THE NEXT NATIONAL PARKS
|
According to the nonprofit National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA), at least 42 percent of all remaining ecosystems aren't represented in our park system. The Park Service even admits there's a long way to go. The need for more parks goes beyond checking habitat off an ecological list. There's the simple fact the Americans love their parks. Over the past five years visitation has grown 4 to 5 percent a year, with an estimated 280 million visitors in 1997. What follows is a list of places that could and should be the next national parks. Besides their ecological and aesthetic significance, these places will help our offspring, and their grandchildren, have a better understanding of the vast natural riches that over centuries have defined who we are as Americans. Our candidates are extracted from an NPCA list of 46 possibilities and all nine also happen to boast impressive backpacking and paddling opportunities. (So who says we can't be a little selfish?) Flood your congressional representatives with letters, e-mail, and phone calls, stressing your deep desire to see these places made into parks. (Some are on the brink of designation as is). Make this wish list a gift to the next generation, and the ones still to come. We may not be able to get all these places designated national parks in our lifetime, but at least we can take comfort in knowing we've laid the groundwork for our kids, or to put it in terms they'll appreciate, done the homework for them.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge CONTACT: The Wilderness Society, 430 W. Seventh Ave., #210, Anchorage, AK 99501-3550; (907)272-9453; e-mail, ak@tws.org
Sonoran Desert CONTACT: Friends of the Goldwater,
Tuscon, AZ; e-mail: Fogoldwatr@aol.com.
Hells Canyon National Recreation
Area CONTACT: Hells Canyon Preservation Council, P.O. Box 908, Joseph, OR 97846; (541)432-8100; e-mail, hcpc@oregontrail.net
Baca Ranch/Jemez Mountains CONTACT: NPCA, Southwest office, 823 Gold Ave., S.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102; (505)247-1221
Atchafalaya River Basin CONTACT: The Audobon Society, Baton Rouge Field Office, 1068 E. Lakeview Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70810-4621; (504)766-3102; e-mail, fryling@aol.com
San Rafael Swell CONTACT: Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, 1471 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105; (801)486-3161.
Nebraska Sandhills CONTACT: National Park Service, Niobrara-Missouri National Scenic Riverway, Office of the Sperintendent, P.O. Box 591, O'Neill, NE 68763; (402)336-3970
Maine Woods CONTACT: RESTORE: The North Woods, 7 N, Chestnut St., Augusta, ME 04339; (207)626-5635; e-mail, restore@mint.net
Kauai CONTACT: NPCA, Pacific Regional Office, P.O. Box 1289, Oakland CA 94604; (510)848-4382
Backpacker Magazine/December 1998 |