Defund National Park Service

The following letter to the editor was sent in response to the letter "An unacceptable plan."

Through the regulation of the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, the National Park Service is claiming ownership of specific natural resources in Missouri. In order to claim ownership of something one must be able to control it. In several cases over the decades, the Supreme Court of the United States has held that the federal government can regulate that which it subsidizes.

The service's budget has increased 2.5 percent annually on average over the past 10 years to a current budget of $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2012 (source: National Park Service budget website). Congress has the enumerated constitutional power to defund federal government agencies like the National Park Service. I believe that this is a viable solution that will allow Missourians to have more control over this particular local issue, while simultaneously providing the funding for outdoor recreational activities on the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways by the individuals who enjoy and benefit from them.

RICK VANDEVEN, Chaffee, Mo.