The Sequester is hurting our National Parks - Support Our Parks

NATIONAL PARK
RESERVATIONS
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Help Our National Parks Survive the Sequester
March 1st was the kickoff date for a series of federal budget cuts that are designed to reduce federal
spending by 1.2 trillion dollars over the next ten years. These cuts are known as the sequester. It may
seem at first glance that we finally have some fiscal responsibility in our government. However, these
cuts are likely to have a major impact on jobs and important government programs, some of which are
already being seen.
If you've been fortunate enough to keep your job over the last couple months, you might simply be
wondering what the sequester is all about and how it is affecting you and your family. Here are some
quick facts and figures that will help you visualize the impact of sequestration:
Military spending, which accounts for
$550 billion in the federal budget, will see
7.8 percent in budget cuts, or $43 billion.
Domestic programs such as health, education,
drug enforcement, national parks and other
nonmilitary programs will see a 5.2 percent cut, or
about $26 billion, from the current $510 billion
budget.
Many government agencies have been
forced to offer reduced hours and
services and lay off or furlough workers.
The Congressional Budget Office
estimates a loss of 750,000 jobs
due to sequestration.
The government is required to cut
$85 billion by the end of the fiscal
year in October.

Sequestration in Our National Parks
While some cuts may go unnoticed by the American public, our national parks are already seeing the
effects of the sequester. The National Parks Service is burdened with the task of cutting six percent from
its annual budget by the end of the year. Many of the national parks have been forced to cancel tours,
close campgrounds and delay hiring seasonal employees.
For example, Yellowstone National Park was forced to cut $1.75 million from its $35 million budget. Cuts
in payroll and snowplowing were going to force the park to have a late opening this season. However, the
chambers of commerce in Cody and Jackson Hole, Wyoming pitched in $170,000 so as not to have the
late park opening affect their peak tourism seasons. Still, the park opened two weeks behind schedule,
and those two weeks cost the park 50,000 visitors.
Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited national park unit in America, has seen similar effects. They have
hired thirty fewer seasonal employees, closed a number of facilities including visitors centers, picnic
areas and more than 400 campsites.
Without a full staff it's difficult to maintain the facilities, trails and other attractions in our national parks.
Sequestration threatens to let these national treasures fall into disuse and disrepair. These are unique
lands that the government has promised to take care of in order that the American people might enjoy
them. The budget cuts required by the sequester are a recall of that promise.
We should all stop and think about those
national parks that are important to us, as no
park is immune to the sequester.

National Parks are Connected to our
National Treasures
Aside from beautiful national lands, The National Parks Service is also responsible for maintaining
significant historical sites and monuments. These are not immune to the effects of sequestration either.
The NPS announced recently that evening hours would be cut this summer at Philadelphia's
Independence Hall and Liberty Bell. Independence National Historic Park is losing $1.2 million of a $24
million budget. Based on attendance numbers from last year, the shortened hours mean that this year
about 43,000 fewer people will see where our Founding Fathers debated the Constitution. Additionally, the
park is being forced to delay maintenance and upkeep, close five other historic buildings at the park and
leave nine positions unfilled.
Ellis Island Immigration Museum is unlikely to open at all this year. While Hurricane Sandy is to blame for
the damage which has placed the museum out of service, the sequester is making it virtually impossible
to make necessary repairs at this time. Not only is the Parks Service being sequestered, but the
Hurricane Sandy Relief funds are also part of the $26 billion in cuts.

Be supportive of the efforts of parks
employees. Poorly maintained
campgrounds and restrooms as well as
longer lines to get into parks will likely
be the effects of poorly staffed parks. Do
your part to clean up after yourself and
be patient with wait times.
Spread the word. Post the national
parks badges on your own website
or blog to raise awareness and show
your support. The national parks
need America’s support to survive
the effects of sequestration.
Visit the national parks and
monuments this summer. You can
purchase a National Parks Annual
Pass for $80, which grants you
access to all national parks. There
are almost 400 to choose from.
How You Can Help
While we accept that budget cuts are necessary, we fear that they will cause irreversible damage to our
national parks. There are several ways you can help ensure that the parks and monuments we now enjoy
are still around for future generations:

Take a moment to view the many wonderful sights
our National Parks have to offer.

Its trunk can
have a diameter of
35 feet
The giant sequoia is around
269 feet tall
Sequoia National Park
California
www.NationalParkReservations.com

With over
700 lakes
Only 130
of them have names
Glacier National Park
Montana

At Bryce Canyon you can see
7,500 stars
At night, most rural parts of the U.S. only
2,500 stars are visible
Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah

Death Valley is home to the
Sailing Stones
which mysteriously move great lengths,
leaving nothing but an eerie trail behind
Death Valley National Park
California

Often referred to as
3 parks in 1
with 3 different ecosystems:
Olympic National Park
Washington
Glacier capped mountains,
wild pacific coast,
and rain forest.

Shenandoah National Park
Virginia
An estimated
300-500 black bears
roam Shenandoah

Crater Lake National Park
Oregon
Crater Lake is filled with
over 250 years
of rain and melted snow

The word “Zion” is Hebrew. It means,
A place of peace
and relaxation
Zion National Park
Utah

Members of one
Native American Tribe
still live inside the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona

Grand Teton is home to over
200 miles of trails
which is the equivalent to about
3,400 football fields
Grand Teton National Park
Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming
In the 1880’s Old Faithful was
Used as a laundromat
by members of the Washburn-Langford
Doane Expedition

Yosemite measures
748,542 acres
with 94%
designated to wilderness
Yosemite National Park
California

This cliff dwelling palace includes
150 rooms
& 75 open areas
Mesa Verde National Park
Colorado

In 2012 Big Bend was named as
1 of 10 places on the planet
certified for dark stargazing
Big Bend National Park
Texas

Acadia National Park is over
47,000 acres
Acadia National Park
Maine

The Badlands climate is unpredictable
with temperatures ranging from
-40 F to 116 F
Badlands National Park
South Dakota

Arches National Park
Utah
Arches National Park has cataloged
2,000 arches

Denali National Park
Alaska
December 2, 1980
Mt. McKinley National Park was
increased in size and renamed to
Denali National Park

Grand Staircase Escalante
National Monument
Utah
Thousands of
Anasazi ruins
Within the fiery orange and red canyons
lie uncountable hidden treasures such as:

Isle Royale National Park
Michigan
Hard winters sometimes allow animals to
Travel over the frozen lake
from the Canadian mainland

Joshua Tree National Park
California
Joshua Tree National Park measures
1,022,703 acres

Lake Havasu State Park
Arizona
The original London Bridge
was shipped stone-by-stone and
Reconstructed in Lake Havasu City

Lake Mead National Park
Arizona/Nevada
The largest man-made lake in the U.S. with
550 miles of shoreline

Lake Powell National Park
Utah
Lake Powell reached “full pool” in 1980. It took
17 years to fill up

Mammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system with
390 miles of passageways

Mount Rushmore National Park
South Dakota
George Washington’s head is
60 feet tall

North Cascades National Park
Washington
In 1971, North Cascades had
318 glaciers
the most glaciers from any
park outside Alaska

Redwood National Park
California
Parts of Redwood National Park’s
old growth forests were used in the filming of
The Star Wars Saga

Rocky Mountain National Park
Colorado
359 miles of trail offer
endless opportunities to hikers, backpackers,
horseback riders, bird-watchers, and photographers

Blue Ridge Parkway
Virginia/North Carolina
The motor road crosses
151 bridges
and goes through
26 tunnels

Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
Tennessee/North Carolina
Great Smoky Mountains contain nearly
100 historic structures
dating back to the 1800s

Canyon de Chelly
National Monument
Arizona
Canyon de Chelly
National Monument
Arizona
Ledge Ruin Overlook is where
rock climbing began.
Ruins rest on a ledge about
100 feet above
the canyon floor
Ledge Ruin Overlook is where
rock climbing began.
Ruins rest on a ledge about
100 feet above
the canyon floor

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Ohio
Cuyahoga
means
Crooked River
In Mohawk, which is part of
the Iroquoian language family

Clusters of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching
1,000 feet above the valley floor
Monument Valley National Park
Arizona/Utah

Kilauea is sometimes called
The world’s only
drive-in volcano
which currently produces
250,000-650,000 cubic yards
of lava per day
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii

Everglades National Park
Florida
Home to many different endangered species such as:
American Alligator,
Florida Panther,
and various types of turtles

Average rainfall in Haleakala is
53 inches per year
Haleakala National Park
Hawaii

The historic Fruita Orchards contain over
2,700 fruit bearing trees
pick and eat all you want for free
Capitol Reef National Park
Utah

Petrified Forest National Park
Arizona
Giant fossilized logs
scattered throughout, like headstones
Giant fossilized logs
scattered throughout, like headstones

Theodore Roosevelt came to the North Dakota Badlands
in September 1883 to hunt Buffalo, within weeks
He bought a ranch
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota

During March-August of 1985 wind speeds
Measured up to 75mph
Wind Cave National Park
South Dakota

Biscayne National Park
Florida
Only 5% of the Biscayne National Park
Consists of land

The glaciers in Glacier Bay are
Retreating faster than any
other glaciers in the world
The glaciers in Glacier Bay are
Retreating faster than any
other glaciers in the world
Glacier Bay National Park
and Preserve
Alaska

The Canyonlands are largely covered by
Cryptobiotic crust
a living soil, comprised of algae, lichens, and bacteria
Canyonlands National Park
Utah

Lassen Volcanic National Park
California
The only National Park with all
4 types of volcanoes

French Canadian voyageurs paddled canoes for fur trading companies
In the late 18th and 19th centuries
Voyageurs National Park
Minnesota

The Gunnison River took
2,000,000 years
to carve out the Black Canyon
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
National Park
Colorado

Guadalupe Mountains
National Park
Texas
The tallest mountain in Texas is
Guadalupe Peak

The waters surrounding the
Dry Tortugas are home to nearly
300 shipwrecks
Dry Tortugas National Park
Florida

NATIONAL PARK
RESERVATIONS
Brought to you by:
http://www.nationalparkreservations.com

The Sequester is hurting our National Parks - Support Our Parks

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