cover image The National Parks Compromised: Pork Barrel Politics and America's Treasures

The National Parks Compromised: Pork Barrel Politics and America's Treasures

James M. Ridenour. ICS Books, $14.99 (256pp) ISBN 978-1-57034-003-1

In a straightforward style, Ridenour, director of the National Park Service from 1989 to '93, chronicles his dealings with Congress, the executive branch and his own staff, and discusses the issues facing our national parks. He warns that the National Park system is sliding toward mediocrity, because Congress keeps adding parks that he believes have little national significance, thus spreading the Park Service too thinly. The book is organized into 27 relatively short chapters that range from describing the internal workings of the National Park Service to the threatened ecology of parks such as Yellowstone, the Everglades and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Especially interesting are Ridenour's adventures outside his office, such as his trek to Angel Falls in Venezuela and a visit to a leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Outdoor enthusiasts and professionals in the fields of land conservation and environmental management will enjoy the discussions of the issues that face our parks and the inside look at how the National Park Service operates within our political system. (Nov.)