10 national parks considered 'endangered'.The non-profit conservation organization, National parks Conservation Association The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the only environmental organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks. Its mission is "to protect and enhance America's National Park System for present and future generations. (NPCA), released in January its sixth manual list of America's 10 Most Endangered National Parks. The list names four new additions and six that are still plagued by persistent problems, including air pollution, development and years of inadequate funding. "Our national heritage deserves attention as much as the space program," said NPCA President Thomas C. Kiernan in a press release. "Four years ago, Candidate Bush promised to 'restore and renew' our national parks, It's time for Congress and the administration to follow through on that pledge. Without restoring the best of America--our national parks--we lose inspiration for the future." The new additions are: Biscayne National Park in Florida because of added pollution, overfishing that is destroying the fish and coral populations, and a sensitive coastline originally slated for wetlands restoration that is now being developed; Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: see National Parks and Monuments (table). Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument National monument, southwestern Arizona, U.S., at the Mexican border. It was established in 1937. in Arizona because of extensive damage to its borders have largely been ignored and underfunded; Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program because inadequate funding is forcing it to roll back its mission of creating a comprehensive collection of sites, stories and artifacts; and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Noun 1. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park - the largest national park of the United States; located in Alaska AK, Alaska, Last Frontier - a state in northwestern North America; the 49th state admitted to the union; "Alaska is the largest state in the United States" and Preserve in Alaska because of irresponsible ATVE use and harmful legislation that could allow more than 1,700 miles of proposed roads through the park. The other parks that remain on the list include Big Thicket National Preserve Big Thicket National Preserve: see National Parks and Monuments (table). in Texas, Everglades National Park in Florida, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park National preserve, eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, U.S. It is 20 mi (32 km) wide and extends southwest for 54 mi (87 km) from the Pigeon River to the Little Tennessee River. Established in 1934 to preserve the U.S. in North Carolina and Tennessee, Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park, 1,022,703 acres (414,050 hectares), S California. Lying between the high Mojave Desert and the low Colorado Desert, this park has a unique ecosystem in which are preserved rare Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia in California, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and Yellowstone National Park in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. For more information on the endangered parks, visit NPCA's Web site, www.npca.org. |
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