Source Notes
Title:
National Parks in Peril: Less Funding, More Pollution.
Summary:
In this 2004 article, the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) discusses the critical state of the National Park System, citing overtaxed and inadequate facilities, backlogged maintenance projects, and air pollution as their primary concerns.
The NRDC discusses the state of the national parks.
Institutional.
What is it?
NRDC online article.
Published by the Natural Resource Defense Council on August 6th, 2004.
Chuck Clusen.
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040816.asp
Accessed:
February 12, 2009.
Support:
George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States of America.
A study conducted by the National Park Conservation Association.
The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress.
Gale Norton, the Interior Secretary for the Bush administration.
A study conducted by Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees.
Clean Air Act.
J. Steven Griles, Deputy Interior Secretary.
Fran P. Mainella, National Park Service Director.
During his campaign in 2000, George W. Bush pledged to spend 4.9 billion to eliminate the maintenance backlog at national parks. However, the Bush administration has only provided $662 million, according to a study by the National Conservation Association. The General Accounting Office estimates that the backlog is between $4.6 and $6.8 billion. Interior Secretary Norton denies these claims by highlighting the fact that the National Park Service budget has increased overall. The May 2004 report by the Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees contradicts the Interior Department’s claim that things are getting better, stating: “Contrary to the rosy picture painted for Congress by NPS Director [Fran] Mainella, the coalition survey found a much darker and sobering reality: widespread and often deep cuts in budget, staff, maintenance and key services that will diminish the experience of national park visitors.” Due to the lack-luster enforcement of the Clear Air Act, air pollution has become an issue for national parks as well. Due to pollution, the rainfall at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is five to ten times more acidic than normal. Despite claims from J. Steven Griles and Fran P. Mainella, power plant emissions are affecting the homeostasis of the Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park ecosystem.
Audience & Agenda:
The National Resource Defense Council is a non-profit organization that reaches over 129,000 U.S. monthly people. The site discusses environmental issues, policy, and news. The site is popular among a slightly female slanted, more educated group. The typical visitor reads newswithviews.com and subscribes to National Geographic.
Usefulness:
This source provides a list of issues that have been, and still remain problematic for national parks. Despite the fact that this article is nearly five years old (the issues even older), these problems still have not been addressed. There is empirical evidence that backlogs in maintenance projects has increased and air pollution has increased. This article illustrates several issues effecting the park system, and the lack of proactive involvement by the Federal government to increase funding and quickly and efficiently remedy these issues.
Works cited:
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040816.asp
www.quantcast.com
March 13, 2009 at 9:13 am |
[...] Institutional: “National Parks in Peril: Less Funding, More Pollution.” [...]