Every national park has within its boundaries wildlife and natural wonders ranging from swamps to forests to rugged mountains that have been given special designation and protection by Congress. But all is not well with our national treasures. Too many visitors, increased pollution of all kinds and lack of budget to staff the parks properly and to fix what's wrong have exacted a terrible toll. Not all involve physical deterioration. Often the parks are loved for the wrong reasons.
Developers love the parks because the crowds they attract spend money and generate profits.
Snowmobilers love the snow and the government-groomed roads at Yellowstone, but destroy the peace and quiet that visitors expect, and impact weakened elk and bison that winter in the lowlands. The National Park Service has said it will ban snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks by 2004. Tourism is just overriding the protection of resources that tourists want to see. We have too many tourists in Denali and too many big cruise ships in Glacier Bay. Everything is accessible in Alaska now, and it's no longer a last frontier, Frome lamented, although there's still plenty of wilderness.