Human beings initially considered the need of coexisting with the surrounding nature and made decisions that were friendly to the environment. However, things are fast changing and human beings are now asserting their dominion over the natural environment. This scenario is clearly evident in the case of the natural forests, which now being slashed down as human beings search for more land to settle. The modern society is highly industrialized. There is extensive land development and urbanization in the United States, which has led to the widespread destruction of the natural environment. While many common Americans value the National Parks, the policy makers have been the problem when it comes to the issue of preserving the environment. The current new U.S administration led by President Donald Trump is also indicating that it may be the problem in the quest for preservation of the National Parks. Despite donating his first-quarter salary to the National Park Service, the policies being implemented by Donald Trump have far-reaching negative impacts on the course of preserving this natural environment. For instance, Trump made a proposal of slashing spending at the Department of Interior by $1.5 billion (Nabokov & Loendorf, 2016). This amount translates into a reduction of 12% in expenditure funds at the National Park Service. According to most experts, implementation of this budgetary policy proposed by Trump will significantly harm the National Parks preservation programs. This paper argues that the Federal Government must prioritize and enhance the efforts of preserving National Parks in the United States of America.
The Government of the United States must preserve the country’s National Parks. It is known that the current President of the U.S. is much focused on the industrial development of the country and appears to have lost sight of the importance of the National Parks to the Americans. Where and industrial development policy is in direct conflict with the need for preservation of the natural environment, Donald Trump prefers implementing the former and foregoing the latter. This stance is very dangerous for the entire nation of the United State. It is also known from the mainstream media that Donald Trump is always in a frosty relationship with the National Park Service agency (Duffy, 2014). This frosty relationship began after his inauguration when the agency posted on its twitter handle photographs comparing the crowd at Trump’s inauguration and the one at the Obama inauguration. However, it is high time for the President to exercise leadership qualities by considering such differences as non-issues and focusing on a substantial agenda of preserving the National Parks of the country. This move must be informed by the fact that many Americans fancy National Parks, thus, any action that may kill this source of pride and joy would not augur well with them.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
It is not only the Americans who have an enduring passion for the American National Parks, but also people from all over the world. The government must preserve the national parks because of their importance. It is vital to note that national parks in the country usually connect citizens with their shared heritage and stories. They are the source of life for the American history. They stand as the top tourist attraction for the United States of America, especially because of their affordability (Nabokov & Loendorf, 2016). Therefore, they are a major source of revenue for the government. It is the reason the government must realize the sense of preserving these important natural environments.
With the policies being implemented by the current new regime in the United States of America, it is clear that the national parks are at a very high risk of destruction and constriction. The current is just perpetuating what started over the last one decade in terms of expenditure allocations for the National Park Service programs. In the past 10 years, the national park budgets have been steadily falling with the reduced funding by the federal government. Today, the National Park Service budget suffers from an annual operations shortfall of over $500 million (Foresta, 2013). This agency currently lacks sufficient funds to enable it maintain park sewer systems, the surfaces of roads and roofs. These maintenance activities are quite necessary for the preservation of the national parks in the United States.
The sequester reduced another $153 million to the national park budgetary allocations. The Congress has also has contemplated funding cuts to the National Park Service, whose main impact is even felt in the rangers, visitors centers as well as the campgrounds. It is important to note that parks today have very few rangers to provide protection and maintain them. There are also minimized visitor periods. Park accessibility and enjoyment has greatly been hampered by the decision to constantly funding for the programs of the National Park Service.
The Director of the National Park Service commissioned the National Park System Advisory Board in the year 1999 to come up with a report detailing the framework for preserving the national park system for the next period of 25 years. The report given enumerated the reasons governments must enhance the preservation of the national parks. The major reason for preserving the national parks is that they are the effective pathways to learning. Those who visit the national parks in the United States gain huge knowledge about various things, which may not be taught to them in the schools. The national parks in the United States of America have some of the world’s most magnificent landscapes, rich diversity of plants and animals, American culture and the historic objects. Visitors of the United States national parks are able to learn about the country’s heritage in a practical and real manner, which misses in the traditional classrooms at schools. The rich American history is also learnt through touring these national parks. The parks are a rich source of knowledge about the culture of the American people. For instance, the national parks usually preserve some of the best examples of biomes. In the school textbook, a biome is simply a word and illustration, but in the national park it is a functional partnership of stream and forest, fish and crustacean, bird and insect. Without implementing proper plans aimed at preserving the national parks in the country, this learning opportunity may be destroyed. It is the reason the government must implement strategies aimed at preserving the national parks.
The other reason for preservation of the national parks is that they make the history of the United States to be alive. It must be noted that most of the American national parks are designated for the purpose of preserving very significant aspects of the country’s history. Some of the national parks that are specifically designated for the purpose of preserving the history of the United States of America include Gettysburg, San Antonio Missions, Valley Forge, the Frederick Douglass House and Little Bighorn among others. Furthermore, the National Park Service agency is mandated by the law to help with the historic preservation beyond the park boundaries. Those who were born during this 21st century and the future generations rely solely on the national parks to get the real primary information regarding the history of the country (Hansen, Piekielek, Davis, Haas, Theobald, Gross & Running, 2014). Therefore, if the government continues to frustrate the functions of the National Park Service in terms of maintaining these natural environments it may as well deny the future generations an opportunity feel the history of the country. It is a matter of fact that the country cannot afford to have this source of history destroyed. The government must, thus, rise up and support the preservation of national parks.
The government must preserve the national parks because protecting nature is the same as providing protection to ourselves. Preservation of the biodiversity of the national parks leads to the sustainable human life on earth. The natural plants and animals within the United States are essential for a clean environment. The trees play the role of water catchment while the animals add to the beauty of the nation. Hazards such as soil erosion and droughts can be prevented through the preservation of the national parks by the government. Moreover, environmental management through the preservation of the national parks is significant for the achievement of sustainability (Isne, 2013). In the entire United States of America, it is common knowledge that progressive and effective businesses, industries and communities gain good operations when the management of the environment is effective. Today, the environmental issues are integral parts of business processes. No business or community can succeed without valuing the matter of preserving the environment. The American people have also become quite sensitive to issues that affect their natural environment. Therefore, a government that may undermine the efforts of preserving the national parks loses significant touch with the American people on the ground.
National parks are the only preferred places that provide outdoor recreation to individuals during leisure and holidays. Most people in the United States and from all over the world tour America to view the fascinating scenes in the country’s national park. If the maintenance efforts are hampered by the frustrations from the government then the whole public may suffer. The government need not continue pursuing policies of reducing the budgetary allocation to the National Parks Service agency, but increase it so that the organization can implement strategies and programs aimed at preserving the natural plants and animals.
There are many believers in the growth of industries, who do not see the sense of preserving the national parks of the country. To Donald Trump, there are many other issues that need more funding than the conservation of the national parks. The argument, in this view, is that human beings need more land for settlement and must advance from the dependence on the natural environment to the improvement of life standards through industrialization. However, such an argument and view point is inaccurate and disconnected from the reality on the ground. It must be noted that even growth and sustainability of the industries needs a preserved natural environment (Monahan & Fisichelli, 2014). The industries cannot grow and advance in a desert, but only do so in places where the natural environment is preserved and there is water. The federal government must stop the continued cut down of funding for the National Park Service.
The main argument of this paper is that the federal government of the United States must preserve the national parks of the country. There are various reasons for the need to preserve the natural environment, which have been explained in the paper. National parks in this country are very dear to the common population. It is the place for recreation to most families. Above all, the national parks are places for massive learning on different aspects of human life. The history of the United States of America is richly present within these national parks. Preserving them is, thus, the same as providing protection to human life in the United States.
References
Duffy, R. (2014). Waging a war to save biodiversity: the rise of militarized conservation. International Affairs , 90 (4), 819-834.
Foresta, R. A. (2013). America's national parks and their keepers . Abidgon-on-Thames: Routledge.
Hansen, A. J., Piekielek, N., Davis, C., Haas, J., Theobald, D. M., Gross, J. E., ... & Running, S. W. (2014). Exposure of US National Parks to land use and climate change 1900–2100. Ecological Applications , 24 (3), 484-502.
Isne, J. (2013). Our national park policy: A critical history (Vol. 7). Abidgon-on-Thames: Routledge.
Monahan, W. B., & Fisichelli, N. A. (2014). Climate exposure of US national parks in a new era of change. PLoS One , 9 (7), e101302.
Nabokov, P., & Loendorf, L. (2016). Restoring a Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park . Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.
Annotated bibliography
Duffy, R. (2014). Waging a war to save biodiversity: the rise of militarized conservation. International Affairs , 90 (4), 819-834.
This article written by Duffy and published in 2014 gives the importance of maintaining the biodiversity of the country through preserving the national parks. It must be noted that the argument of this paper, which calls upon the government to enhance efforts of preserving national parks is informed by the fact that biodiversity is necessary for the human life. Therefore, this article is very relevant to the content of this paper providing insights on the importance of biodiversity and how it can be maintained in principle. The author of the article is a renowned environmentalist hence the content of the article is presumed logical. It is objective and has no bias the way points are presented. It was greatly informed the stance taken in this paper.
Foresta, R. A. (2013). America's national parks and their keepers . Abidgon-on-Thames: Routledge.
This book written by Foresta on the national parks of the United States is highly relevant to this paper. Firstly, it talks about the same subject matter as that of this paper. From this book knowledge about the nature of the national parks in the United States can be got. The examples of national parks designated for the purpose of giving the American history, as mentioned in this paper, were derived from this book. It has a very coherent and consistent message that is easy to understand. Moreover, the book is devoid of biasness and lack of objectivity.
Hansen, A. J., Piekielek, N., Davis, C., Haas, J., Theobald, D. M., Gross, J. E., ... & Running, S. W. (2014). Exposure of US National Parks to land use and climate change 1900–2100. Ecological Applications , 24 (3), 484-502.
This article offers very informative insights regarding the impact of human activities on the national parks in the United States. The basic reason for preserving national parks is because they are the risk of extinction caused by human activities. The growth of industrialization is increasing climate change, which then adversely affect the U.S. national parks. The growth of the human population is building pressure on the space of land occupied by the national parks, as people expand into these lands to set up settlements. Both cases threaten to completely destroy national parks in the United States. This article gives the grim picture of the state of affairs in the U.S. national parks. Its main message is that the government and the American society must rise up and preserve the national parks from climate change and human encroachment.
Isne, J. (2013). Our national park policy: A critical history (Vol. 7). Abidgon-on-Thames: Routledge.
This book written by Isne and published in 2013 presents the policy implemented to control the national parks in the United States. It is important to note that in calling upon the government to change its approach and enhance efforts towards preserving national parks, this paper was informed by the fact that history shows the federal government has over the past one decade been frustrating the functions of the National Parks Service agency. Much of this information is found in this book. From this book, it is clear that the government has been steadily cutting down the funding to the National Parks Service. Therefore, this is a very relevant book for this paper.
Monahan, W. B., & Fisichelli, N. A. (2014). Climate exposure of US national parks in a new era of change. PLoS One , 9 (7), e101302.
This article is also relevant to the content of this paper. It provided information regarding the impact of climate change on the national parks in the United States. Industries are the main cause of climate change in the United States. From this article, it is evident that any policy that seeks to allow the companies, whose activities are not environment-friendly, is wrong. Only green industries must be allowed to operate in the United States of America. The content in this article is very credible and reliable since it involves research from other scholarly and peer-reviewed secondary sources. Facts are accompanied with statistics from reputable survey bodies in the United States.
Nabokov, P., & Loendorf, L. (2016). Restoring a Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park . Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.
The conclusion of this argument paper is giving recommendations to the government on preserving the national parks of the country. This book offers very rich and credible information on the effective ways of preserving the national parks. It is even quite specific in terms of its recommendations, making it very relevant for this study. The given proposals for the two national parks in this book can be applied in all the others. I found this book very useful to this argument essay because it up to date hence has information that takes into account the current trends and challenges.
