[dhs12345]

What frustrates the heck out of me is that many national parks didn’t initially require a lot of “maintenance.”

It is when they built huge and elaborate buildings and museums and other structures, tour buses, and then hire hundreds of people to maintain everything, that it becomes expensive.

[cripplecreek]

Here in Michigan our state parks are nicer than the national parks in my opinion.

[hinckley buzzard]

I have visited every national park in the southwest and others as well. I have yet to see a "huge elaborate building." Maybe some where. Tour buses, as in Zion, are a valuable asset which not only enhance the visitor's ability to enjoy farther reaches of the park, but spare wear and tear on the park environment. Most NPs don't have them however.

The NP system is a magnificent national treasure and there is no good reason for conservatives to be negative about them. As for the NPS, they don't invent parks, they are simply made responsible for decisions made by Congress and the president.

The park rangers I have met have been uniformly helpful and courteous and obviously love the land. Would that some others around here did the same.