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WASHINGTON – The National Park Service hopes to boost visits in honor of its centennial later this month, but its “Find Your Park” program has some environmental groups asking: How much is too much?

“The Park Service’s current posture seems to be that there can’t be enough visitation,” said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. “We don’t think that this (overcrowding) is a peripheral issue.”

Ruch said crowds at the Grand Canyon are a particular concern, but that most parks are facing the same challenges.

“The Grand Canyon is not alone because I think the Park Service has become intoxicated with setting visitor records,” he said. “Self-celebration has blocked out room for introspection and planning.”

But officials with both the Park Service and the Grand Canyon said they are well aware of the dangers of overcrowding at parks and have taken steps to balance the need to preserve nature against the need to present nature to as many visitors as possible.

Grand Canyon officials said they have worked toward practices that can help prevent the damage Ruch is worried about, and have even established visitor limits in some areas around the Colorado River.