National treasure or disgrace?

Snowmobiles, smog and souvenir seekers threaten U.S. parks

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - The natural haze that gave rise to the name Great Smoky Mountains has been replaced with air pollution. Today, souvenir-seeking tourists pilfer more than 20,000 pounds of fossilized wood each year from Arizona's Petrified Forest. And the air in Yellowstone is almost as smoggy as Los Angeles.

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Such is the state of a number of once pristine national parks that face the damaging threats of overcrowding, development and pollution. They are among some of the country's most protected sites that are included on a new list of top 10 endangered U.S. parks released by the National Parks Conservation Association.

"The list is a metaphor for troubled national parks all across the nation," said National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA) President Thomas Kiernan. "Some of our national parks are becoming a national disgrace."

NPCA is the only private, nonprofit organization dedicated solely to protecting and conserving the National Park System. It does not prioritize which of the top 10 they consider to be most endangered, according to NPCA spokesman Roger DiSilvestro. The organization says it plans to post suggested plans of action on its Internet site.

The NPCA cited noise and air pollution from snowmobiles as a major threat to Yellowstone National Park, which stretches through Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. During the winter season, about 1,000 of the motorized toys zoom through the park each day, and park officials say the air pollution levels are on par with large cities like Los Angeles and Denver.

The National Park Service says it is considering a ban on snowmobile traffic, which local communities say could cripple many businesses dependent on winter tourism at Yellowstone.

Further south, heavy auto traffic and air pollution from nearby power plants obscure the scenic vistas at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Overcrowding, development and industrial activity jeopardize other parks on the list, including Florida's Everglades. One site, Arizona's Petrified Forest, made the list because it loses as much as 12 tons of fossilized wood each year to souvenir hunters.

Also on the NPCA list is Alaska's Denali National Park, home to Mount McKinley, the highest point in the United States. The group said planned road, resort and snowmobile-related development will bring irrevocable change to pristine areas of the park.

This is the second annual NPCA list of endangered parks. The NPCA was founded in 1919 and today has more than 400,000 members.

The top 10 endangered parks, and NPCA's assessment of their threats:

• Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho): Air and noise pollution from snowmobiles.
• Denali National Park (Alaska): Proposed snowmobile access to wilderness areas, proposed road and resort building.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: (North Carolina, Tennessee): Visibility lost to pollution from vehicles and power plants.
• Joshua Tree National Park (California): Proposed landfill 1.5 miles from the border of this Mojave Desert park.
• Stones River National Battlefield (Tennessee): Highway expansion through the site of a Civil War Battle.
• Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona): Loss of an estimated 12 tons of fossilized wood to souvenir hunters each year.
• Ozarks Scenic Riverways National Park (Missouri): Proposals for increased lead mining at sites near protected rivers.
• National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom (Ohio): Lack of funding threatens deteriorating historic structures along slaves' 19th Century path to freedom.
• Everglades and Big Cypress National Park (Florida): Airport expansion, dramatic changes to water supply, and off-road vehicle use.
• Haleakala National Park (Hawaii): Proposed expansion of nearby airport.