On 27 December 2020, the river became the New River Gorge national park and preserve, the United States’ newest national park. “The national park system of the United States of America is the gold standard in the world of conservation and stewardship,” he said. Those numbers dropped a little during the pandemic, but parks often see a 20% increase in visitors after receiving a national park designation. Not everyone is pessimistic about the New River’s national park redesignation, of course. Arnold hopes the new national park will increase interest in whitewater rafting, which has been decreasing in popularity since its peak in the late 1990s.

Source: The Guardian May 12, 2021 09:22 UTC