Alaska's national parks adjust to warming climate

The long road into Denali National Park and Preserve is suffering from the effects of climate change and invasive species -- and that's a premonition of what's to come for the infrastructure built up by the National Parks Service in the 49th state's millions of acres of federally-protected lands. According to Reuters, "a rapidly warming climate is reshaping Denali, Kenai Fjords and other national parks of Alaska's heritage as America's last frontier." In Denali, "thawing permafrost is triggering mudslides" onto the park road, while "tall bushes newly sprouted on the tundra are blocking panoramic views" even as glaciers recede from conveniently constructed viewing area along it. According to the story and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Alaska has warmed at three times the rate of the Lower 48 states. Since nearly two-thirds of federal park lands are up here, the impact of thawing permafrost, particularly in places like Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve where average temperatures are expected to soon shift from below-freezing to above, is one the National Parks Service doesn't feel it can ignore. Read the Reuters story here.