EXPLORE THE PARKS

Coral reefs are dying worldwide due to destructive human activities. A critical part of America's coral reef heritage is found in our national parks. Please let the federal government know that you care about these marine resources and want them to be protected.

Coral Reefs in Jeopardy

   Coral reefs now face unparalleled dangers from pollution, overfishing, disease, habitat fragmentation, ship groundings, and warming waters. In U.S. waters, 10 percent of coral reefs have recently disappeared and another two-thirds are in immediate danger. Worldwide trends show that more than 40 percent of coral reefs are in jeopardy, meaning they will be lost in two to 10 years if current trends continue. At least 11 percent of the world's coral reefs are already gone.

What role do national parks
have in saving coral reefs?

   A task force of 18 federal agencies, states, territories, and commonwealths recently set a national goal to reserve at least 20 percent of all coral reefs as marine reserves in Florida and each of the major island groups by 2010. These no-take reserves would protect reefs from destructive activities, such as mining, and help declining fish populations recover.

   Many national parks in U.S., state, and territorial waters contain significant coral reefs. Designating reserves in these parks would significantly help to achieve the national goal for protecting coral reefs.

What is being done now in national parks?

   All national parks with coral reefs are scheduled to revise their general management plans (GMPs) by 2003. These GMPs indicate how the National Park Service will protect and manage the parks. Restoration and better protection of coral reefs must be added to park GMPs to change the current conditions that cause coral reef loss.

   By mid-2001, only one national park had changed its GMP to afford additional coral reef protection. Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida created a 46-square-mile Research Natural Area as part of a network of marine reserves in the park and the surrounding Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The park's GMP now serves as a model for other parks that need to protect vital marine resources.

   Other national parks with coral reefs are beginning revisions or planning to revise their GMPs to help meet the 2010 national goals. Some parks have received funding to begin to monitor and assess the condition of their coral reef ecosystems, but much more support is needed. The National Park Service needs your encouragement to better protect coral reefs. The parks are hearing from powerful commercial and recreational interests that want to allow fishing on ALL coral reefs. To change current conditions, the Park Service must hear from you, too.

How can you help?

   The National Park Service relies on public ideas and comments in shaping GMPs. GMPs are legally binding, so they could become powerful tools for coral reef conservation. The National Park Service is required to seek and consider public views while developing management strategies expressed in GMPs. Your comments are vital. Here are five easy steps to help protect reefs:

• Contact any or all of the coral reef parks (see contact information below) and ask whether they are revising or amending their GMPs, or considering increased protection for coral reefs. (You can find that out from some of their web sites also).
• If they are not revising or amending their GMPs, please urge the superintendent to start the revision as soon as possible.
• Request that your name be added to the GMP public mailing list, so that you will be notified about all the planning steps.
• When you are notified that a GMP revision or amendment process is taking place, you should also receive instructions about when to submit public comments. Take this opportunity to speak in favor of coral reef protection. Please make the point that you want the park to protect, monitor, and study the coral reefs, and establish a no-take zone to protect reefs. To define boundaries of no-take zones, parks should convene working groups of all user or stakeholder groups, including fishermen, to reach a consensus. These measures will help achieve the recommendations of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, and can be modeled upon the success of the Dry Tortugas.
• Contact your congressional representatives and ask them to sponsor and support legislation to increase NPS capabilities for coral reef monitoring, assessment, and public education in the parks.
• An easy way to participate in and learn more about GMP planning is to visit our Park Planning section. To take part in planning, click on Take Action, and select one of the parks listed to see whether your input is needed.

How to participate in park coral reef planning Contact any or all of the superintendents at the following parks with coral reefs: Biscayne National Park 9700 SW 328 St. Homestead, FL 33033-5634 305-230-1144 www.nps.gov/bisc Buck Island Reef National Monument Danish Custom House, Kings Wharf, 2100 Church St. #100 Christiansted, St. Croix, VI 00821-0160 340-773-1460 www.nps.gov/buis Dry Tortugas National Park* c/o Everglades National Park 40001 State Rd. 9336 Homestead, FL 33034-6733 305-242-7700 www.nps.gov/drto Haleakala National Park P.O. Box 369 Makawao, Maui, HI 96768 808-572-9306 www.nps.gov/hale Hawaii Volcanoes National Park P.O. Box 52 Hawaii National Park, HI 96768 808-985-6000 www.nps.gov/havo Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park 73-4786 Kanalani St., Suite 14 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 808-329-6881 www.nps.gov/kaho Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park P.O. Box 129 Honaunau, HI 96726 808-328-2326 www.nps.gov/puho Kalaupapa National Historical Park P.O. Box 2222 Kalaupapa, HI 96742-2222 808-567-6802 www.nps.gov/kala National Park of American Samoa c/o Pacific Area Office P.O. Box 50165 Honolulu, HI 96850 808-541-2693 www.nps.gov/npsa Salt River Bay National Historical Park c/o Christiansted National Historical Site Danish Custom House, King's Wharf, Christiansted, St. Croix, VI 00821-4611 340-773-1460 www.nps.gov/sari Virgin Islands National Park 1300 Cruz Bay Creek St. John, VI 00831 340-776-6201 www.nps.gov/viis Virgin Islands National Monument* c/o Virgin Islands National Park 1300 Cruz Bay Creek St. John, VI 00831 340-776-6201 www.nps.gov/viis War-in-the-Pacific National Historical Park 115 Haloda Building, Marine Drive Asan, GU 96922 671-472-7240 www.nps.gov/wapa * These parks already have significant no-take zones in them. Please write to support enforcement efforts in these reserves!