Big Bend National Park
	Texas

Air and water resources are seriously threatened at South Texas's Big Bend. Scenic views? Forget it: They're often fogged out by air pollution, particularly in summer. According to Environmental Protection Agency and Park Service studies, some of the worst pollution comes from coal-fired power plants that lack modern emission-control technology.

Petrified Forest National Park
	Arizona

Petrified wood presents quite a temptation to Petrified Forest visitors: People illegally disturb or steal up to 12 tons of it each year. While theft of petrified wood is being reduced, the park desperately needs a boundary expansion that was originally proposed in 1992 (although Congress did recently set aside $2 million for the purchase of sensitive lands next to the park). The 97,800-acre expansion would incorporate a world-class fossil formation and significant archaeological sites, and would protect the park's magnificent scenic views, which are now threatened by changing land use and commercial mining of petrified wood.
Recommended solution: Expanding the park's boundaries and increasing funding for law enforcement would save park resources for future generations.

	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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