Park service outlines challenges, opportunities for Grand Canyon
Filed under: Activism, Climbing, Hiking, Paddling, North America, United States, Camping, Ecotourism, News
Grand Canyon National Park is easily one of the most popular and well known destinations in the entire U.S. Each year, more than 4.5 million visitors make the journey to visit the park and take part in some of the outdoor adventures it has to offer, including whitewater rafting, hiking, camping, and more. The Canyon is considered one of the great natural wonders of the world, and the spectacular scenery that is the hallmark of the place, is practically unmatched anywhere else on the planet.
With more than 1.2 million acres of land inside the park boundaries, managing and protecting its considerable resources can be an overwhelming challenge. It was with that in mind that earlier this week the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released its “State of the Park” report that outlines the challenges and opportunities facing the Grand Canyon in the years ahead. That report identifies such threats as mining and air pollution as potential problems, while citing the opportunity for restoring and protecting the natural habitats of native plant and animal species as an area where improvements can be made.
This new report points to a number of external threats that are obstacles to the future health of the Grand Canyon and its surrounding environments. Amongst those threats are air pollution from cities as far away as 100 miles which will have an impact on scenic vistas and possibly the health of visitors. Noise pollution has also become an issue, as the airspace above the canyon is often crowded with traffic with both commercial and scenic flights crossing over head. Perhaps the greatest of these external threats however, is ongoing mining activities in the lands adjacent to the park. Those activities could result in the contamination of both the environment and the watershed in the region, having a detrimental effect that could take decades to reverse.
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Park service outlines challenges, opportunities for Grand Canyon originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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