Bush strikes again
Jan. 26th, 2006 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kayreMy sister the naturalist and her brother-in-law the former National Parks ranger both thought this was important enough to pass on. So do I.
"The National Park Service released its version of the management policies for public review on October 19, 2005. This latest draft is less extreme than the earlier Hoffman draft of the policies, which, you may remember, threatened to completely overhaul the mission of the Park Service by allowing recreation and pollution to trump conservation. Unfortunately, this draft is still notably worse than the current policies and would leave our parks more vulnerable to short-term exploitation that jeopardizes long-term preservation.
In the latest revision of the policies, many passages from the current policies have been deleted or replaced. These sections are cause for serious concern, because their removal could significantly undermine park protection. For example, in section 1.4.3, two key phrases have been deleted: “Congress, recognizing that the enjoyment by future generations of the national parks can be ensured only if the superb quality of park resources and values is left unimpaired, has provided that when there is a conflict between conserving resources and values and providing for enjoyment of them, conservation is to be predominant” and [This mandate] “…is independent of the separate prohibition on impairment, and so applies to all the time, with respect to all park resources and values, even when there is no risk that any park resources or values may be impaired.” Removing these sections jeopardizes the Park Service’s mission; the Department of Interior has not explained what this action is meant to achieve.
Key language has been removed from a number of other sections, which could have a detrimental effect on air quality, visibility, soundscapes, wildlife management, and more. We are very concerned that these revisions drastically depart from the fundamental foundation that has continued to preserve our national parks since the Park Service was created nearly 90 years ago.
For More Information: Contact Elise Russell, Legislative Representative at erussell@npca.org.
The public comment period is open through February 18, 2006. "
More information and easy links for contacting your congresscritters can be found here.
"The National Park Service released its version of the management policies for public review on October 19, 2005. This latest draft is less extreme than the earlier Hoffman draft of the policies, which, you may remember, threatened to completely overhaul the mission of the Park Service by allowing recreation and pollution to trump conservation. Unfortunately, this draft is still notably worse than the current policies and would leave our parks more vulnerable to short-term exploitation that jeopardizes long-term preservation.
In the latest revision of the policies, many passages from the current policies have been deleted or replaced. These sections are cause for serious concern, because their removal could significantly undermine park protection. For example, in section 1.4.3, two key phrases have been deleted: “Congress, recognizing that the enjoyment by future generations of the national parks can be ensured only if the superb quality of park resources and values is left unimpaired, has provided that when there is a conflict between conserving resources and values and providing for enjoyment of them, conservation is to be predominant” and [This mandate] “…is independent of the separate prohibition on impairment, and so applies to all the time, with respect to all park resources and values, even when there is no risk that any park resources or values may be impaired.” Removing these sections jeopardizes the Park Service’s mission; the Department of Interior has not explained what this action is meant to achieve.
Key language has been removed from a number of other sections, which could have a detrimental effect on air quality, visibility, soundscapes, wildlife management, and more. We are very concerned that these revisions drastically depart from the fundamental foundation that has continued to preserve our national parks since the Park Service was created nearly 90 years ago.
For More Information: Contact Elise Russell, Legislative Representative at erussell@npca.org.
The public comment period is open through February 18, 2006. "
More information and easy links for contacting your congresscritters can be found here.
