Prevent or Minimize Hazards from Extreme Heat Events

Heat waves have become more frequent and more intense and are projected to continue in this trend. Heat-related illnesses can affect even well-conditioned individuals by compromising the body’s ability to self-regulate, or by indirectly compounding ancillary cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Even simple activities can be hazardous to health when extreme heat and limited shade are factored in. Planting trees or erecting shade structures in open park lands or along heavily used trails can help reduce heat exposure and lower surface temperatures. Providing signs, staff, or volunteers at trailheads or other critical areas can also provide warnings to visitors about risk and encourage them to take precautions such as carrying water and avoiding visits at periods of peak temperature.

Although many forms of recreation can provide numerous health and cultural benefits, climate change can threaten the health and safety of visitors and staff and also lead to a loss of cultural identity. Conditions have become more favorable for several human health hazards, including the spread of vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, the proliferation of noxious plants, such as poison ivy, risks to campgrounds and other infrastructure, such as flooding, hazard trees, and wildfires, increased risks of avalanches given projected rain-on-snow occurrences, heat-induced illnesses, such as dehydration and heat stroke, a prolonged pollen season and associated respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and poor air quality from both natural and anthropogenic sources. This strategy aims to reduce the risks themselves but also to reduce the exposure of visitors and staff to those risks. This can be achieved through open communication, environmental education, and interpreting the changes that are occurring so that visitors’ expectations and preparedness align with actual conditions that they are likely to encounter while recreating. In addition to the physical risks, the risks to cultural identity when a recreation activity is no longer feasible are also very real and may need to be communicated in a way that is sensitive to a community’s sense of place.