NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

President's Park Budget Needs to Focus on Threats to Wildlife, Cultural Resources

Washington, DC - "We were very pleased to hear President Bush reaffirm his campaign pledge of $4.9 billion for the national parks," said National Parks Conservation Association President Thomas Kiernan. "This is a strong commitment, but his initial plan focuses almost exclusively on park construction and maintenance projects. Our national parks are about more than roads and buildings-they protect wildlife and the culture and history that define us as Americans. The president's proposal should place greater emphasis on the protection of park plants and animals, or there will be little to see from the roads and buildings. We are eager to work with decision makers in Congress and the Administration to ensure that the parks' most important needs are met."

The Park Service's own research has shown that not a single park has a complete inventory of all its plants, animals and historic artifacts; the Park Service cannot control invasive species on 93 percent of its lands that suffer from exotics; 63 percent of the threatened and endangered species in the national parks are expected to decline over the next 5 years; and 67 percent of the cultural artifacts in the Park System are in poor condition. These data demonstrate a need for increased funding for resource protection, which is not in the president's current construction-heavy proposal.