Coalition Calls on President, Candidates to Protect National Parks 9/27/2002
From: Jennifer Coken of Americans for National Parks, 202-223-6722, ext. 230 WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- The following is a press statement by Americans for National Parks: "While President Bush is in Colorado today, we urge him to encourage the candidates he is supporting to join him in his commitment to the national parks by signing The Pledge to Save Our National Parks -- a declaration to work to fund the annual needs of our national parks," said Americans for National Parks Campaign Director Jennifer S. Coken. "No one can afford to overlook the role that Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, and all of our national parks play in preserving our history, protecting the natural environment, and enhancing the economy." During the 2000 campaign, President Bush pledged to eliminate the backlog of maintenance projects in the national parks. "While President Bush's pledge is a strong first step, a wise investment in the future of the national parks would put an emphasis on the parks' day-to-day operating needs," Coken said. "Every year that the parks fail to receive this funding, more projects become serious or critical backlog issues." Research has shown that the national parks are operating with only two-thirds of the funding needed, creating a wide variety of critical needs ranging from deteriorating infrastructure to the dwindling of wildlife species. Museum artifacts and archaeological sites are not being preserved, public education programs are being reduced, and irreplaceable historic structures are crumbling. The coalition of Americans for National Parks, which includes Colorado Environmental Coalition, Continental Divide Trail Alliance, Ridgway-Ouray Community Council, Western Colorado Congress, and several other Colorado-based organizations, is working with Congress and the administration to increase the operating budget of the National Park Service by $600 million to protect park resources and the experiences of 280 million of visitors annually. ------ Americans for National Parks is a growing coalition of nonprofit organizations, businesses, trade associations, individuals, and other nonpartisan supporters of the national parks, working to encourage Congress and the administration to address the full needs of the National Park System. Campaign information is available at http://www.americansfornationalparks.org. |