The National Park Service is the protector of some of America’s greatest environmental and cultural treasures. “Americans should be deeply concerned,” said John Garder, senior director of budget and appropriations at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). The National Park Service, he argued, is hamstrung by a lack of resources and is in “triage mode”. National parks recorded 331m recreational visits in 2016 (the highest ever), boast an estimated economic value of $92bn, and have totemic significance in the national imagination. “You’re sad but you’re also frustrated,” said Christina Hausman, head of the Voyageurs National Park Association, a not-for-profit partner of the park.

Source: The Guardian January 29, 2018 11:01 UTC