San Francisco Chronicle
Published March 20, 2002

National Parks cutback

By Mike Painter

LETTER TO EDITOR - Regarding Zachary Coile's article, "Park Service tried to conceal service cuts, files show" (March 18), on the National Park Service's attempts to cover up its plans to reduce operations due to lack of funding: George W. Bush was correct when he says he is a "war president," but Iraq is not the only war he is engaged in. There is a war on the environment, too, and our public lands are bearing the brunt of it.

For example, the administration has stopped its inventories of potential wilderness areas and has even leased some of them to energy companies. It has made it easier for states to claim "highways" in national parks, monuments and other lands. It continues to push for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The list goes on.

One has to wonder whether these funding crises are being manufactured in order to lead to the eventual privatization of our public lands. This is already happening through the various public-private "partnerships" being set up across the country.

Americans need to let their representatives know that our land management agencies deserve and require the levels of funding necessary to protect our public lands. They are our natural heritage and birthright.

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