Many of our iconic places are suffering from neglect. From deteriorating roads, bridges and buildings to threatened environmental resources, these natural and historic treasures have fallen into disrepair.
Conditions at most of the 412 National Parks, Battlefields, Monuments and Seashores have worsened in recent years because administrations and Congress have continually shortchanged parks’ capital budgets. The impact of so little investment in restoring key infrastructure has left a $12 billion dollar backlog to get parks, cultural sites and historic monuments into good shape, according to the latest National Park Service report on deferred maintenance.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that mold and rodents contaminated a visitor center at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin; a broken sewer line spilled raw sewage into Yosemite National Park’s streams; and the Grand Canyon’s only source of drinking water — an 83-year old pipeline — breaks regularly.
While national parks visitation is climbing (about 325 million this year, equivalent to the entire population of the United States!), the beleaguered stewards who care for parks just can’t stay ahead of the deterioration. Budget and staffing shortages threaten the maintenance of natural resources and potentially place the safety of park visitors at risk.
To rescue national parks from this crisis, a bold new initiative must be undertaken.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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