Recent studies of our National Parks have exposed a wide range of threats that can (and most likely will) have a serious impact on the conditions of the land. Climate change, increased visitors (and the foot traffic that comes along with them), air pollution from vehicles, and litter are all threatening to destroy the beauty that many are trying to preserve for generations to come.
Climate change has had a huge impact on Glacier National Park in Montana, where actual glaciers are melting away to never be seen again. The average temperature in the park has risen two degrees since 1979. Invasive species threaten the famous Saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park in Arizona and pose a serious fire hazard in an arid landscape. Drilling for oil and the mining of minerals and ore have become common on land that skirts the edge of national parks. Insects threaten to destroy the dense cover of hemlocks that help to define the landscape of the Great Smoky Mountains.
David Nimkin, the southwest regional director of the NPCA believes that, “sometimes there is a level of complacency where we tend to think of our national parks as already being protected.” Often, the parks are taken for granted by visitors. The NPS has taken the approach to encourage visitors to take ownership in the parks, but at what cost? Hikers wander off trails, destroying fragile wildlife and causing erosion problems for the future. Jeffrey Olson, a public affairs officer for the NPS spoke of the fine balance between increasing visitors to the parks and keeping the environment intact for the future, saying, “We remind them [the] parks are here for them to enjoy and ask they help make sure they are here for future generations, too.”
However, many of the issues that threaten the national parks have simple solutions. Nimkin suggests a federally-mandated cap on the amount of air tours that criss-cross over the Grand Canyon, and redirectly flight routes to avoid frequent “fly-overs” that plague many national parks. The NPS is increasing shuttle service in the more popular parks to reduce traffic and parking congestion and reduce vehicle emissions. Some regulations have already been put in place. Dan Haynes, owner of Scenic Helicopter Tours in Tennessee, has a annual limit of 1,800 air tours he can provide due to the Air Tour Management Act that was implemented in 2000.
These issues present a unique problem, that requires an even more unique solution. In the last year the NPS has seen record amounts of visitors. The Obama administration has encouraged families to get outside and visit parks. Some suggest a daily cap to visitors to the national parks, but is that really the solution?
Read more on MSNBC.com.
