How can we reduce environmental damage when the national park becomes overcrowded due to the increased outdoor heat after the pandemic?
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As a result of the recommendation to avoid the three densities of closed, dense, and close due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the popularity of the outdoors is increasing in Japan in search of an open space in nature. I will . In the United States as well, as a result of the rise in outdoor fever , the number of visitors to national parks full of nature is rapidly increasing, and the damage to the environment caused by overcrowding of human beings has become a new problem.
Post-pandemic overcrowding of national parks causing bigger problems than just long lines | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/overcrowding-us-national-parks.html
A national park is a nationally managed park for the purpose of nature conservation, and is an area where you can come into contact with abundant nature such as wild animals. After the spread of vaccination and the end of the pandemic in the United States, the number of tourists visiting national parks has increased sharply in reaction to the fact that they were forced to stay home due to a request to refrain from blocking the city and going out unnecessarily. It is said that it is.
Arches National Park in Utah was visited by 194,000 people in April 2021, an increase of 15% compared to April 2019. Similarly, Canyonlands National Park in Utah saw a 30% increase in April visitors from 2019 to 2021, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee from January 1st to May 20th, 2021. The number of visitors to the site exceeded 3.13 million, an increase of 115% compared to the same period in 2020 when the pandemic occurred.
The increase in the number of visitors to the national park is said to be mainly caused by tourists who have never been to the national park, and experts are concerned about the impact of overcrowding in the national park. 'We all want to experience national parks, but not everyone can go at once,' said Michael Childers, an associate professor of national parks at Colorado State University.
Overcrowding of national parks can be broadly divided into two problems. The first problem is that the 'experience' of the visiting tourists is impaired. 'National parks are designed to allow visitors to experience the beauty of nature and the history of the place, but it's hard to wait in line for a hike or find a parking lot. It's hard to experience the beauty of nature and the history of the place if you're lazy. '
And the second problem is that the large number of visitors puts a strain on the environment of the national park. For example, in
Associate Professor Childers said, 'The National Park Service has laid a sidewalk higher than the ground to solve this problem, but too many visitors come by car and park, and sightseeing around the trees. Customers are still a problem. ' He pointed out that in addition to the garbage and noise brought in by people and the exhaust gas from cars, the increased possibility of encounters between animals and people can also have an adverse effect on the environment.
The pandemic did lead to an increase in the number of visitors to the national park, but in reality, the overcrowding of the national park was regarded as a problem even before the pandemic. The number of people visiting national parks in 1919 was 781,000 in the United States as a whole, but in 1969 it increased rapidly to 159 million and in 2019 it increased to 327 million. This is related to the spread of automobiles and the development of the tourism industry, and it is said that more people are visiting national parks by preparing infrastructure such as roads and accommodations to cope with overcrowding. That thing.
Associate Professor Childers argues that there is more than one solution to overcrowding in national parks, and that it is important to combine the following options:
・ Increased government spending
It is important for the government to increase spending on national parks, to equip them with ticket machines to reduce queues, large parking lots to prevent traffic jams, trash cans, toilets, etc., in order to increase the number of people that can be accommodated in national parks. is. But even more important is 'increasing the number of people managing national parks,' said Associate Professor Childers. He said it is necessary to invest in staff and scientists who manage national parks properly to eliminate chronic staff shortages.
・ Make reservations for visits to national parks
Setting an upper limit on the number of people who can visit a national park at one time and making reservations is one way to prevent overcrowding of visitors. While this method may improve the experience for tourists visiting national parks, it may be a frustrating method for heavy users and tourists who frequently visit national parks.
・ Visitors are responsible for themselves
The final option is for people who come to the national park to act responsibly. 'We need to change the expectations that our visitors have,'you can always visit and experience popular national parks as you like.' This change is probably the most difficult, but most influential.' Said Associate Professor Childers.
Associate Professor Childers says that while the relationship with national parks needs change, national parks are still indispensable for people and they want as many people as possible to experience them. .. 'The idea of a national park is to provide people with rest and thoughts in a great place. The more people who can enjoy a national park, the better, but we will continue to have a national park for future generations. We need to find a way to enjoy it. '
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