Over the past decade, the number of visitors to our national parks has increased 34%, forcing many parks to require reservations, timed entry passes, and shuttle buses in order to limit crowds and traffic.
How a nation raised on conquering wilderness came to embrace conservation.
There is an impossible problem at the heart of America's National Parks. It's known as the Dual Mandate, and it stems from a single sentence in the National Park Service Organic Act that tasks the Agency with preserving National Park resources unimpaired while facilitating public access to those same resources. Over the years, we have seen countless examples of how these two mandates (hence, the Dual Mandate) have come into conflict.
Chemical spills, deteriorating facilities and rodent infestations have called into question the safety of Yosemite National Park. Employees blame hospitality company Aramark, which says it’s trying to clean things up.
Had to use the restroom in a national park and it was unpleasant? Poop in the parks is an ongoing problem. Learn why we need improved infrastructure to accommodate increased visitor numbers.