Our National Parks and Monuments Need Our Attention

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit." — Edward Abbey

Bears Ears National Monument Photo: SierraClub.org

The above quote accompanied a recent daily environmental news site. How true this statement is. Its importance rings true particularly in light of Trumps call on Friday to Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah where he told him that he will soon be announcing his plan to reduce the boundaries of Bears Ears national monument which was designated in 2016. This area of over 1.3 million acres contains ancient artifacts and land that is deemed sacred to several American Indian tribes. According to several news reports Trump told Hatch “I’m approving the Bears Ears recommendation for you, Orrin.” A statement such as this is typical of the president, where decisions appear to be made for an individual or particular special interest group instead of looking at issues holistically and how a decision or policy might impact not only people today, but also future generations. 

Last week I attended the Nature Conservancy's last movie in their Future of Nature series. An American Ascent aired at the Red River Theatres, Concord, and was followed by a discussion on inclusion of American Urban minorities in the environmental movement. The movie is a documentary about nine African Americans who together climb Denali, North America's highest peak in Alaska. The movie was made to show that participation in outdoor adventures is open and achievable by all who have the desire. Hopefully a new generation of young people, who may never have visited a national park or wilderness area, will be moved to step outside and experience the wonders that nature has to offer.

The Beauty of Spring in Grand Teton National Park

Whether it be a National Park, National Monument, Wilderness or Conservation area, our nation's public lands need to be protected and need to be a welcoming place for all. Any move by the current Administration to reduce the size or protections of our national monuments will certainly be met with legal challenges.

Further, our national parks are in desperate need of funding to address much needed repairs and improvements. In spite of this, the president's proposed fiscal year 2018 budget includes a 12% cut to the Department of Interior. To address this deficit, the National Park Service is proposing significant increases in entrance fees at seventeen popular parks during peak season. The current recommendation is to increase the vehicle fee to $70, which is more than double the current fee of  $30. There is no question that our public lands need additional funding, but instead of increasing fees investments in these precious resources should be a priority for our government since the payback is more than can ever be counted. Our National Parks instill a sense of awe and wonder and inspire all who visit. It is important that the entrance fees do not impose a barrier to any citizen who may already feel that a trip to a park is out of reach.

So, please contact the president, write your congressional representative, and support environmental organizations that work toward the conservation and management of public lands. Further, write the National Park Service and tell them to keep our parks affordable. See https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/10-24-2017-fee-changes-proposal.htm for how to provide comments on the new fee structure. The deadline for feedback is November 23rd.