Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park

Group Gives National Park System ‘Fair’ Grade

National parks across the country, including ones in Washington, face obstacles to protecting their natural and cultural resources because of underfunding and understaffing, according to a new report by a national conservation group.

The report released Tuesday by the National Parks Conservation Association gives the National Park System only a “fair” grade. The assessment, “The State of Our National Parks: A Resources Index,” was based on studies since 2000 of 54 parks, including Washington’s Olympic National Park, San Juan Island National Historical Park and Nez Perce National Historical Park.