Mission statement from the NPS website "The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world."
Right, wrong or indifferent, the above statements provide clear insight as to why there will be minimal development on public lands managed by the National Park Service. 'preserves unimpaired' and 'for future generations' are the operative phrases here and personally, I have no problem with this philosophy. I want my grand daughter and every other American to come to have the opportunity to enjoy the natural and historical treasures of this great Country as much as I have. This isn't to say that I don't get peeved at certain management policies in specific units but that's not the topic here.
I certainly don't want to see the level of campground development that would be necessary to support a "I sure would like to be able to get into (insert Park of choice) on a whim with my (insert family members or friends)! And because they (removed qualifier) require more WATER and ELECTRICITY, so it sure would be nice if the parks would make this Possible" (Not picking on you here Busskipper, just my personal preference which is of no more importance than yours).
The stats (Very very small sample on my behalf) behind this link were quite surprising.
Visitation by Park by Year Many of the Parks we frequent seem to have level or declining annual visitation numbers over the last twenty five years. This isn't true of all Parks and it doesn't segregate campers from day trippers but interesting nonetheless. This possible trend coupled with the significant amounts of land added to the NPS holdings over that period could be indicative of less density and more camping opportunities rather than less.
