Zion NP embarks on soundscape management planning
Shhhhhh! What would you hear in Zion National Park if there were no mechanical sounds? That should be an interesting question to discuss as park officials develop a soundscape management plan to protect natural sound in the park.
If you stop and listen in most parks, you'd be surprised at the clatter. The slamming of vehicle doors, the beep-beep-beep of buses and trucks backing up in some of the larger parks, the deliveries being made to restaurants and shops.
At Zion, Superintendent Jock Whitworth says the park is beginning a Soundscape Management Planning and Environmental Assessment Process. The purpose of this plan is (1) to link soundscape management to the existing park management direction, (2) to define the existing ambient soundscape, (3) to provide objectives and standards for future management of the sound environment, and (4) to identify potential management actions designed to ensure that soundscape objectives and standards are met so that natural soundscapes are protected for present and future generations.