National Park Service: Activities Outside Park Borders Have Caused Damage to Resources and Will Likely Cause More
RCED-94-59
Published: Jan 03, 1994. Publicly Released: Feb 09, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Park Service's actions to: (1) identify the number, type, and source of external threats to park resources; (2) identify resources that have been damaged by external threats; and (3) mitigate such damage.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, National Park Service, to revise the Park Service's resource management planning system so that the number, type, and source of external threats are specifically identified, an inventory is established, and priorities are set for addressing the threats. |
In commenting on a follow-up report on internal threats (GAO/RCED-96-202, August 23, 1996), Park Service officials said it would not implement this recommendation from the 1994 report because obtaining an inventory of and information on the condition of park resources was a greater priority for the agency than tracking the numbers and types of threats to the Park's resources by modifying the resources management planning system.
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| Department of the Interior | The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, National Park Service, to revise the Park Service's resource management planning system so that project statements are prepared for each external threat, describing the mitigation actions that can be taken. |
In commenting on a follow-up report on internal threats (GAO/RCED-96-202, August 23, 1996), Park Service officials said it would not implement this recommendation from the 1994 report because obtaining an inventory of and information on the condition of park resources was a greater priority for the agency than tracking threats to the park resources by modifying the resources management planning system.
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| Department of the Interior | The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, National Park Service, to revise the Park Service's resource management planning system so that the status of threat mitigation actions is monitored and revised as needed. |
Increased training has been provided for park superintendents and resources management staff to work with communities to mitigate threats. Also, the enhanced resources inventory and monitoring systems will allow for the identification of threats sooner as well as needed mitigation actions.
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