Keeping up on our posts about the National Parks and their current state, I’d like to direct your attention to a piece at the Washington Post about how difficult it may be to experience the parks this summer. Due to budget shortfalls and an (alleged) lack of commitment to keep the parks up to date, our parks system, says a group of retired park employees, will offer fewer park rangers available to respond to emergencies, fewer law enforcement officials patrolling, and fewer rangers giving interpretive walks and answering questions. The article examines a detailed study of 37 of the nation’s parks that was put out by a nonprofit coalition that “found almost without exception that parks are operating well below the established standards for service and for resource and visitor protection.” So take this into consideratin as you plan the week-long excursion to Yellowstone with the family.