National Parks and Other Protected Areas | Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Many parks, refuges, and wilderness areas were designated for their unique characteristics and habitats. As species migrate in response to climate variability and change, these areas may no longer be able to support the flora and fauna that now reside there. (USGS)
National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and other protected areas harbor unique environments and wildlife not found elsewhere. This raises particular concerns about the vulnerability of these ecosystems to a changing climate. Many parks and refuges are designated to protect rare natural features or particular species of plants and animals. Changes in climate could create new stresses on natural communities, and, in the absence of adaptation, lead to the loss of valued resources.
National Parks and Other Protected Areas
Approximately 30 percent of the nation's land, almost 700 million acres, is owned by the public, over 80 million acres of which are managed by the National Park Service for the "enjoyment of future generations."
National parks and other protected areas are currently susceptible to events influenced by climatic variability, such as drought, wild fires, impaired air quality, and severe storms. Climate change may change the frequency and severity of these kinds of events. In some regions, the risk for drought and wildfire 
, for example, may increase with climate change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001). Along coastal regions, sea level rise could erode and inundate the beaches of the National Seashores and the wetlands of various National Wildlife Refuges and National Parks, precipitating loss of beaches, loss of habitat in estuarine ecosystems, and damage to property and natural resources from storm surges (IPCC, 2001).
Observations show that changing climatic conditions are already affecting some parks. For example, Montana's Glacier National Park has only 27 glaciers today, down from an estimated 150 glaciers that existed there in 1850. The largest glaciers in the park are, on average, only 28 percent of their previous size (Our Changing Planet, FY2006). Retreat of mountain glaciers has already begun in other parts of North America and in other regions of the world as well ( IPCC, 2001).
Bleaching of coral reefs has occurred near the Florida Keys in association with periods of climate variability, such as the 1997-98 El Niño according to NOAA's Coral Health and Monitoring Program (CHAMP). Therefore, it is likely that warmer water temperatures could lead to further bleaching events in the future.
In 2001 the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed a partnership to create the Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit for Teachers and Interpreters to help educators teach their students about the potential effects of climate change in parks, refuges and other protected areas. In 2003, the NPS and the EPA created a new program called Climate Friendly Parks (CFP). Through the CFP program, the two partner agencies are finding ways to reduce emissions from park activities and educate the public about potential impacts in the parks and what the agencies are doing to address those issues.
Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Outdoor recreation and tourism are sensitive to changes in temperature, rainfall, snowfall, and storm events, and are thus sensitive to climatic variability and change. Tourism businesses, which usually are location-specific, have a lower potential than tourists themselves (who have a wide variety of options) to adapt to climate change.
Shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns could lead to shifts in a variety of outdoor tourism and recreation opportunities, such as skiing, fishing and hunting. The effects of climate change on tourism in any particular area depend in part on whether the tourist activity is summer or winter-oriented and, for the latter, the elevation of the area and the impact of climate on alternative activities and destinations. The extent to which such ecological changes will affect tourism in parks and other protected areas is uncertain (IPCC, 2001).
Some possible effects on recreation and tourism in the U.S. include:
- Declines in coldwater and cool-water fish habitat may affect recreational fishing opportunities (IPCC, 2001).
- Shifts in migratory bird populations may affect recreational opportunities for birdwatchers, wildlife enthusiasts and hunters and anglers (IPCC, 2001).
- Coastal regions face the possibility of land loss due to sea-level rise. Replenishing beach sands may become a more extensive and costlier effort. In addition, the tourism industry related to snorkeling and scuba diving may be negatively affected by changes in coral reefs.
- Winter recreation, such as skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing, are likely to be affected by climate change, as might the businesses associated with them. Recreational opportunities may be decreased by reduced snowpack and fewer cold days. In regions with marginal climates for skiing, the costs to maintain skiing opportunities may rise. Vulnerability to change will depend upon location and adaptation; some businesses may be able to diversify the types of recreational activities they offer based upon the changing climate (IPCC, 2001).
- Alaska, one of the most popular travel destinations in the U.S., is undergoing a climate-driven transformation. For example, one study used aerial photographs and on-ground observation to determine that Kenai Peninsula in Alaska has been losing wetlands to a dryer, wooded landscape since at least 1950, which has also meant a reduction in habitat for migratory birds, many of which are favorites for birdwatchers (National Research Council of Canada, 2005).
- In the Arctic, important breeding and nesting areas for migratory birds may be lost, affecting bird watching opportunities at various latitudes in the U.S. (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004).
- As permafrost in far northern locations like Alaska begins melting, it may no longer support roads, buildings and other structures that had been built on it, affecting everyday lives of residents, as well as travel and commerce (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004).
References
- Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), 2004: Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 144 pp.
- IPCC, 2001: Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability . Contribution of Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [McCarthy, James J., Canziani, Osvaldo F., Leary, Neil A., Dokken, David J., and White, Kasey S. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1032pp.
- National Research Council of Canada, 2005
- NOAA's Coral Health and Monitoring Program
- Our Changing Planet, FY2006
- USGS - Impacts on Interior Resources
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