NATIONAL PARK PROTECTIONS - By Sharon Tang - Harvard Model Congress
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NATIONAL PARK PROTECTIONS
By Sharon Tang
INTRODUCTION
Historian Wallace Stegner once called the National Parks “the
best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic,
they reflect us at our best rather than our worst” (“About”). Ever
since 1872 with the creation of Yellowstone National Park as a
national park under exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior,
the National Park System (NPS) has been inseparable from
American lifestyle and culture (NPS). National Parks have become
centers for health, recreation, and wellbeing, as well as being natural
US National Park buffers against extreme weather; protectors of biodiversity and
Service, a federal ecosystems; and providers of clean water (Cross). Known as
government agency “America’s Best Idea”, the 400 locations managed by NPS host a total
manages National of 330 million visitors a year (Cross).
Parks and leads Although a significant part of American culture, the parks have
conservation been overlooked in recent years and multiple major crises have
efforts. arisen. These include aging infrastructure, insufficient funding,
NPS invasive species, and the overlooking of historic and cultural
significance of parks (Pierno). These problems have been slowly
developing over the last few decades and are continuing to worsen.
In recent years, there have been some attempts at assisting the
National Park Service and public recreational spaces in legislation,
most spearheaded by the Senate Environment and Public Works
Biodiversity – The Committee. However, there are still concerns that should be
variety of life in the addressed on the federal level.
world or in a National Parks and Public Works are one of the most under
particular habitat looked areas for the federal budget, as many times they are policies
without short-term impact. However, if left unchecked, these
oversights could be devastating. Delegates in committee need to
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tackle the problems and difficulties National Parks are facing in the
twenty-first century.
EXPLANATION OF THE ISSUE
Historical Development
Public Good – a National parks were first esablished under President Ulysses S.
commodity or service Grant with the Act of Dedication Law and later formalized under
provided without President Woodrow Wilson’s Administration (“Quick”). Wilson
profit to all members signed an Act dubbed the “Organic Act” to move 35 parks and
of society, usually by monuments under the control of the newly founded National Park
the government. Service. In 1933, Executive Order 6166 was put in place by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt to consolidate an additional 56 monuments,
parks, and military sites. The number has grown since then to
include over 400 sites encompassing 84 million acres (“Quick”).
National Parks can be added to the NPS roster through either acts of
Congress or by the president through the Antiquities Act of 1906
(“Quick”).
The parks offer many benefits and are a large provider of public
goods for the United States (Bilmes). Americans think national
parks are worth an estimated $92 billion, but are only funded $3
billion a year from congressional appropriations and visitor fees
(Bilmes). In fact, when accounting for inflation, Congress has cut
funding for the National Park Services by over 15 percent in the last
15 years, in a time where the NPS has been in dire need of funding
US National Parks from increased visitor numbers and climate change stressors
have never been so (Bilmes). The federal government has also cut funding for the
popular, with National Park System in the past, through limiting funds to the
annual Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides money
recreational visits to purchase private properties within park territory when the land
steadily increasing. gets sold to prevent nearby private development (Bilmes).
FiveThirtyEight Recently, the National Park System has been a point of
contention for both the Congress and Presidential Cabinet. President
Donald J. Trump has been especially aggressive against the NPS,
issuing hiring freezes for NPS employees; reviewing national
monuments previously designated by the Antiquities Act; and
removing protections on more than 2 million acres of national
monument land (Kame’enui). Under the Trump Administration,
Washington has chosen to prioritize economic and energy
production over park protections (Kame’enui). Although all
aforementioned sectors are important, there should be a thorough
evaluation of what regulations should be in place and which are
unnecessary to protect the parks.
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Scope of the Problem
Currently, the parks system is underfunded. As the National
Parks Conservation Association put it, “National parks are a victim
of what has become a broken appropriations system, and they are not
receiving the support they should and are not being prioritized”
(Bachmann). With a reduction of congressional funding in the last 15
Park Rangers years, the parks have resorted to other methods to keep their doors
conduct necessary open. The severe budget cuts to Public Works in the late 1900s has
tasks to keep the forced parks to reduce staff, eliminate programs, and increase
National Park admission charge for tourists (Shultis).
experience safe. Staffing Issues
Insider
The budget limitations have caused issues for National Parks in
recent years. Between 2011 and 2020, while National Park visitation
increased from 280 million to 330 million visitors annually, NPS
staff shrunk from 22,250 to 19,725 persons (Bachmann). The Great
Smoky Mountains National Park has increased in visitation by 25
percent in the past decade while its staff has decreased by 23 percent
Between 2011 and (Bachmann). The trend of increased visitation has not been
2020, the National replicated in proportional funding from Congress causing budgetary
Park Service staff strain.
shrunk from Recently, President Trump’s 2019 budget blueprint called for a 7
22,250 to 19,725. percent budget decrease to the parks system which would result in a
loss of 2,000 ranger jobs (Buchmann). Rangers are vital in protecting
the ecosystems, wildlife, visitors, and resources of the parks
(“What”). They are trained to prevent ecosystem destruction; lead
conservation efforts; monitor air and water quality; and uphold the
safety regulations of trails and roads in the park (“What”). A
reduction of staff endangers the park itself and causes the system to
function slower.
Maintenance and Infrastructure Problems
All told, the parks currently hold $12 billion dollars’ worth of
overdue maintenance projects (Bilmes). These repairs range in scale,
but many consist of leaky roofs, outdated hotels, cracked roads, and
trails closed for repair. Although in 2017 the National Park Service
conducted $519 million in repair and maintenance, stressors like
high visitation and outdated infrastructure continue to exacerbate
the problem.
Zion National
Park’s Emerald Pool The issues of infrastructure are prominent throughout the park
trail has been closed system. Zion National Park has only one main road running for 6
to visitors due to miles; However, Zion has over 4.5 million visitors annually, resulting
safety concerns. in road wear, full parking lots, and destruction of natural trails. The
Lotus Arlington Memorial Bridge at Arlington Cemetery will be closed
down by the Federal Highway Administration in 2021 due to
deterioration if not completely replaced (Lotus). Just the road
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system at the Great Smoky Mountains accounts for $167 million in
deferred maintenance costs (Bachmann). West Virginia’s Lockwood
House Museum at Harpers Ferry National Park has been closed due
to peeling paint and building damage (Lotus). The Grand Canyon has
over $329 million in outstanding maintenance costs, much of which
is from the Trans-Canyon Pipeline, which averages 30 leaks a year
(Bachmann; Lotus). Many parks are turning to non-profit
partnerships to fund these infrastructure repairs, which have helped
but not solved the problem (Bachmann). Without thorough funding,
the parks will continue to deteriorate, creating safety hazards and
hindering the experience for visitors.
Invasive Species
Over half of American National Parks are at threat of 311 types of
Invasive Species – invasive species (Virginia). These invaders consist of rats,
species not native to a Burmese python, quagga mussels, and lake trout that can damage the
location that spreads fragile biodiversity and ecosystems of the National Parks (Virginia).
rapidly, upsetting the This poses a problem as the National Park Service has no
balance of the original comprehensive program to combat invasive species.
ecosystem The effects of invasive species have already been realized. The
hemlock woolly adelgid has decimated hemlocks in the Virginia
Shenandoah National Park. Left alone, Hemlocks can live 600 years
and help maintain cool habitats for other native species, but this
invasive species can kill them in just 3-10 years (Virginia). Only 23
percent of these invasive species are currently subject to
management plans and less than 11 percent are being actively
contained, creating a dire problem (Virginia). The Everglades have
had an invasive python species since 2000 that has whittled down
native raccoon and opossum species (Virginia). Without extensive
research and public support, the NPS will not have adequate
resources to combat the threat of invasive species, endangering
entire ecosystems.
Cultural Sensitivity
Many of the National Park Service parks are situated on or near
lands of great Native American significance. Historian Phil Burnham
states how “many of America’s most beloved national parks were
carved out of land originally belonging to Native Americans, or
intended as reservations: Glacier, Badlands, Mesa Verde, the Grand
This photo from the
Canyon, and Death Valley” (Tidnam). Yellowstone was created out of
1940s from
Yosemite shows the land of 26 indigenous tribes (Tidnam). The stories of many native
tribes were largely ignored during the National Park history.
how Native
Recently, the NPS has put efforts in to connecting the park
American history is
systems with American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native
intertwined with the
Hawaiians through NPS Cultural Resource programs
Parks.
Yosemite Archives (“Connecting”). They have also put effort into tribal preservation
programs to create partnerships with Native Tribes, which are good
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first steps in recognizing the land’s history (“Tribal”). However, these
programs are the first to be cut during budgeting discussions.
According to the National Parks Conservation Association, Trump’s
2019 budget blueprint called for specific cuts to cultural programs
(Bachmann).
Congressional Action
The largest piece of legislation in Congress addressing the
national parks in recent years is S 47, the John D. Dingell, Jr.
Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. This proposal
would protect 1.3 million acres of land as wilderness, authorize a
federal program to allocate some offshore drilling revenue into
Wilderness – land National Parks and wildlife preserves, and provide habitat protection
protected by the US for over 380 bird species (Eilperin). This bill passed 92 to 8 in Senate,
government, gaining bipartisan support and later became law on March 12th, 2019
prohibiting human (Eilperin). Additionally, the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act
development, roads, of 2008 became law on April 17th, 2018, which funded infrastructure
and vehicles in many public lands and highways (H.R. 1195).
In recent years there have been other proposals to fix the
infrastructure problem in parks. The National Park Service Legacy
Act or S 751, introduced by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Sen.
Rob Portman (R-Ohio) proposed a method of allocating $500
million a year from non-green resources into a National Park Legacy
Restoration Fund for forty years (S.751). Another proposal titled
Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act or HR 1225 by Rep. Rob
Bishop (R-UT) would take $1.3 million annually for five years from
drilling royalties (H.R. 1225). Both of these bills have been
introduced into their respective committees, but not much has
happened since then. The National Parks keep track of all relevant
legislation on their website (“National”).
Other Policy Action
Other policy actions taken consist of Presidential proclamations
Executive Order – a and budget cuts. Between 1945 and 2001, there were over 100
rule with the force of Presidential Executive Orders on the parks listed on the NPS
law that is issued by website (“Proclamations”). Additionally, policies that impact the
the president environment such as repealing the Clean Power Plan and relaxing
regulations on methane also have major impact on the National Park
System (“A Timeline”).
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IDEOLOGICAL VIEWPOINTS
Conservative View
Conservatives generally value the parks for recreation,
nationalism, and wellness benefits. Many conservatives see the park
system as a symbol of American history and pride. However, they are
divided on which policy solutions are the best. In general,
conservatives, especially neo-conservatives, are for a less funded and
more efficient National Park System. They prefer looking for
programs that are not economic liabilities and do not require
Oil drilling near taxpayer money. In the past, the conservative view has pushed for
National Parks can increased visitor fees and staff reductions to pay for infrastructure
pose a danger to and maintenance costs. The conservative view is also favorable of
their ecosystems. policies that shift some responsibilities of the parks to companies,
non-profits or the states, as long as federal regulations are kept to a
National Parks
minimum.
Conservation
Conservatives are also wary of the environmental problems
associated with the national parks. Many conservatives believe
estimates for climate change consequences from the IPCC are
exaggerated and overstated. Instead, they would prefer to draft and
fix the more pressing, immediate problems. Hence, conservatives
usually shy away from more aggressive environmental policy in
relation to the parks, especially if they interfere with economic
growth.
Liberal View
Liberals also generally are in support of the national parks due to
the environmental protections and recreational benefits. Liberal
National Park policies focus more on the environmental and social implications of
Conservation is the national parks, such as studying invasive species, mitigating
supported nearby drilling, and expanding programs that highlight Native
regardless of party American culture. Liberals also tend to take a stronger stance against
affiliation. climate change, and are willing to dedicate more resources to
National Parks combatting these effects in the National Parks.
Conservation
AREAS OF DEBATE
There are many solutions proposed to protect the National Park
System in Congress, however none are all encompassing. The Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works will need to utilize
multiple solutions to fully address this issue.
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Economic Solutions
The National Park System is underfunded, with the parks greatly
benefiting with staff increases and needing billions in repairs. This
number is only estimated to increase as tourist numbers continue to
rise, causing problems in safety for the wildlife and tourists. There
have been proposals to solve the funding crisis by increasing federal
funding, increasing the cost of attendance, creating non-profits and
donation banks to fund parks, and by limiting or closing National
Parks. Many of these proposed solutions need to be implemented in
order to have the resources to solve the problems laid out in the Areas
The Department of of Debate.
the Interior Political Perspectives on this Solution
increased visitor
Conservatives are in support of increasing the cost of attendance
fees by five dollars and creating non-profits to fund the parks. They are generally against
at 117 parks to fund increasing federal funding. Neo-conservatives have been advocating
infrastructure for cutting park funding for decades to help streamline and reduce
repairs. federal expenses. In 2017, President Trump advocated for nearly
doubling or tripling admission prices for 17 of the country’s most
popular national parks to solve the infrastructure backlog (“Trump”).
However, after backlash, the Department of the Interior opted for a
more moderate five dollar increase at 117 parks to begin funding the
repairs (“Trump”). Conservatives also support the use of outside
funding to solve the park debt issues, as it keeps the parks pristine
while minimizing the responsibility off the federal government.
Liberals generally support increasing federal funding for parks,
as it is a straightforward way to solving the issue while protecting the
environment. They are also in favor of using non-profits to fund
renovations, but do not want the parks to become overly reliant on
non-governmental organizations for funding. Liberals are mostly
against increasing visitor fees.
The majority of liberals and conservatives are not in favor of
closing or limiting the park system. However, this is a solution that
may need to be considered to solve the issue if none of the others are
Crowds at Old able to occur.
Faithful Geyser in
Yellowstone Infrastructure Repair
demonstrate the
wear and tear that Infrastructure Repair is greatly needed to improve the quality of
park infrastructure the National Park Service, uphold America’s “world-class National
experiences daily. Park System,” and to preserve our cultural and historic resources
NPS (Argust). Much of the infrastructure in the parks is outdated and
need to be replaced, being over 60 years old (Argust). Death Valley
needs more than $110 million in road repairs and Gettysburg has
more than $52 million in historic memorial and monument repairs
(“Fix”). In addition, the wear and tear from millions of visitors each
year and lack of consistency for maintenance has exacerbated the
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problem (Argust). Many of the roads in National Parks are cracked
and facilities such as hotels, observation booths, and museums need
to be updated. In 2018, the National Park Service increased entrance
fees to raise additional revenue to fund the deferred maintenance
costs (“Trump”). There have also been volunteer assistance and
philanthropic donations. Congress has also proposed taking money
from other sectors of the federal budget, such as from the
Department of Energy, to fund National Park restoration (“Trump”).
There is a total of
8,565 state park Political Perspectives on this Solution
areas with over Both conservatives and liberals agree that congressional action is
807 million visitors needed to solve the infrastructure crisis. There have been many
yearly. bipartisan bills introduced in Congress in recent years on this issue.
However, the parties tend to disagree on where to pull the money
from. Conservatives prefer plans that are economically sustainable
and contained in the sphere of public works. Liberals prefer plans
that are more action oriented and are willing to pull funding from
various sectors of the federal budget.
Shift Responsibility to the States
In just the last ten years, 28 parks - such as the Pearl Harbor
National Memorial and the Paterson Great Falls National Historical
Park - formally became part of the National Park System (“Park”).
This growth of the National Park System puts additional pressures
on the already worsening NPS problems. Hence, many are
advocating to de-densify the system and shift the responsibility of
public spaces to the states.
As of 2018, there are a total 8,565 state park areas across the
United States with over 807 million visitors yearly (“State”). States
usually have more leeway in their budget to properly take care of the
public spaces. In addition, due to the system being smaller in scope,
state governments would have a better idea of each park’s needs.
Limiting the acceptance of new federal national parks or re-
State parks like distinguishing parks as state owned facilities could lessen the burden
Brazos Ben State on the NPS. However, many state parks do not have the same wildlife
Park in Texas offer protections that federal parks can get, which may pose a problem.
tourists natural Political Perspectives on this Solution
beauty outside of
National Parks. Conservatives support this position because many conservatives
Flickr believe in shrinking the federal government’s role. Although
conservatives appreciate the National Parks as an American symbol,
they believe that giving some of the power to the states can help limit
the severity of NPS issues later on.
Liberals oppose shifting efforts to states because states have
varying preparedness to tackle public land problems and believe that
eliminating strict federal regulations can lead to insufficient
protections of wildlife.
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Policy and Environmental Research
Invasive species are threatening the biodiversity and ecosystems
of natural parks. Plants and insects can easily be transported
unintentionally by boats, cars, and airplanes. Furthermore, the areas
around National Parks are continuing to be developed for housing,
mining and agriculture (“Top”). Although this is good for the
economy, there can be unintended consequences of these
developments. Species inside parks don’t recognize manmade
boundaries and development hinders their ability to survive. There
are also advancements for the environment in water purification,
green energy, and climate change that will benefit the National Park
System greatly.
Although expensive, the only way to fully understand the
repercussions of invasive species, wildlife protections, and nearby
development is through policy and environmental research. These
Glaciers in Glacier processes could either be government funded or privately produced.
National Park of
Montana are slowly Political Perspectives on this Solution
disappearing due to Conservatives favor privately funded research programs as they
climate change. are usually more efficient and do not take taxpayer’s money. On the
Research needs to other hand, liberals prefer the government funded approach, as it
be done to slow or better guarantees results and consolidates the process. Liberals are
stop this process. also generally more favorable of implementing research as a solution
USGS Repeat than Conservatives.
Photography Project
Fishing and Hiking Regulations
Over-fishing and over-hunting can impact the wildlife diversity
in a park potentially endangering entire species of fish or mammals.
In addition, fishers and hunters can unintentionally introduce
invasive species during their expeditions. In 2016, a parasite called
Tetracalsula Bryosalmonae nearly obliterated the whitefish, rainbow
trout and cutthroat trout population in Yellowstone National Park
(Keller). Scientists suspect that the invasive parasite species was
transported to the river by an angler’s boot (Keller). Fishermen and
hunters also can damage infrastructure and increase pollution in
parks. Furthermore, when factoring in climate change, many
animals will need time to adapt to different living conditions.
Thousands of fish in
Although a fun pastime for many, these expeditions can have
Yellowstone river
unintentional and drastic consequences.
are dying from an
By imposing regulations such as caps on the amount of fish or
invasive parasite.
Keller
animals a person can remove from a park, prohibiting fishing and
hunting, or limiting the types of fishing and hunting Congress could
keep these pastimes alive while protecting our National Parks.
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BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The United States
Government When creating proposals, think about how your policy solutions
usually spends might impact the budget more broadly. The solutions for protecting
about $3 billion per the National Parks may seem straightforward, but with the
tightening of the United States budget, public works usually are the
year on the first to get pushed out of the debate.
National Parks. The federal government usually spends about $3 billion per year
on the parks. Although many proposals to better the National Parks
create increases in happiness, health, and wellbeing, these factors are
hard to quantify monetarily, making the congressional cost less
favorable. Other proposals that include funding research on invasive
species or fixing the infrastructure problem are associated with large
costs. Often, US agencies provide grants, so funds could be allocated
from existing programs to fund grants to researchers.
Also, keep in mind that the environment and economics are
usually put against one another in politics. Proposing
environmentally friendly policies can create unintentional negative
consequences to United States companies that will look unfavorably
The National Park on Congress. Overall, addressing National Parks Protections will
System is and has require thought about how to fund money-intensive policies.
been a symbol of
American
excellence for over CONCLUSION
a century.
The topic of National Park protections will challenge delegates on
the realities of public works funding and the difficulties that
Congress faces when weighing two equally important issues:
environment and economy. In addition, the issue has multiple
possible solutions with bipartisan support, so it gives a rare
opportunity to work across the aisle and create robust solutions to
benefit all Americans.
The National Park System is and has been a symbol of American
excellence for over a century. It is, however, in dire need of a
restoration for it to return to its former glory. The issue is multi-
faceted and will require multiple solutions. Do not be afraid to work
National Parks, like and combine ideas with other delegates to produce meaningful and
Big Bend in Texas, comprehensive legislation. As always, this briefing only encompasses
are a way to a portion of the issues that the National Park Service is facing. Feel
showcase America’s free to think outside of the box for solutions to solve this crisis that
natural beauty. were not covered in this briefing.
Awesome Design
Inspiration
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GUIDE TO FURTHER RESEARCH
When researching, delegates should look closely into the different
perspectives of the issue and try to understand the policy reasons in
a macro perspective. I would encourage delegates to keep up to date
with news and consult congress.gov and the NPS website to see
which bills related to public works and the National Park System are
being proposed. Especially due to unprecedented circumstances of
quarantine and social distancing in 2020, the dialogue on National
Parks have become prevalent in mainstream conversation. Finally,
be sure to research your senator and the state they represent. Based
on the prevalence of national protected land of the state, senators
may have different stances. Remember to stick to reliable sources
when conducting research. Good luck!
Arches National
Park in Utah at
GLOSSARY
Nighttime
deviantART Biodiversity – The variety of life in the world or in a particular
habitat.
Executive Order – Rule or order issued by the President.
Invasive Species – species not native to a location that spreads
rapidly, creating damage to the original environment.
Public Good – Commodity or service provided without profit to
all members of society usually by the Government.
Wilderness – Land protected by the US Government,
prohibiting human development, roads, and vehicles.
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