National treasures on endangered list. (National Society for Park Resources)."The Bush administration needs to halt its attack on national parks and provide the protections our nation's treasures need," according to Ronald Tipton, president of the 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. . Tipton said so while announcing the fifth annual list of the 10 most endangered national parks. Sadly, this year's list contains many of our most beloved parks. The list of endangered parks includes: Big Thicket National Preserve Big Thicket National Preserve: see National Parks and Monuments (table). , Texas; Denali National Park and Preserve Denali National Park and Preserve (dənäl`ē), in the Alaska Range, S central Alaska; comprising Denali National Park (4,740,912 acres/1,919,398 hectares), est. as Mt. , Alaska; Everglades National Park, Florida; Glacier National Park, Montana; 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 , California; Ocmulgee National Monument, Georgia.; Shenandoah National Park, Virginia; Virgin Islands National Park Virgin Islands National Park, 14,689 acres (5,949 hectares), St. John, Virgin Islands; est. 1956. The park, with beaches, coves, and headlands, is rich in tropical-plant, animal, and marine life. Bordeaux Mt., 1,277 ft (389 m) high, is the highest point on the island. ; and Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Several administrative actions have hurt our park system, according to Tipton. He cited changes in the Clean Air Act, regulations regarding road building and snowmobiling in parks, and the continued backlog of maintenance work, despite Bush's campaign promise to fund these efforts. |
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