Robinson 1

Charlotte Robinson
Mrs. DeBock
English IV
22 September 2016
Essential Question: Why do the problems that the National Parks and Forests Services face
dictate an increase in federal support?
Working Thesis: The National Parks and Forests Services face many problems, which can be
solved through an increase in federal support.
Refined Thesis: The National Parks and Forests Services confront numerous and problematic
issues concerning their territories, which, if left under-supported, could result in the deterioration
of these crucial federal agencies.
Annotated Bibliography
Ciemins, Thomas. "Parks In Peril." E: The Environmental Magazine 7.2 (1996): 36. Points of
View Reference Center. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
In this article, the author, Thomas Ciemins, discusses several of the issues facing the
National Park system. He states that environmental problems on actual park grounds do not
cover the whole list; in reality, the territories face monumental opposition from the US
government itself, with a Republican Congress on the sidelines attempting to pass bills that
would present them license to shut down some of the beautiful land areas or cut park budgets in
half. In addition, Ciemins reviews problems that the wildlife faces including acid rain and
pollution in high industry areas, an encroaching human population, and the surprising
happenstance that the general public may be overusing the parks and running them into the dirt

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with unaffordable maintenance and repair costs. This article will support the stance that the parks
do confront serious issues that may worsen if the conservative Congress does decrease funding.

de Graaf, John. "FINDING TIME For OUR PARKS." Earth Island Journal 31.2 (2016): 40.
MasterFILE Premier. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
Environmentalist author, John de Graaf, published a piece focusing on the overall trend
of visitation for Americas National Parks. He mentions that contrary to what people would
expect, park attendance is actually growing each year; although, the length and nature of these
visitations have changed from extensive camping trips to one-hour photo shoots. In his article, he
adds memoirs of his childhood spent in the parks of California, and summarizes that if the US
wishes to protect and preserve these parks for future generations, then it is crucial that they fully
experience and appreciate their value with something more than snap-and-go tours. This piece on
park visitation will aid the affirmation that the parks confront numerous problems, one of which
is a lack of public appreciation, showing that if the population does not provide support (be it
financial or otherwise) then it is up to the government to fill the gaps.

Jewell, Sally. "Happy 100th to America's great outdoors." USA Today (Magazine) 2016: 36.
Academic OneFile. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
In this address, written by Americas own Secretary of the Interior, Mrs. Sally Jewell
acknowledges the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. After wishing it a happy
centennial, she delves right into the heart of the matter--that the parks are in desperate need of
attention and funding, comparing it to the circumstances surrounding the 50th Anniversary back
in 1966 when the government and its budget were preoccupied with other, more serious matters
pertaining to the recent world war and the beginning of the Cold War. The parks were left in a

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deteriorating state and understaffed until Mission 66, a restoration project was formed to
rehabilitate the crumbling monuments. So said, the SOI states, this time period reflects the
situation today, when the parks receive record attendance, but cannot cope with issues caused by
a wide range of variables. She thus discusses a number of suggested and/or enacted proposals to
protect and restore the great outdoors as well as the critical need for Congress (and its budgeting
powers) to recognize its role in this emergency--that it cannot ignore the agencies pleas for help.
This letter serves to strengthen the standpoint on the condition of the NPS (and insinuated NFS)
and its need for more federal support as its author is not only a person of high importance to the
agency but also addresses the specific issues and how responsibility for assistance falls to the
government.

National Geographic Society. "Top Ten Issues Facing the National Parks -- National
Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Sept. 2016.
This brief report, published by the popular National Geographic Society (NGS), provides
a detailed explanation of ten of the most prominent and problematic matters confronted by the
NFS and NPS today. The article starts off with commemorations for the NPS, as having been a
significant protector of cultural and historic objects as well as territories for decades but then
goes on to state that, sadly, the system has neither the resources nor the capability to carefully
catalog and display all the important artifacts or restore crumbling monuments of historical
significance. NGS additionally discusses a critical need for wildlife management and solutions
for invasive species, which overpopulate an area, destroying local flora and fauna. An
encroaching human population also means increasing industrial factors (logging, mining, and oil
drilling), which, among other things, can cause air pollution and water issues, and this does not
even cover pre-existing climate change. The last two points discuss visitor experience, which has

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been hurt due to transportation and general maintenance setbacks. This report will be beneficial
to the stance on research as it portrays, in detail, some of the most problematic affairs the parks
and forests have to deal with on a daily basis, outlining how necessary more federal support is to
the agencies--that these problems will not simply dissolve on their own.

USA. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Justifications
(Green Book). N.p., Feb. 2015. Web. 1 Sept. 2016
This source describes the written budget for the 2016 fiscal year of the National Park
Service. Developed in February of each year for the following fiscal period (starting on October
1), these Green Books present past actuals of financial data, estimates for future use of funds,
and requests for federal capital, provided, of course, alongside the justifications for this money.
Among other aspects, the budget dives deep into the day-to-day operation costs of the national
parks and supports proposals for new parks and plans, such as the most recent project, the
Centennial Challenge/Initiative, which would provide new services and restoration to the
nations parks. This fiscal allocation of the National Park Service's operations provides useful
information that will support research on the stated thesis. It can provide actual evidence of how
much money the parks make and why it is not enough to furnish general maintenance of the
territories, let alone, rehabilitation.

Wuerthner, George. The Introduction Of Non-Native Species Threatens The Extinction Of Native
Populations. n.p.: Gale, 2001. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
In this argumentative piece, George Wuerthner ultimately discusses the concerning issue
of invasive species. One of the lesser known and cared about environmental problems, the
invasion of non-native plants, animals, insects, and fungi of local territories poses a huge danger

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to pre-existing ecosystems, as they can overproduce in a new habitat essentially decimating other
native populations that rely on a fragile food chain. Wuerthner provides several examples of
invasive species throughout his article such as fish-eating trout and destructive aphids, adding
that the cost of fixing these invasions and killing off the invaders can amount to millions of
dollars that preserves, parks, and forests just do not possess. Aggressive insects and bugs can
devour entire families of edible plants and trees; invasive animals can suppress other species by
controlling food sources and make once populous breeds, endangered. He states that often times,
if people take notice to the problem, they do not even recognize it as an issue, saying that new
trout in the western parks is good for fishing and that it is wrong to kill off the species, despite its
aggressive growth. The author ends his piece by talking about the need for combative action and
public support/awareness. This article will support research about the problems that national
parks and forests face in their year-to-year operations, and recapitulate the necessity of outside
support for these agencies.