You are here

Share
Numerous threats have placed some national park units on Traveler's Endangered And Threatened Parks list

With many national parks across the country in trouble from such myriad threats as climate change, overcrowding, energy exploration, invasive species, and poor air quality, National Parks Traveler’s  new “Threatened and Endangered Parks” lists, published today, identify parks that are struggling to retain the very essence that led to their inclusion in the National Park System in the first place. In this week's show, Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks and Mark Wenzler from the National Parks Conservation Association discuss the threats facing the parks.

:02 Welcome to National Parks Traveler
:12 Show introduction with Kurt Repanshek
2:08 North Cascades Institute promotion
2:26 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
2:53 Introduction to Threatened and Endangered Parks discussion with Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks and Mark Wenzler of the National Parks Conservation Association.
14:56 National Parks Traveler promotion
15:13 Washington's National Park Fund promotion
15:47 Yankee Freedom promotion
16:25 Friends of Acadia promotion
16:53 Conversation with Phil Francis and Mark Wenzler continues
31:52 Show closing
32:37 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
33:11 Orange Tree Productions

Comments

One solution to overcrowding is to increase the entrance/admission fee for parks. The higher the fees, the fewer people will use the park. The "Golden Age"passes have increased for those buying them today, but those that already have a pass aren't paying there fair share.  Discontinue all passes and make users buy annual passes, perhaps with senior discounts. Force the Congress to act on HR 1225!


National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force.

While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Service to ensure that parks are properly to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit,” that message said nothing about protecting park resources.

April 20th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 320 | George Wright Society

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed.

April 6th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 319 | Kilauea's Unrest

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth.

March 30th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 318 | Covering the Parks

There are more stories to be found in the National Park System than one could write in a lifetime. Or several lifetimes.

Sometimes those stories can be hard to spot. How many were aware of the factoid from Great Smoky Mountains National Park that Jennifer Bain dug up, that if you stacked up all of the park’s salamanders against its roughly 1,900 black bears, the salamanders would weigh more?

Talk about national park trivia.

March 23rd, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 317 | A Little Volcanic Levity

In this week’s podcast we thought we’d take a break from the unsettling news happening in and around our national parks and federal lands regarding park staff reductions and threats of reducing park boundaries to make way for mining.  

March 16th, 2025 Read More

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.