Since this is one of the fastest growing areas of California, pollution problems will continue to increase, unless we act now. Since most of the pollutants in these parks originate outside their boundaries, the role of the National Park Service in controlling these sources is limited. However, the agency is legally responsible for protecting air quality and related resources, including plants, animals and scenic vistas. The National Park Service participates in local and state air quality planning efforts. In order to define the extent of the problem, research stations have been established in the parks to monitor ozone, carbon monoxide, particulates, acid deposition, and visibility.
Research continues into the effects of pollutants on park resources.
Vegetation Damage from Ozone Ozone levels in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks approach and often exceed state and occasionally federal health and welfare standards during the summer. Damage to the vegetation of the parks is of concern. Some plants, such as certain species of oaks and ponderosa and Jeffrey pines, are more sensitive to ozone than others. Even individual plants differ in their sensitivity to pollutants. A study conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the mid-1980s revealed that two of every five ponderosa and Jeffrey pines surveyed exhibited needle damage caused by ozone.