June 16, 2017

Parks: Endangered species need their shelter

Re: “Spend more on national park upkeep,” (TNT editorial, 6/1).

I commend U.S. Reps. Derek Kilmer and Dave Reichert for their bipartisan collaboration on the National Park Service Legacy Act. Such an effort would seem to fit with the Trump Administration’s promised commitment to infrastructure improvements.

The News Tribune Editorial Board did well to point out both the backlog of deferred maintenance projects and the economic and recreational benefits that stem from the millions of visitors to parks each year.

It is also important to emphasize the role that our national parks play as some of the last remaining protected areas for native species and as critical habitat for Northwest species that are listed as threatened or endangered, like the marbled murrelet and Puget Sound chinook salmon.


By:  Daniel J. Sherman
Source: The News Tribune