association, a private non-profit with 340,000 members that sees itself as the National Parks’ educational and advocacy voice. Located in Chicago, the Midwest regional office works with 44 National Parks sites in 10 states — including Missouri and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

Be warned. The audio clip below runs long (17 mins., 26 secs.), but Ms. McClure had much to say:

Lynn McClure, National Parks Conservation Association

Tom Villa, of course, is a prominent St. Louisan, a longtime state lawmaker and former president of the St. Louis Board of Alderman. He’s a thoughtful and practical public figure from a colorful political family who gets things done and, for me,  offers the right mix of seriousness and good humor.

He also is president of the board of the Jefferson National Parks Association, and offered these thoughts (3 mins., 44 secs.) on the future of the Arch grounds:

Tom Villa, Jefferson National Parks Association

David Grove is the executive director and CEO of the Jefferson National Parks Association, a non-profit organization that serves as an “operational partner” with the National Parks Service at the Gateway Arch through educational programs, and is a major financial contributor to the enterprise — about $2.6 million in programs and services in 2007 according to the organization’s literature.

Mr. Grove and JNPA thus have a keen interest in what may come next at the Arch. He had this to say (7 mins., 1 sec.):

David Grove, Jefferson National Parks Association

(Pictured above: A view of the arch from the Marquette condo and apartment development by the Lawrence Group at 300 North Broadway. Photo by Alise O’Brien. Portrait photos by Eddie Roth).