Protect America's National Parks

In 1872, Congress made history by establishing Yellowstone, the world's first national park. Since then, the National Park System has grown to include 385 sites and more than 83 million acres of land with nearly 300 million visits annually. The national parks protect diverse ecosystems and awe-inspiring landscapes, and safeguard our cultural and historical heritage.

But today, America's national parks are in jeopardy. Increased visitation, pollution, motorized use, and development coupled with insufficient funding has strained the Park Service's ability to protect resources and provide visitors like you with the breathtaking experience we all take for granted.

For example:
• You may have a hard time seeing an endangered California condor at Grand Canyon National Park. When several of the magnificent birds died last year, the Park Service had insufficient funding to determine the cause.
• Love history? You won't be able to explore the 1,000 archaeological sites of several Indian cultures at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, outside of Los Angeles, California, because the park has insufficient funding.
• Bring a guidebook to Yellowstone National Park. At current funding levels, the Park Service is able to provide only six percent of the park's 2.8 million visitors annually with an educational experience.
• Plan on snorkeling at Dry Tortugas National Park? You may not see what you planned. Regulations protecting fish populations are being violated and the park's coral reef is being damaged because the park does not have enough staff to protect and monitor the resources.

Please help Americans for National Parks encourage the President to protect and preserve national parks. Sign the petition below and make your voice heard… because there's just too much to lose.