via [ Great Lakes Echo ] “Climate Change greatest threat to national parks; Indiana Dunes among most at risk”, By Haley Walker and Yang Zhang

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is among U.S. national parks most vulnerable to climate change, according to a recent report.

The park on the southern end of Lake Michigan faces an increase in flooding, overcrowding and air pollution and a loss of wildlife, plants and fish.

The report includes 32 recommendations to reduce the impact of climate change on national parks, lakeshores and monuments.

“I think we should regard this as the biggest threat there has ever been to national parks, in terms of their ecological integrity,” Easley said. “We are quite optimistic however that things can be done to mitigate these effects.”

Full Report [ pdf ] By Stephen Saunders, Tom Easley, Susan Farver, Contributors: Jesse A. Logan, Theo Spencer.

Thomas Environment