William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review
Abstract
This Note will argue for a major expansion of the National Park Service and provide a framework for the implementation of such an expansion. Part I provides an overview of the National Park Service’s holdings and fundamental purpose and discusses how overcrowding negatively affects visitors, the resource, and the NPS mission, and argues for a stricter enforcement of the “impairment standard.” Part II outlines the way in which Congress and the president can create national parks. Part III proposes a major expansion of the national parks—both the expansion of existing park units and the creation of new ones—as the solution and discusses the legal, environmental, and social benefits of the proposal. Finally, Part IV discusses additional considerations for preserving the national parks, such as the provision of alternative transportation, the need for increased staffing, and the importance of pre-emptive management—all of which can help create a more equitable and sustainable National Park System for the future.
This abstract has been taken from the author's introduction.