Nature areas report increase in tourism in wake of attacks

By RHODA AMON
NEWSDAY
Jet-wary American touristsare taking to the woods, parks and swamps this fall, far from terrorist threats and urban targets.
As airline sales plummet, nature preserves from the Florida Everglades to Yellowstone National Park report tourist traffic is on the rise.
"It's starting to pick up now and we expect it will be crazy by holiday week," said an assistant manager at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a subtropical refuge maintained by the National Audubon Society on Florida's west coast. At Yosemite National Park, a spokeswoman said, "We're still packing them in."
But as visits to America's natural places increase, so do the dangers, not from terrorists but from careless tourists, environmentalists say.
Tips: Chris Lane, environmental-program director for Amfac Parks and Resorts, a national and state park concessioner, offered these tips for not destroying the peace and serenity everyone is seeking.
UWhenever possible, use human or animal-powered transportation. Walk, bike, hike, cross-country ski or ride horeseback.
UStick to marked trails to avoid stamping on delicate vegetation.
URecycle aluminum or plastic containers.
URefill and reuse your water bottles rather than replace with new plastic ones everyday.
UConserve energy by turning off lights, heating and air-conditioning in your hotel room. Accept the hotel's offer to wash bedding and towels every second or third day.