Writer and historian Wallace Stegner called our national parks "the best idea we ever had." That was the theme of the recent Ken Burns television series that aired on PBS (www.pbs.org/nationalparks).

Despite the afterglow of the series, however, our national parks are sick. With an annual budget of less than $2.5 billion, the National Park Service hosts nearly 300 million visitors at 391 sites each year. And according to a recent story in the Christian Science Monitor, a maintenance backlog of $8 billion exists. It seems a shoddy way to treat such a great idea.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC; www.ccclegacy.org ) as part of his New Deal. The CCC was Roosevelt's civilian army charged with restoring health to the nation's natural resources, which had been decimated by the Dust Bowl. In just 10 years, CCC workers planted 3 billion trees, fought forest fires, battled soil erosion and built thousands of roads, bridges and fire towers. National parks were just one beneficiary of CCC projects.

Maybe it's time to reach back to the future for a great idea. Perhaps mandatory national service could be used to fix the park system and address many other national problems. Qualifying service could include the military and other existing programs such as the Peace Corps, VISTA, AmeriCorps and the Youth Conservation Corps. A resurrected CCC would attract individuals interested in conservation problems.

One way to implement such a program would require two years of service for all men and women between the ages of 18 and 26. High school graduates could choose to serve immediately, go to college or enter the work force for a few years. College students could serve each summer and complete their final year after graduation.

In addition to the manpower that compulsory national service would provide to involved agencies, it would engage the 18- to 26-year-old in meaningful work and open private sector jobs to older workers. It would instill a work ethic in young people who may be unfamiliar with the phrase. And upon completion, workers would have acquired real world experience, skills and confidence.

If this sounds too good to be true, tell me why compulsory national service is a bad idea.

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