National Parks on the Decline?

Abstract

In the last few weeks, many have worried whether Congress would reach a budget agreement by March 1. Unfortunately, President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders came out of a White House meeting in late February without a resolution to the budget gridlock, referred to in Washington as “The Sequester.” The Sequester, put into effect by executive order on March 1, 2013, will drastically affect natural resources and environmental programs across the country. Under the Budget Control Act of 2011, the sequester requires budget cuts of $1.2 trillion over 10 years, and the first round of cuts will be about $85.3 billion for the fiscal year ending September 30.4 This will prove to be detrimental to our nation’s resources. Frances Beinecke, president of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”), said recently, “This is not political theater. The budget cuts are real and they are going to hit home. They strike at the core of essential health and environmental programs that many Americans depend.