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Article: Shenandoah: park on the brink. (Shenandoah National Park, Virginia) (Cover Story)
- Article from:
- American Forests
- Article date:
- November 1, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 American Forests. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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EVEN TO FREQUENT VISITORS Shenandoah National Park looks pretty much like it always has, with its dense canopy of forest, its craggy peaks, its tumbling waterfalls, and its breathtaking overlooks. As fall moves over the Virginia mountains, the leaves metamorphose into a splendid tableu of brilliant colors: ribbons of yellow poplar running through stands of deep green hemlock and pine, red oak and scarlet sugar maple blazing against blue sky, flame orange hickory glistening in the sun.
But despite outward appearances, Shenandoah is sick. Superintendent Bill Wade compares it to an AIDS victim. Weakened by severe air pollution, insect infestations, and the corrosive ...