There should be little doubt that the National Park Service's Find Your Park campaign for its centennial in 2016 was a resounding success, with overall visitation up nearly 8 percent to 331 million, setting a record for the third consecutive year. But those visitation levels are having adverse impacts on both park resources and the national park experience in some corners of the National Park System.

Climbing routes on cliffs used by nesting Peregrine Falcons in Zion National Park in Utah have been temporarily closed to protect these birds, which are in recovery from “endangered species” status.

Public comments on a proposal for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to put up for auction oil and gas leases near Zion National Park will be accepted for an additional month, through March 9, at the request of the National Park Service and other interested parties.

Just two weeks into the Trump administration, one pledged to pursue a vigorous energy development course, Zion National Park officials find themselves in a bind over how to react to proposals to allow oil and gas exploration within a mile of the park.