From Maine to California, America's most popular government program is in trouble, just as vacation season gets under way. Some 300 million people visit national parks, monuments and other federally protected places every year. Despite increased appropriations, almost 400 of these may cut services to meet increasing costs, and managers at 12 of the most highly visited facilities say they can't meet their budgets. Meantime, Congress has told the Department of Energy and Bureau of Land Management Congress to speed approval of "energy corridors" to bring gas and electricity to the booming Southwest. On this archived edition of To the Point, will Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Shenandoah, and Acadia offer travelers what they expect? Do energy corridors threaten protection of parks and other public lands for future generations?
America's National Parks under Pressure
Credits
Guests:
- Ron Tipton - Senior VP for Programs, National Parks Conservation Association
- Steve Martin - Deputy Director, National Park Service
- Bill Corcoran - Senior Regional Representative, Sierra Club in Los Angeles
- Jim Owen - Spokesman, Edison Electric Institute