THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, August 16, 1995             TAG: 9508160462
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                    LENGTH: Short :   50 lines

NATIONAL PARK USES ITS POLLUTION TO ATTRACT, EDUCATE ECO-TOURISTS

Shenandoah National Park is pitching its air pollution problem as an attraction of sorts - a daylong seminar in which tourists can learn why the mountaintop views are sullied by brown haze.

Poor visibility is the most frequent complaint from visitors at Shenandoah, where the pollution from factories, cars and coal-burning plants is the worst of the 48 national parks.

At a seminar Saturday, visitors will tour an air-monitoring station, learn what pollution is doing to the park and hear what researchers and administrators are doing to cope with it.

``Air quality is a critical resource issue that affects us all,'' park superintendent Bill Wade said. ``I hope citizens interested in learning more about the effects of air pollution and the park's air-quality program will take advantage of this opportunity.''

Wade has never been shy about publicizing the park's haze and ozone problems, even though he acknowledged that doing so could deter some potential visitors.

In 1990, Wade became the first person in the National Park Service to file an appeal of a power plant permit and became the hero of conservationists.

The following year he made headlines by saying ``the sickness the park has is comparable to a person with AIDS'' because the pollution is weakening its ability to withstand natural attacks like drought and fire.

Tim Taglauer, education program supervisor at the park, said park officials hope to teach people useful things they can take back to their communities.

``We want them to see what we're doing and involve them in learning what they can do back home to improve air quality,'' Taglauer said.

The haze, caused primarily by industrial and auto emissions, has cut visibility in the Shenandoah 60 percent between 1948 and 1983, according to researchers.

Earlier this century, visitors could stand atop the Blue Ridge Mountains and see clearly 70 or 80 miles in any direction. Today, though, views extend between 12 and 18 miles, said Julie Thomas, a park air quality specialist.

Meanwhile, she said, the ozone problem seems slightly better this year than last though ozone has visibly damaged vegetation in the park.

The seminar is open to any adult and is free, although participants will have to pay the usual $5-per-car fee to enter the park. by CNB