Will Ezell

Chemistry
Period 3
October 28, 2013

The federal government allocated $2.4 billion for the funding

and operation of the National Park Service this past year. Do
you think that this money is well spent, or should it be allocated
elsewhere?

Funding: Will the Federal Government Knock it Out of the Park?

Wallace Stegner, a writer and historian, said, National parks are the best
idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our
best rather than our worst" (National Park System). Would Mr. Stegner describe our
national parks the same way today? Do our national parks still show our best or
have the budget problems weakened and damaged our national treasures? The
symbols of our freedom are worth being protected. The Statute of Liberty in New
York, The National Wall in Washington, Independence Hall in Philadelphia,
Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Grand
Canyon National Park are national treasures that need our immediate attention. For
several years, the National park Service has been impacted by budget cuts. While
the Federal governments donation of $2.4 billion to the National Park Service was
money well spent, without added support and resources, the funding fails as a short
term solution.
The stated mission of the National Park Service is to preserve unimpaired
the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the
enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations (National Park
Service Budget). The National Park Service is an important government entity
charged with the protection of our most vital natural resources and historical
monuments (National Park Service Budget). The park system includes more than 84
million acres and 401 sites (National Park System). This land houses 124 historical
areas, 78 national monuments, 59 national parks, 25 battlefields or military parks,
18 preserves, 18 recreation areas, 10 seashores, four parkways, four lakeshores,
and two reserves (National Park System). Four hundred twenty-one species of
threatened or endangered plants and animals call these parks home (National Park
System). Additionally, the land includes 1.5 million archeological sites, 27,000
historic and prehistoric structures, Mt. McKinley - the highest point in North America,
historic museum items, and the worlds longest cave system (National Park Service).
These amazing parks deserve the federal funding.
Unfortunately, according to a recent study, the budget to operate the national
park system is 13 percent less than it was three years ago (National Parks System).
The budget deficit has caused several problems, including deterioration of our
historic sites. The parks and sites need maintenance and
criminal activity has
increased (Pierno). With the recent government shutdown, we all had the
opportunity to see what it is like when the government cannot fund a budget. All
national parks were shutdown, more than 750,000 visitors were turned away,
veterans were locked out of war memorials, and 21,000 national park staf
members were on unpaid leave (NPS News). Further, the shutdown impacted the
more than $30 billion in economic activity each year [the] parks return to the
economy (401 National Parks).
Many people think the issue is political because the parties cannot agree on
whether the federal government should fund the parks. However, a recent poll

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conducted on behalf of The National Parks Conservation Association and National

Park Hospitality Association revealed that 9 out of 10 likely voters Republicans,
Democrats, and Independents agree that funding for our national parks should be
held stable or increased (401 National Parks). Moreover, 95 percent of voters
acknowledge that the federal government has a duty to protect and support the
National Parks (Hart Research). Therefore, the issue is not whether the federal
government should fund the parks but whether the amount of funding is sufficient.
While the budget deficit is a real concern, further reducing the national park
budget is not the answer (Pierno). Our history and our future depend on the
preservation of our national parks. Leaders should look for new, creative
opportunities to supplement funding. Continued support from private groups and
foundations, state participation, uniformity in entrance fees, parking and camping
fees, and donor recognition for sponsorships could be solutions. With more budget
cuts proposed in the future and a Congress which must agree on a budget soon,
looking at supplemental resources seems to be a good option. We cannot stand
around and watch our nations history and future sufer.
The National Park Service celebrates its 100 year birthday in 2016 (National
Park System). The perfect birthday gift would be a plan to ensure long term
sustainability of our nations most treasured sites. Continued federal funding along
with state, private groups, and individual support could be the solution. In order to
knock one out of the park, the government cannot make further reductions to the
park budget.

Work Cited
401 National Parks. National Parks Conservation Association. 15 Nov. 2013.
http://www.npca.org/protecting-our-parks/par-funding/parkfunding.html
Government Shutdown Forces Closures of 401 National Parks. NPS News. 1 Oct.
2013. National Park Foundation. 28 Oct. 2013.
http://www.nationalparks.org/connect/npf-news/government-shutdown-forcesclosures-401-national-parks.
Hart Research Associates and Northstar Opinion Research. Strong Bipartisan
Support for National Parks. July 2012. National Parks Conservation
Association and National Park Hospitality Association. 25 Oct. 2013.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/files/National%20Park%20Poll.pdf.
National Park Service Budget. US Department of the Interior. 28 Oct. 2013.
http://www.doi.gov/budget/appropriations/2013/highlights/upload/BH071.pdf
Pierno. Theresa. If Americans Overwhelmingly Love Our National Parks, Why Isnt
Congress Fully Funding Them? 23 Oct. 2013. National Parks Conservation
Association. 17 Nov. 2013. http://www.parkadvocate.org/if-americansoverwhelmingly-love-our-national-parks-why-isnt-congress-fully-fundingthem/.
The National Park System. National Park Service. 29 October 2013.
http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.