National Parks

GAO concludes that there is cause for concern about the health of national parks. Visitor services were deteriorating at most of the park units that GAO reviewed. Services were being cut back, and the condition of many trails, campgrounds, and other facilities was declining. Trends in resource management were less clear because most park managers lacked enough data to determine the overall condition of their parks' natural and cultural resources. In some cases, parks lacked an inventory of the resources under their protection. Two factors strongly affected the levels of visitor services and the management of park resources--(1) additional operating requirements placed on parks by laws and administrative requirements and (2) increased visitation, which drives up the parks' operating costs. These two factors seriously eroded funding increases since the mid-1980s. The national park system is at a crossroads. Although the system continues to grow, conditions at the parks have been deteriorating and the dollar amount of the maintenance backlog has soared from $1.9 billion in 1988 to more than $4 billion today. Congress is faced with the following difficult policy choices: (1) increasing the amount of financial resources going to the parks, (2) limiting or reducing the number of units in the park system, and (3) reducing the level of visitor services. The Park Service should be able to stretch available resources by operating more efficiently and by improving its financial management and performance measuring systems.

GAO found that: (1) there is cause for concern about the condition of national parks for both visitor services and resource management; (2) the overall level of visitor services is deteriorating at most parks; (3) services are being cut back and the condition of many trails, campgrounds, and other facilities are declining; (4) effective resource management is difficult because most park managers lack sufficient data to determine the overall condition of their parks' natural and cultural resources; (5) parks have difficulty meeting additional operating requirements and accomodating increased visitation; and (6) the Park Service is considering increasing the amount of financial resources going to parks, limiting or reducing the number of units in the park system, and reducing the level of visitor services to improve its financial management and performance measurement systems.