Great Smoky Mountains National Park
	North Carolina and Tennessee

Ten million people each year visit the gorgeous Smoky Mountains that straddle two states, and what do they find? Chronic air pollution. Nearby coal-fired power plants damage both the magnificent views and the complex and fragile web of plants and animals in the park. A controversial grandfather clause in the federal Clean Air Act exempts older coal-fired power plants from current environmental protection standards, allowing the plants to continue polluting at a rate up to 10 times greater than newer plants.
Recommended solution: Congress should remove the provision from the Clean Air Act and require all of the nation's power plants to meet current standards. A mandatory phase-out of older, coal-fired plants would alleviate an estimated 70 percent of emissions of sulfur dioxide—the toxin primarily responsible for the park's smog and visibility problems.

Stones River National Battlefield
	Tennessee

It's the cry of battle: The threat of new road construction and development puts the Stones River Battlefield in jeopardy. Only a small percentage of the historic 4,000-acre field itself is protected by the park, leaving much of the area vulnerable to commercial development, including a planned interstate highway interchange.
Recommended solution: The Federal Highway Administration should prepare a full environmental impact statement before proceeding with construction. And potential alternative alignments for the highway should be considered, including the addition of the last undeveloped parcel of the historic battlefield to the park.

Everglades, Big Cypress, Biscayne
	Florida

Surrounded by water, it's almost ironic that water levels, as well as pollution, remain significant concerns for three South Florida parks—Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Biscayne National Park. Although Congress last year passed a bill authorizing billions of dollars to help return the Everglades to a more natural state, the projects face almost insurmountable challenges. The parks are also threatened by farmers and local municipalities that want to divert water from the Everglades to irrigate farms and water lawns. They also want to use the Everglades as a water"dump" to help control floods during wet seasons—a practice that's potentially damaging to the delicate ecosystem. In addition, Big Cypress faces degradation by continued off-road vehicle damage, as swamp buggies continue to tear up fragile wetlands already scarred by 22,000 miles of rutted trails.
Recommended solution: The Park Service must vigorously pursue performance standards, begin construction, and develop scientific solutions that benefit the ecosystem. In addition, Congress and the Florida legislature must appropriate adequate funds for the project and refrain from passing laws that transform the restoration plan into a flood-control/water-supply plan. And in Big Cypress, the Park Service must enforce its restrictions on ecologically destructive swamp buggies.

	If you're interested in helping to protect these parks, visit NPCA's Web site at www.eparks.org. The group's Action Center enables site visitors to send instant mail about park needs to the Park Service and to the president and other elected officials.

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Top U.S. vacations—take off today! Visit Yellowstone - Wildlife, wildflowers, and awesome views: experience this national park. Safari in Denali - Don't miss out on Alaska's phenomenal wilderness. The best of Florida - Come play on the Sunshine State's sandy coast.

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