National Parks Require Steady Funding

Re “Our Shortchanged Parks,” editorial, May 26: As soon as one enters Sequoia National Park it is impossible to resist the immense beauty in every corner. From the towering trees to the most minute bug, every part of our national parks is precious and unique. I spend most of my summers camping and exploring these national playgrounds and engulfing myself in what nature has to offer. Today, budget cuts have taken away much of the money these parks need to be kept up and managed.

The government needs to make a big shift in ideology and recognize that the Sequoia and Yellowstone parks are the gift we will leave for our children and grandchildren. When some of the most important programs (e.g., education, national parks) are suffering the largest budget cuts, it is hard to sit back and take it lightly.

So many presidents have emphasized the importance of national parks, yet the action of one president and one Congress places great amounts of stress on the national park program and eventually the national parks themselves. Millions of dollars are taken away from these beautiful wildernesses and are spent building a color system of terror alerts that seems to mean nothing. Things need to change or Yellowstone won’t be there tomorrow.

Jeff Canada

Santa Barbara