United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-01-03 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:RCED-94-59 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-59 P0b002ee18038ba5b f:rc94059 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-59 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-59 RCED-94-59 National parks Conservation Environmental policies Land management Environmental legislation Natural resources National historic sites Environmental monitoring National recreation areas Pollution Superfund Program Letter Report RCED Activities outside the boundaries of the national parks, including pollution generated by power plants and manufacturers, are threatening unique natural and cultural resources. The Park Service, however, is unaware of the extent to which these resources are being threatened because it does not maintain an inventory of the number, types, and sources of threats or the damage caused. The Park Service needs this information to pinpoint and counter the most urgent threats. The Park Service has a resource planning system to identify resource management problems but does not use it to identify and inventory threats. GAO surveyed park managers, who identified more than 600 threats that fell into the following categories: urban encroachment, water quantity and quality issues, air pollution, and human activities. Park managers claim that about two-thirds of the threats have already resulted in damage, including diminished scenic views, polluted streams, and destruction of wildlife and habitat. Furthermore, they expect that virtually all of the threats will inflict additional damage during the next five years. Although park managers say that action has been taken to counter more than half of the threats, this typically involved community outreach, which requires the cooperation of multiple parties and often is the first step toward minimizing damage to park resources. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-59/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-59.htm GAO/RCED-94-59 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-59 Letter Report GAO/RCED-94-59; National Park Service: Activities Outside Park Borders Have Caused Damage to Resources and Will Likely Cause More; National parks Conservation Environmental policies Land management Environmental legislation Natural resources National historic sites Environmental monitoring National recreation areas Pollution Superfund Program