Free New Hampshire Blog

Interesting article in today’s Telegraph about the controversy over wireless connections in national parks.

Natural forces over millennia created the geysers, peaks and canyons that fascinate visitors here. But a newer feature is emerging on this stunning landscape – cell-phone towers.

One juts out from a hill behind Old Faithful; another crowns one of the park’s most prominent peaks. Hikers occasionally stumble across cell-phone equipment on trails around Mammoth Hot Springs. Visitors chatting on their phones have become as common in some areas as wandering bison.

After years of complaints from environmental groups about the proliferation of cell towers in national parks, officials here and across the country are asking: How wired do we want our wilderness?

“It is an issue that we have been grappling with,” said Lee Dickinson, who coordinates cellular permits for the National Park Service. “There are some people who feel lost without an electronic connection, and there are other people who feel that cell phones shouldn’t be in parks at all.”

While the conservationist in me leans more toward keeping wilderness areas as pristine as possible, I don’t see wireless connectivity in these areas as a threat the way some people do. People seem to be arguing that we should or should not allow it. But what if we did it in such a way that it wasn’t as noticeable as the current generation of cell phone towers?

Why not design the cell phone towers to more or less blend in with the wildnerness that they are in? It probably sounds crazy but there must be ways creative engineers can sort of disguise the towers so that they aren’t as noticeable on the landscape. At the very least can’t the towers be painted in camo colors so that they are less noticeable by visitors? Why have a white colored tower in a sea of green trees?

If this is possible then I think it’s a great idea to have wireless connectivity in our national and state parks. I disagree with the argument made by some that people will talk on their cell phones or will be too busy browsing the web to pay attention to the woods. Stupid, rude and inconsiderate people will chatter away regardless of whether or not they have cell phone connections. And if somebody wants to fritter away their time by playing on Facebook instead of enjoying the beauty of nature then that’s on them.

As somebody pointed out in the article, wireless connectivity offers the possibility of an information-rich experience in national and state parks. While taking in the sights visitors could also look up information on their phones or other devices about varioud critters, trees, landmarks, geological history, etc. The possibilities are quite amazing in terms of adding value to the visitor’s experience.

So I say let’s get our national and state parks ready to go for wireless cell phone and internet service. But let’s do it in a careful, thoughtful way that doesn’t turn them into ugly cell phone tower wastelands. Creative engineering and smart planning should let us have our wilderness and our wireless.

• 

Related posts:

1. New Hampshire Democrats Raise Fees at State Parks
2. National Conceal Carry Reciprocity Amendment
3. More Deer Tonight
4. Battle At Kruger National Park: Lions Versus Crocodiles Versus Buffalo
5. What Happens at Arlington National Cemetery