Beware creeping corporate influence on national parks

Rss@dailykos.com (sher Watts Spooner) · Sunday, June 12, 2016, 5:22 pm

I recently was lucky enough to travel to several national parks and national monuments in the Southwest, including Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, and all five parks in Utah. We were awash in nature, beauty, and Native American culture.

Everyone loves the national parks. For many, they are central to a beloved memory of a family vacation. Kids love to be sworn in as “junior rangers.” Heck, former first lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush Hager just came out with a new kids book, Our Great Big Backyard. And the closure of national parks during a government shutdown always produces the most outrage.

It would be a shame to be forced to slap a corporate sponsorship on what has been described as “America’s best idea.” Yet unless Congress comes through with needed funds to fix up to $12 billion in deferred maintenance, that might be the next step.

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