National Parks In Crisis

Phantom Parks is a hard-hitting and passionate examination of why our national parks are failing to protect the wild - and what must be done to reverse this trend. Having travelled throughout most of Canada`s national park system, Rick Searle concludes that there is no one single cause to the current ecological crisis, rather it is about a slow death of a thousand cuts. The wild within our parks is being threatened and drained away by a variety of causes: the lobby for growth and development of park facilities to accommodate ever-increasing demands for recreation and tourism; adjacent land use such as farming, logging and mining, which contribute to the parks becoming islands of extinction; global pressures such as acid rain, climate change and the long-range transportation of pollutants. There are solutions to the crisis, however. Maintaining the wildness of the national parks now requires radical changes in the way we perceive and use them. There is hope, but we must act quickly. Phantom Parks is a book we can only ignore at our peril. (2000)

First published in 1995. This volume traces the origin and development of America's national park citizen 'watchdog' organisation. Giving an insider's perspective, and reflecting an outsiders quest for objectivity, it will be of interest to every park enthusiast and conversation historian.

Mention "national parks," and most people think of majestic mountains, bears, forest fires, and spouting geysers. But the national park system includes much more -- the Statue of Liberty, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, and the Grand Canyon. The parks were established to keep areas of natural and cultural significance "unimpaired for future generations." In National Parks in Crisis: Debating the Issues, Wendy Hart Beckman explores historical issues, from the building of dams to the control of wildlife. And she outlines the questions facing the parks today: How can pollution be controlled? What are the interests of different cultural groups? How can people enjoy the parks without spoiling the experience -- for today's visitors and for the visitors of tomorrow? Book jacket.

Natural disasters from heat waves to coastal and river flooding will inevitably become worse because of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. Managing them is possible, but planners, designers, and policymakers need to advance adaptation and preventative measures now. Managing the Climate Crisis: Designing and Building for Floods, Heat, Drought and Wildfire by design and planning experts Jonathan Barnett and Matthijs Bouw is a practical guide to addressing this urgent national security problem. Barnett and Bouw draw from the latest scientific findings and include many recent, real-world examples to illustrate how to manage seven climate-related threats: flooding along coastlines, river flooding, flash floods from extreme rain events, drought, wildfire, long periods of high heat, and food shortages.

First Published in 2011. This book is a study of an expanding National Park System; it is also a study of the bureaucracy that shaped it, how it grew, and the stresses it faces. As Dr. Foresta shows, the Park Service is no stranger to controversy and change. One of the Service's strengths has been its pragmatism and adaptability, but current guidelines are hard to come by and the decisions of the future will be neither simple nor easy. This study is valuable not only for its analysis but for the informed, revealing picture it presents of an agency and a system that have enriched the lives of countless citizens and visitors to this country.