Preservation Program Reports
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Executive Summary
America
is home to some of the most beautiful natural areas in the world. Fifty-eight of these areas are so beautiful
that the national government designated them as National Parks, vowing to preserve
their beauty for future generations.
These areas are vital to our national heritage and our unique geographic
beauty. They are home to thousands of
species, many of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. They are visited by millions of people every
year, and consistently boost the economy.
Yet over the past 30 years, the well-being of the national
parks has declined sharply. A host of
environmental problems now plague the parks, such as air and water pollution,
invasive species, increasing fragmentation, and effects from global
warming. Many of the parks unique
species are now endangered; several have gone extinct. These parks, which are supposed to represent
the purist places in our country, are often the most polluted.
Immediate steps must be taken to address the environmental
problems facing the parks. In addition
to stricter environmental standards and protections, increased funding is
necessary to restore the parks. A roughly
$700 million operations deficit, $7.9 billion maintenance backlog, and $1.9
billion land acquisition deficit have made it difficult for the park service to
meet daily needs, let alone to tackle the larger environmental problems. Increasing the parks’ funding, even at a
minimum level of $700 million, would immediately improve everyday operations,
thereby allowing park staff to focus more on environmental problems. Recently, the FY08 Omnibus Appropriations bill
increased park funding by $191 million, including $122 million for operating
costs. This is a positive step, but
ultimately below what the parks need.
California
has eight of these treasured parks, all of which suffer from environmental
problems, and all of which have significant funding needs that are not being
met. By reinvesting in the parks, we can
ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy these unique areas. This report highlights the beauty and
individuality of each park, while shining a spotlight on the growing problems
that each continues to face. It also
proposes immediate steps that the government should take to begin addressing
these problems.
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