Climate change is having a significant impact on national and state parks throughout the United States. The effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures, more severe weather events, and sea-level rise, are affecting the natural resources and ecosystems that these parks were established to protect. Some examples of how climate change is affecting national and state parks include:
- Rising temperatures are causing glaciers to melt, which is affecting the water supply in many western national parks, such as Glacier National Park in Montana, and Joshua Tree National Park in California.
- Changing precipitation patterns are affecting the distribution and abundance of plant and animal species in many national parks, including Yosemite National Park in California, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.
- Sea-level rise is threatening coastal national parks, such as Everglades National Park in Florida and the Channel Islands National Park in California.
- Increasing frequency and severity of wildfire, drought, and storms are affecting the natural resources and ecosystems in many national parks, such as Joshua Tree National Park, Great Basin National Park, and Saguaro National Park.
In response to these challenges, the National Park Service and State Parks Service have developed a strategy to address the impacts of climate change on national and state parks. This strategy includes monitoring and assessing the impacts of climate change, developing and implementing management actions to increase the resilience of park resources and ecosystems, and engaging with partners and the public to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on national and state parks.
National and state parks are some of the most important places to understand the impacts of climate change and to develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to them. These parks provide opportunities for visitors to learn about the impacts of climate change and to take actions that can reduce their own carbon footprint and help mitigate the impacts.