Noisy Crisis In U.S. Parks

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31221, 19 November 1966, Page 12

Noisy Crisis In U.S. Parks

(By

PETER FARB

in the “Christian Science Monitor”)

JN 1872, after Yellowstone had been lauded in Congress as “a great breathing place for national lungs,” President Grant signed the bill that established this wild and beautiful place as the first national park in the world.

In 1916—exactly 50 years ago—a growing number of national parks and monuments were placed under the stewardship of the National Park Service, which was directed to keep them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Today there are 231 United States national park areas encompassing some 27,000,000 acres of land. In addition to the well-known natural areas, such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite, the national parks system includes many historic areas, such as Gettysburg, and areas devoted primarily to recreation, such as Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The idea born in Yellowstone wilderness has spread wildely—national parks now are found in more than 50 nations on every inhabited emtinent One of Britain’s leading conservationists recently declared that “the idea of national parks is one of America’s major contributions to civilisation.” Deep Trouble Yet, in this 50th anniversary year of the National Park Service, in the 94th year after Yellowstone, at a time when national parks are growing at an accelerating rate around the globe, this fact is plain.— The United States national parks are in deep trouble.

The National Parks Act of 50 years ago stated that these areas were to be left unimpaired for, future generations —but the question now is

whether they can be kept unimpaired for even this generation, much less future ones. Because national parks are an American idea and because nowhere else does there exist a system so magnificent, the world watches the United States closely. Whether Americans succeed Of fail can largely set the pattern around the globe. Six years from now representatives of dozens of nations will converge on Yellowstone for a world conference on parks. Instead of a remote wilderness, they will see before them a national slum, the disgrace of the American national park system. The quiet beauty of Yellowstone Lake, once one of the finest bodies of water in the country, is practically destroyed by the 7000 motorboats that churn it during the summer. Wildlife that used to drink at its borders and the great flocks of birds that used to land on it have largely fled. In many parts of the park whole stands of trees have been felled to construct trailer camps and parking lots. Anglers fight shoulder to shoulder along Fishing Bridge, tossing tangled lines into littered water. Blaring cars clog the roads bumper to bumper. I And still the people are en-

couraged to come—in upward of 500,000 cars and trucks every summer. The National Park Service’s stewardship of this park has, in recent years, become an act of official vandalism.

Recently it encouraged the building of a new development which includes a supermarket, trinket shop, laundry, over 1000 gimcrack cabins — and this eyesore is close to some of the most magnificent scenery on the continent. A parking lot it recently built helped destroy Daisy Geyser, one of the most attractive in the park. Camping Areas The National Park Service states blandly that only 5 per cent of Yellowstone is taken up by developments such as trailer camps, parking lots, roads, gas stations, motels. But it is clear to any visitor that this 5 per cent has had a traumatic effect on the other 95 per cent. It intrudes everywhere in this devastated land. Witness how just one of the original values of Yellowstone—a sanctuary for wildlife—has been compromised. The wolf is gone, ruthlessly hunted to extinction, often at federal expense. Each autumn coyotes leave the high country of Yellowstone for valleys where they are hunted by sheepmen and cattlemen—who get a subsidy for this from the same Department of the Interior that protects these animals during the summer.

The few surviving grizzly bears outside of Alaska and Canada are at Yellowstone, but they are anyone’s quarry as they stray along the park borders. Almost every year black bears have to be killed because they happen to turn on people who molest them.

The reduction of these natural predators has reverberated throughout Yellowstone, As just one example, elk have increased phenomenally and have chewed through their habitat in such numbers that they have ruined it. The result is that in one of the continent’s havens for a dwindling wildlife, some elk have had to be shot almost every year—sooo were killed in 1962 alone. Yellowstone is not just one isolated example. In most national parks there are traffic jams that resemble city roads clogged with commuters. The serenity of wild places is gone, and wildlife has fled. Along just one road in Rocky Mountain National Park, the remarkable tundra vegetation has been trampled out of existence. More “Frills” Long lines of visitors wait to get into crowded picnic areas and camp-grounds. There are unceasing demands for more frills, for ever wider highways and more motels, for showers and barbecue pits in campgrounds.

And the amazing thing is that the present administrators of the national parks are actually encouraging an overuse which, if continued, will see the destruction of the national parks in our time.

The National Park Service prides itself that another record will be broken this year—about 125,000,000 visits will be made to national park areas. Yet it ignores the fact that these people are destroying the very natural benefits the service was established to protect.

The service counters with the argument that new national park areas are being added at a rapid pace. It appears at this writing, in early summer, that 12 new ones will be added during 1966 alone. But grave questions must be asked about the quality rather than the quantity of these areas. Golf Courses Only one of these areas is a traditional national park. The rest are not wild, not significant, not unique in any way, and, I fear, rarely beautiful. They are recreational areas that will afford entertainment, places equivalent to Jones Beach or any of the hundreds of seashore and lakefront developments around the country. There are even plans for golf courses, boat docks, ski tows, and hunting at some of these new ' areas.

“Parks for people” Is the new slogan of the National Park Service—a dilution of its traditional role of preserving vignettes of wild America for the benefit of future generations. Nor is the establishment of new national parks the end of a battle. Unfortunately, it is the first in a long series of battles. National parks are being attacked on every side by selfish groups and individuals—and the National Park Service has hardly been vigor jus in their defence. Support has come mainly from private conservationists, banded together into small but outspoken organisations, who buzz forth like angry bees when someone throws stones at the national parks. Threat To Everglades 1 What has been happening for the last five years at Everglades National Park in Florida is a good example. The National Park Service did nothing but wring its hands

while local real-estate Interests turned off the taps of the water supply on which the very existence of the park depends. If this magnificent park is saved—and at this 1 writing it appears that it will ’ be retrieved from the thin razor’s edge of disaster —the s credit must go to militant , private organisations such as i the National Audubon Society and the National Parks Asso- , ciation, and not to the ever- ' lastingly-patient National Park Service.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is today being

threatened with severe dam age because the Nationa Park Service has refused t< re-negotiate on an out-mode< agreement; made nearly 2! years ago with Nortl Carolina, that permits the con struction of yet another de structive highway througl these lands put aside to b< forever wild. Mountain Road One trans-mountain roat already slashes across th, park near where the futur, road is to be built —yet th. National Park Service has no