Our National Parks, Past, Present, and Future

PBS will be broadcasting a six episode series on the future of national parks. The series will run through 158 years of history on the parks, breaking topics down into areas of beautiful scenery and landmarks that will serve the purpose of natural beauty to our current generations and of generations to come.

The documentary, "America's Best Idea," focuses on what we take for granted from the parks. The series aims at reaching understanding from on lookers who do not see that these famous landmarks are in more danger than one might think. The series will discuss a wide range of issues that threaten the parks and what preventative measures can be taken now and in times to come.

Most of the issues to be discussed in the documentary rely solely on funds to correct them. As of right now an estimate of over $8 billion dollars is needed just to catch up on the maintenance and repairs the parks need. The Park Service's annual budget is $2.4 billion is merely enough to make a dent in the repairs and operations needed to keep the parks maintained.