Vacation. The time to let go, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Go where you want, eat what you want … no, wait, can’t to that anymore.
The National Park Service has announce a new ‘healthy food policy’ as part of the “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” initiative. New food standards and ‘sustainable’ food guidelines will now change what you can eat at our national parks.
What is the “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” initiative? Another nonsensical government program … brought to you by the same people who think taking trash cans out of national parks will ‘encourage people to take their trash with them.’
According to the NPS website, “Healthy Parks Healthy People” is a holistic approach to promoting the health and well-being of people and the sustainability of the planet. Healthy Parks, Healthy People US is a National Park Service initiative working to reintegrate human, environmental and ecological health into the mission of public parks and public lands.
Nothing makes me bristle faster than using the ‘environmental’ word. Not only because it’s virtually always used in the wrong context, but because it’s usually also used by people who don’t understand the forests and parks, and who don’t understand ecological balance. There’s a HUGE difference between environmentalism and conservationism; the main and overriding difference being that environmentalism kills forests.
In the press release, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis states that “traditional favorites such as hot dogs and ice cream will remain, but the new standards will provide additional choices, such as fish tacos and yogurt parfaits, for the 23 million people who buy meals in national parks each year.”
Really? Fish tacos are healthy?
Personally, I feel that the National Park Service is overstepping it’s bounds. While being healthy is certainly important, I don’t believe that it’s the National PARK Service who should be telling me what I can or cannot eat. The National PARK Service should focus on creating healthy National PARKS.
You can read the memo HERE.