Two national parks in New Mexico often recommended to travelers for their natural beauty also have ranked in the top 10 in the National Parks Conservation Association’s new report, on air pollution in national parks.
Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands national parks ranked fifth and 10th, respectively, in the top 10 national parks with unhealthy air. “Air pollution and climate change are some of the most serious threats to the health of our parks today—and the problems they cause include weakening the health of plants and animals, permanently harming ecosystems, and negatively affecting visitors’ health and enjoyment,” the report notes. Carlsbad Caverns also ranked fourth for worst national parks for hazy skies.
“On average, visitors to national parks miss out on 50 miles of scenery because of air pollution,” the report notes. The assessments were based upon data collected by the National Park Service in 2021 for 3,992 parks across the US.
The four most polluted parks in the US were in California: Sequoia, Joshua Tree, Mojave and Kings Canyon, largely as a result of “vehicle emissions, industrial operations and agricultural activities in regions like the San Joaquin Valley of California.”
Climate change, however, is cited as a factor nationwide for worsening environmental conditions at national parks. Of the nearly 400 parks assessed, “roughly half are at high risk from at least one high-impact vulnerability factor,” including wildfire, drought, sea level rise and invasive species.