National Parks Working Together

Whenever land ownership and government come together, there are bound to be issues as to how people feel that the land should be used. Every park has its problems. Some have to fight seemingly constant wildfires, while others have to stop endless threats by poachers. Others, however, are embroiled in politics. Surprisingly, this can often have a positive impact.

The parks services of several countries often come together to solve international problems. The U.S., Mexico and Canada, for example, use the National Parks System to help regulate problems such as border control and inter-boundary pollution. For example, national park systems in these countries work together to locate disrespectful park visitors who camp in one area and dump trash into rivers and streams that flow from one country to the next. Additionally, parks on boundary lines, such as Rio Grande National Park in Texas and Glacier National Park in Montana, carefully observe the visitors coming in and out of the park grounds. In this way, they are able to control those who might be violating the country's immigration policy.

Glacier National Park, Mont.
Tom Murphy/National Geographic/Getty Images
A bighorn sheep ram rests in an alpine meadow in Glacier National Park, Mont.

Other countries work together in surprising ways. While some may not know it, the Middle East contains a rich and diverse ecosystem. The Red Sea region of Saudi Arabia houses juniper forests, carpets of wildflowers, mountains, pristine sea shores and a bevy of interesting wildlife, like baboons, red foxes and hyraxes. The U.S. parks service worked with Saudi Arabia in 1979 to create Asir National Park to protect these areas. This was a long time before international conflict between the Middle East and the U.S.; however, these two regions continue to work together to scout lands viable for parks in the Middle East. Current projects exist between the U.S. National Park Service, Jordan and Qatar for preservation of natural and historical sites.

In other parts of the world, parks have been used to keep the peace nationally. In Australia, for example, most of the lands of Kakadu National Park belong to Aboriginal tribes who lease their land to the government. They say that the government can use the land, as long as it preserves the Aboriginal culture and teaches visitors about it. This is exciting, since this national park provides evidence of human life from 30,000 years ago. Similarly, the Maori tribes of New Zealand have donated land for Tongariro National Park as a way to ensure continued respect for their sacred national volcanoes and preservation of their culture.

National Park Enforcement
With parks around the world facing challenging issues, each takes a different approach toward ensuring the safety and sanctity of the parks. Jordan, for example, employs a special guard called the Environmental Ranger Force, which enforces a variety of laws from vehicle emissions to wildlife protection. This force collaborated with the U.S. Forestry Service and Environmental Protection Agency to help train and identify problems. India faces a dire threat to the tiger population due to poachers. Recently, leaders have approved funding for new tiger reserves and a new ranger force to battle tiger poachers. The rangers are specially trained and armed to combat those who attempt to hunt the endangered species.


Are you interested in visiting a national park? Possibly spending a few evenings sleeping under the stars? Read the next page for a few tips that you might find helpful.

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