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PARKS
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Yellowstone National Park |
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Wyoming
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One word: snowmobiles. Damaging to wildlife and the environment, these machines have raised the ire of the Park Service in Yellowstone, which has decided to phase out their usea decision supported publicly by the Bush Administration. However, NPCA and other environmental organizations, including the Bluewater Network and The Wilderness Society, maintain that Yellowstone remains in jeopardy. The Park Service's decision is under attack by the snowmobile industry, the groups say, and the Bush Administration is negotiating privately with the industry to allow snowmobiles back into the park.
Recommended solution: The Bush Administration can't give init must be made more aware of the damage snowmobiles can do.
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Glacier National Park
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Montana
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The Going-to-the-Sun Road is just that: a gorgeous drive that cuts through stunning Glacier National Park. But the road is crumbling, and the park's historic hotels are deteriorating. Lack of operating funds also compromises the park's scientific research, resource interpretation, and backcountry trail maintenance. The North Fork of the Flathead River is threatened by Canadian coal mines and intensive timber harvesting. In the U.S., this biologically diverse floodplain ecosystem is threatened by development of roads, airstrips, and residential subdivisions.
Recommended solution: The Park Service must design a rehabilitation plan for the park's hotels and historic structures, and Congress needs to allocate more money for the park's education and resource-protection programs. A transboundary agreement would bridge the international divide between the United States and Canada and create guidelines for future land use, saving the park's wildlife and the nearby river corridor.
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Denali National Park
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Alaska
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Awe-inspiring and awesome, Denali and other Alaska parks are threatened by unregulated use of motorized vehicles such as snowmobiles, large-scale commercial development, and unnecessary road and railroad construction. The next step is up to Congress, which must block any legislation that facilitates road or railroad construction in the park. Congress should also oppose any legislation designed to allow snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles into the core of the Denali wilderness, where they are currently outlawed.
Recommended solution: A significant increase in operating funds would enable the park to complete resource-protection efforts and interpretation programs.
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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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