Defacing Our National Parks

Re “Thieves, Vandals Chipping Away at Hard-Pressed National Parks,” Aug. 17: As I gazed in wonder two weeks ago at perhaps the most awesome sight this Earth affords, I overheard an Austrian tourist ask an American young man not to throw a stone over the Grand Canyon because the falling rock might accidentally hit a hiker. The American dropped the rock on the ground and said he didn’t realize that could happen.

Later I saw a father helping his two children scrawl their names on a rock near one of the observation areas, and I also saw other tourists--Americans mostly--tossing rocks over canyon walls or feeding ground squirrels. There are signs posted throughout the park asking that visitors not deface the grounds, feed the wild animals, litter, throw rocks or take plants or stones. But that’s what many visitors do. And most of them are Americans.

I can only conclude that many of my fellow countrymen can’t read or have poor values or both. The only things my wife and I took from the Grand Canyon are the dust on our shoes, scores of photos, some souvenirs purchased at gift shops and memories of the grandest views we will probably ever see. That’s all any visitor should take.

Bill Spaniel

Valencia

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Your article was disturbing but not surprising. While there will always be a few rebellious, angry individuals who wantonly destroy the property of others, most people would never consider stealing or desecrating the property of a neighbor whose home they visit. So fortunately most of us don’t need to hire a staff to continually patrol our property.

But as long as we consider nature to be an unlimited resource to use at our disposal for whatever we see fit, instead of as a neighbor with whom we need to live respectfully, we will continue to have growing numbers of people who consider it their right to litter, deface and confiscate whatever they please from our national parks, forests and monuments.

After all, not a day goes by that our culture doesn’t demonstrate that we consider ourselves to have dominion over nature and can raze it, lease it, sell it, drill it, pave it over or exploit it however best serves our purposes.

Sarah Anne Edwards

Dir., Pine Mountain Institute

Pine Mountain Club, Calif.

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Your article struck at the heart of my very soul. You see, I’m a baby boomer with fond memories of my dad taking our East Coast family in our ’57 Chevy to visit the great national parks. Touring more than 100 national parks and sites across the country by car during my childhood--from the Grand Canyon to Mt. Rushmore to Yellowstone, Mesa Verde, the Black Hills and Bryce--I never tired of the beauty of these places. I promised myself one day I would return with my own children so they could see this same splendor. I remember the parks were pristine and well-kept back then.

Then, as a college student in 1977, I returned to Yellowstone to work for a summer. Again, I was in awe of the sights I would see each day. I went back to many locales I’d visited with my family a decade earlier, but something was different. The park had begun to show some signs of wear and tear. Since then, I’ve been blessed with a husband and children. When they’re old enough, I had hoped to take our triplets (age 5) and son (age 6) to visit our national parks. What will I tell them when they ask who vandalized an old mine shaft or why they can’t see some ancient fossils because someone stole them? What can I say when they see the same graffiti in the parks that we left behind back in Los Angeles?

The National Park Act of 1924 states that our parks were created for the enjoyment of present and future generations. It is the duty and responsibility of every American who has ever enjoyed even one of our national crown jewels to protect them and to teach our children to respect and treasure what our forefathers have worked so hard for. America has more natural beauty than any other nation on Earth--why would we want to throw it all away? Education begins in the home, teaching our children values and national pride--not self-hate and destruction of our homeland.

Janis Elspas

Los Angeles

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The solution to the parks’ problem is to charge more to enter them. Oh, I know the powers that be say they are for the people and some could not afford to go, but these same people can afford trips to Disneyland, color TVs, VCRs, SUVs and even the wonder of beepers and cell phones. The last time I went to Yosemite we were charged under $10 for a carful. I told the ranger I would be willing to pay $50. I think most would. It would make them think about where they are, too. Maybe the worth of the park is the worth of the ticket.

Vicki Larremore

Burbank