The National Park Service is failing its purpose of protecting land by seeking to commercialize Santa Rosa Island.
In efforts to make the island more accessible and attract more people to enjoy its beauty, Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley envisions a new future on Santa Rosa where amenities like an inn, goods and services for food and supplies, and more efficient transportation would make traveling around the island easier for newcomers.
“You really need to be an experienced camper at this point to gain access,” McKinley told the Independent.
But this modern vision for the park will actually diminish the experience of natural land by welcoming pollution to its environment. It’s not just about accessibility.
Santa Rosa is a 53,000-acre dreamland for backpackers eager to explore sandy beaches, steep cliffs and rugged trails—but there is no visitor center, no goods and services and just over a dozen campsites.
Venturing across the island requires skill, endurance and a whole lot of supplies.
Not everyone is willing or able to make this commitment, but that doesn’t mean we must accommodate for those who can’t.
Some visitors don’t want to sleep on the floor. Others don’t want to or are unable to walk dozens of miles a day. There are plenty of places in this state alone that provide a low-risk camping experience for those looking for a day away.
There’s no reason to make every inch of Earth accessible to everyone. Some of the more adventurous sites are the only place people can push themselves to the limit with difficult climbs and tough terrain.
If everything were meant to be so easily accessible, we would have escalators to Half Dome and Everest—although I’m sure someone is drawing the blueprints.
It’s equally as horrifying to think we need food and beverage on hand wherever we feel like it.
More food means more transportation which leads to more pollution. More pollution means less wildlife.
I don’t care how many trash cans and rangers are there to control it. More people will create more litter throughout the island.
It’s hard to fault the NPS. The federal government provides most of their funding, but even after the sales from admission tickets and polished rocks, there isn’t enough money.
No matter what they say, they do need more people to show up and spend money. It’s a business, and it helps surrounding businesses.
According to an NPS budget report, visitors to national parks in 2018 spent $20.2 billion within 60 miles of the park. A more desirable island means more visitors, tourism and money.
In comparison, an inn is preferable to offshore drilling funding the national parks.
The ruggedness and simplicity of Santa Rosa are what draws its visitors. It’s their chance to see what’s left of a world that isn’t totally tainted by man. It’s a taste of freedom and liberation beyond the routine of everyday life.
Let people escape the cage of the apartment and get their boots muddy. God forbid they learn to pitch a tent and walk a little.
I’ve honestly never been on such a venture. But if I ever feel like getting tested by nature, I sure wouldn’t want a Best Western greeting me with a bus to take me on the same tour as everybody else.
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. And if something needs fixing, perhaps it’s the National Park System and not the natural world.
