In 2016, the national parks of the United States, for the third consecutive year, was attended by a record number of people – 331 million (more than the entire population of the country – 321,4 million).
The record for popularity became Great Smoky Mountainsvisited by about 11 million people. The Grand Canyon was visited by 6 million. Total attendance at national parks has increased by 7.7% in comparison with 2015.
Despite this popularity (and partly because of it), national parks are suffering, many infrastructures have become obsolete and are destroyed. Parks are sorely lacking funding, and this is a huge amount, writes the Chicago Tribune.
For example, in Yellowstone it is necessary to conduct work in the amount of approximately 640 million dollars, Yosemite need to restore more than 555 million. Overall, according to preliminary estimates, all national parks need for maintenance is almost $ 12 billion.
Surprisingly, in the United States continue to open new objects, such as the Pullman National Monument in Chicago in 2015.
«Of course, it’s fun to discover new national parks, but not fun to talk about the repair of the sewer,» says Rob Bishop, who heads the Committee on natural resources.
A similar problem had arisen earlier, in the 1950s, and then the historian Bernard Devoto suggested a radical method. «For the beginning, close Yellowstone, Yosemite, Rocky mountain and Grand Canyon, close and seal them. Send the army to patrol them, and let it be until then, until they again fail to open for visitors,» said Devoto.
Under President Eisenhower (1953-1961 presidency) there was a special 10-year program of funding the national parks. In those years, visitors had the opportunity to visit clean parks with new infrastructure.
Today there is an idea that was voiced by the Minister of internal Affairs Ryan Zinke. We are talking about expanding oil and gas drilling within the United States. Then a percentage of the profits will be channeled to the financing of national parks – about 15.5 billion dollars a year, which more than covered all operating expenses.
Also, interesting idea about how to use the funds received from the intervention in nature, for the real benefit of this nature. Offer Zinke could do to save the natural resources of America.
