National park visitors, and the parks themselves, will be adversely impacted this summer by revised regulations concerning the way seasonal employees are hired, according to the acting director of the National Park Service.

We all need friends. And for the National Park System, there are some great friends groups out there. From Acadia to Zion and everywhere in between, friends groups work year-round to bring a “margin of excellence” to their namesake parks.

There are simple ways to fight incoming threats to the land. For example, utilize the parks and monuments to prove their value, treat them with care to extend their life, and refuse to support parties that ignore issues such as environmental degradation. It is critical that we our protect national parks and monuments against threats of political interference, big-oil targeting, and global climate change so that we can continue to enjoy them and the services they provide.