Visitors to the US national parks this summer are finding many services in need of repair, according to a recent report released in Washington.
The report surveyed 37 national parks and found “widespread evidence of major problems,” including decreased safety for visitors and other problems.
Some parks such as the Fort Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas can’t afford law enforcement rangers. “The budget crisis in our parks is real and it will be felt keenly by park visitors this summer,” said Bill Wade, the former superintendent of Shenandoah National Park and Chairman of the report by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.
The parks have at least $600 million in operations funding deficits and an “enormous” maintenance backlog of $7 billion, according to Mr Wade.
Report by David Wilkening
