Feral horses at Cape Lookout National Seashore
by Sue Stuska, Ed.D.

Lessons from NEPA lawsuits
by Jake Hoogland

What can the National Park Service do about air quality problems?
by Christine Shaver

National Park Service prevails in court; environmental impact statement on schedule
by John D. Varley with Ann Deutch

National Natural Landmarks Program: Up and running ... and raring to go
by Steve Gibbons

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Parks exceed ozone standard in 1999
Five parks comprise the list of worst ozone-polluted units in the national park system in 1999, according to data from the NPS Air Resources Division. During the year, Sequoia–Kings Canyon National Park (California) logged 64 days on which it exceeded the level of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. Next was Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee), followed by Joshua Tree National Park (California). Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) and Shenandoah National Parks (Virginia) were fourth and fifth on the list, respectively. To exceed the national standard, a park must log an eight-hour period in which the average ozone concentrations exceed 85 parts per billion. In the case of Sequoia, the fourth-highest daily maximum eight-hour average for ozone (the statistical benchmark for determining compliance with the standard) was 108 parts per billion in 1999. Ozone is a secondary air pollutant that results from chemical reactions of emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in sunlight. It can cause human health problems and damage park vegetation.

Bison management planning moves forward
In December 1999 the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that discussions with the State of Montana had reached an impasse regarding a preferred alternative in the final environmental impact statement for managing bison in greater Yellowstone. The federal agencies intend to move forward with a final plan to protect Yellowstone's free-ranging bison population while maintaining Montana's brucellosis class-free status and minimizing the need for lethal control of bison. Efforts to produce a long-range plan have been under way since 1990, and a final decision is expected in fall 2000.

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Last Updated: 09/26/00
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