The American Alpine Institute just received the following press release from the
National Parks Conservation Association.
National Parks Conservation
Association Says Obama Administration Must Address Threats Facing
National Parks and Develop Comprehensive Long Term Plan for Parks
WASHINGTON, D.C – New research released today by the
nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) provides the
first ever broad look at how America’s national parks are faring in the
face of pollution, invasive species, climate change, energy development,
adjacent land development and chronic funding shortfalls. A decade in
the making, the report – The State of America’s National Parks –
represents the most comprehensive overview yet performed on resource
conditions in America’s national parks.
NPCA’s Center for Park Research wrote the report based on its studies
on resource conditions at 80 national parks across the country, a 20
percent sample of the 394 parks in the National Park System. The report
finds that long-standing and new threats are impacting wildlife and
water and air quality within our national parks. The historic sites that
tell the story of the Civil War, the civil rights movement and the
evolution of America’s diverse culture are also suffering, mostly
because of a lack of funding. “Our national parks are places we go for reflection, inspiration, and
connection to our national heritage – they are places we as Americans
decided to protect to showcase where America’s story has unfolded. But
new data shows that our national parks are in serious jeopardy,” said
Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association. “As we approach the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service, we
have a responsibility to ensure our American treasures are preserved and
protected for the future.”
Air, Water, Wildlife at Risk
The
assessment revealed stark realities, including the loss of native plants
and animals from park landscapes. Ninety-five percent of parks assessed
had at least one wildlife or plant species that had disappeared from
the area, including large predators such as gray wolves, mountain lions,
and grizzly bears. In places such as Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park,
invasive plants and animals are crowding out native species, some of
which are now extinct. Air and water quality in the parks are also
suffering. More than half of the parks studied (63%) have compromised
air quality conditions. Numerous parks, such as Gateway National
Recreation Area and Big Hole National Battlefield, also reported serious
water quality issues, including contamination and depleted water
resources that affected the entire ecosystem.
The majority of threats to natural resources stemmed from human
activities, including development on lands adjacent to national parks
that is negatively impacting resources inside park boundaries.
“From Grand Canyon to the Great Smoky Mountains, mining, energy
production, roads, and housing projects on adjacent lands are
fragmenting wildlife habitat, diminishing air quality, disrupting
cultural landscapes, and contaminating water resources,” said Kiernan.
Climate Change Threatens Survival of Iconic Species
The
report also indicates that climate change is a systemic threat to the
iconic flora and fauna of many national parks—the Joshua trees of Joshua
Tree National Park and the redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument and
Redwood National Park among them. Rising sea levels due to climate
disruption threaten to inundate coastal archaeological sites in Katmai
National Park and Preserve in Alaska. And at Isle Royale National Park, significant changes in the quantity of snow could impact moose-wolf
dynamics and threaten the survival of both species in this wilderness
park.
Historic Artifacts and Cultural Treasures in Peril
An
often forgotten mission of the National Park Service is that of curator
and keeper of America’s historic artifacts and cultural gems.
Two-thirds of the 394 units in the National Park System were designated
to protect important historic or cultural sites, but rarely does the
agency have enough trained staff – or receive the funding – to properly
care for them.
The report found that in more than 90 percent of the
parks surveyed, cultural resources were found to be in deficient
condition. The Park Service estimates that more than 60 percent of the
27,000 historic structures are in need of repair or maintenance. Many
parks lack adequate documentation and research on their cultural
resources, and their artifacts are being insufficiently
monitored—meaning that theft and deterioration may go unnoticed.
Chronic funding shortfalls have prevented many park sites from having
enough trained professionals to oversee their cultural resources. Our
national parks suffer from an annual operations shortfall of more than
$600 million. With too few staff to watch over them, some prehistoric
sites and battlefields continue to be looted, historic buildings are neglected, and museum collections are left unorganized. Historic
structures are in need of care and repair, but the work often gets
deferred. Almost 30 percent of the assessed parks reported deferred
maintenance costs in excess of $1 million.
Reasons for Hope – What’s Working Now
Yet
the report shows that despite the challenges facing our national parks,
many of the parks assessed have developed management approaches to
effectively address the erosion of natural and cultural resources. For
example, a vessel management plan at Glacier Bay National Park and
Preserve helps protect marine mammals from being struck by ships. And
the removal of non-native species and a captive breeding program have
helped restore Channel Islands’ native island fox population. Research
at a number of parks shows that when National Park Service staff have
sufficient financial support, up-to-date scientific information, and
adequate training, positive stories of resources protection are
abundant.
A Call To Action
While the Parks
Service looks to its 95th anniversary and the next century, advocates
continue to point to simple, straightforward solutions to address the
challenges facing our national parks. Report recommendations suggest
that the Obama Administration must develop a comprehensive long term
plan for the parks that reduces threats from energy development and
other adjacent uses, enforces air quality laws, and monitors water
quality. In addition, long term protection is dependent on fully funding
the National Park Service, the federal agency tasked with overseeing
the parks and their assets. The full list of recommendations can be
found at www.npca.org/cpr/sanp/SANP-summary-WEB.pdf.
NPCA is also calling on the Obama Administration to issue an
Executive Order to recommit federal resources and policies to preparing
our parks for the next century by reintroducing native wildlife,
implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation, better managing
large landscapes to conserve and restore ecosystems, improving the
condition of cultural resources, and incorporating under-represented
themes of American history and cultural diversity.
“The State of America’s National Parks report is our wakeup call. The
natural and historical treasures that Americans value have been
vulnerable for too long. This is a turning point in the history of our
parks, and we must not break the promise that past generations made to
our children and grandchildren,” said Kiernan.
To view a full copy of the report, please visit: www.npca.org/cpr/sanp/. To
download report photos: www.flickr.com/photos/30346074@N04/sets/72157626889633691/
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About National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): Since 1919, the
nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the
leading voice of the American people in the fight to safeguard our
National Park System. NPCA, its members, and partners work together to
protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, historical,
and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren.
"Jeopardy"
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