The National Centennial Initiative laid out by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and National Park Service Director Mary Bomar contains some vital support for flora and fauna.
National parks find themselves in changing landscapes, compromised by invasive species that disrupt native plant and animal communities, the Interior secretary writes in describing to President Bush some of the problems parks now face. Sensitive freshwater species, including native trout, are missing from park habitats. Many ocean fish are in decline, while coral reefs -- popular showcases of dazzling biological complexity -- display signs of distress. Fragmented habitats result in fewer migratory birds returning to national parks.
In response, he writes, (t)he 21st-century National Park Service will be energized to preserve parks and welcome visitors. Stewardship and science will guide decisions. An inventory of all wildlife in parks will be completed, a vital baseline to monitor change and adjust management. Strategic acquisitions will protect landscapes. Parks will be known as America's best classrooms. ... Majestic species that symbolize this nation, such as bison and bald eagles, will thrive in their native habitats.
More so, under the initiative the Park Service will restore native habitats by controlling invasive species and reintroducing key plant and animal species.
Do you think Richard Pombo would have applauded such language?
Additionally, the initiative says "potential actions" could include the speeding up and completion of all-taxa biota studies in 32 ecoregions so the National Park Service has a comprehensive plant and animal inventory, and returning natural water flows through Everglades National Park and Olympic National Park's Elwha River.
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