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Public support urgently needed to protect our deteriorating national parks
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10/31/02 Home to some of the tallest trees on earth and designated as an International Biosphere Reserve, California’s Redwood National Park is recognized across the world for its extraordinary ecosystem. But like most of the country’s other national parks, Redwood is facing a serious funding deficit. Without more money, Redwood and other national parks will continue to be threatened by problems such as erosion, invasive species and vandalism. The Problem: While Congress in recent sessions has regularly increased funding for national parks, the National Park Service’s budget has failed to keep pace with increasing pressures from visitation, overdevelopment, motorized vehicle use, and air and water pollution. Research by conservation advocates has shown that the Park Service's annual operations budget falls at least $600 million, or 32 percent, short of what is needed. The Park Service’s $2.4 billion budget for the 2003 fiscal year reflects a meager $2 million increase. Redwood National Park alone needs an annual operating increase of $3.25 million. As a result of the deficit, wildlife habitat is threatened and listed species are disappearing from national parks across the country. In response to the crisis, a coalition called Americans for National Parks has formed to increase parks funding. The group, of which Forests Forever is a member, is focusing on a set of 18-month goals, the first of which is to build public demand for park protection through media relations, advertising, and grassroots education. HOW YOU CAN HELP: Americans for National Parks suggests the following ways you can help raise awareness about the parks funding crisis: • Write a letter to President Bush or your Congressional representative. If possible, describe how national parks have affected your life, and how you would benefit from increased parks funding. Write to: President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 president@whitehouse.gov You can locate your representative’s address online at http://thomas.loc.gov/ • Host a “power hour.” A power hour is a one-hour meeting during which you and a group of your peers become educated about the needs of the national parks and then hold a letter-writing session. You can plan a power hour for friends, relatives, neighbors, as well as service organizations, religious groups, schools, and any other local organization with which you are familiar. For more information on hosting a power hour, contact Bodhi Garrett of Americans for National Parks at (510) 839-9922 ex. 24 or e-mail bgarrett@npca.org. • Write a letter to the editor. Letters to the editor of your local newspaper provide an easy way for you to educate people in your community about the needs of the national parks. Such letters are especially effective if they refer to a national parks-related news item and explain how the issue connects to the work of Americans for National Parks. For more information on the campaign, visit http://www.americansfornationalparks.org. |
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FORESTS FOREVER San
Francisco |