Why Protect U.S. National Parks?
Posted by Jennifer Smith on 3rd Aug 2017
State Parks are home to stunning landscape, majestic wildlife and vast forest regions that attract millions of national park visitors each year.
In all of their wondrous beauty, national parks can act as a refuge for threatened wildlife species and can also serve as a traveling destination for family vacations, weekend picnics and recreational activities.
Reasons to Care
Although national parks primarily serve to protect wildlife and biodiversity, there are many social, economic and cultural reasons to protect national parks and care about improving them.
The parks across the nation bring in many volunteers to help conserve our public land. In 2016, 614 youth were hired in 42 national parks to help conserve over 89,000 acres of land. In addition to launching national park projects, volunteers managed to collect over $158 million in contributions and gifts to preserve landscapes.
National Parks are a huge tourism stop for many couples and families. In fact, based on 2014 foot traffic statistics, the top most visited national parks included:
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 10,099,276 |
| Grand Canyon National Park | 4,756,771 |
| Yosemite National Park | 3,882,642 |
| Yellowstone National Park | 3,513,484 |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | 3,434,751 |
Protecting Landscapes
Land protection strategies are a must in order to preserve the picturesque landscape that makes these sites unique. Land conservation managers should perform outreach and work with organizations such as Trident Enterprises to manage protected areas.
What Not to Do At Parks
There are many things you can do to enhance the visitor experience at each state park. Park rangers ask that patrons NOT do the following:1. Do not litter; and if you see garbage, toss it in the trash.
2. Vandalizing rocks/trees with graffiti is unacceptable. Joshua Tree National Park saw at least 17 sites that were spray-painted. In short, just don't do it.
3. Taking rocks or leaves from popular sites. Snap a picture; but leave volcanic rocks alone.
4. Feeding or disturbing the wildlife. Some wild animals may not react as depicted in cartoons or on Disney flicks, it's best to leave them be before you wind up in the hospital.
5. Disobeying campfire restrictions. Don't be responsible for causing a wild fire. Not only will you harm threatened species; but you will also kill off endangered plants.
This National #Parks Month, contact Deerbusters for deer fencing and help conserve landscapes in your area.
Information c/o Trident Enterprises Deer Fence