Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt says he will halt
all construction of new roads, hotels and entertainment facilities
in national parks and monuments. “Roads are the enemies of national
parks: They disrupt, divide and fragment,” Babbitt said in a speech
to Park Service employees on the steps of Independence Hall in
Philadelphia. “Our task is to invite visitors out of their cars and
away from the roads.” The speech was part of Babbitt’s initiative
to restore morale and confidence in the national park system, which
is still suffering from a $5 billion backlog in maintenance and
resource protection projects left over from the Reagan and Bush
administrations (HCN, 5/16/94). Babbitt also promised to defend
parks aggressively from development outside their borders, and to
manage parks as parts of larger ecosystems. To fund the new
initiatives, the secretary plans to renegotiate contracts with
concessionaires, increase park entry fees and solicit funding from
the private sector and gateway communities. Environmental groups
welcomed Babbitt’s remarks, but said the test will be in making
changes in the field.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Roads are the enemies.
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