More than 3 million people visited Yosemite National Park last year. Unfortunately, Yosemite's funding hasn't kept up with the needs created by all those people. The federal government must ensure that Yosemite has the resources it needs to remain the crown jewel of the National Park system.

A Government Accountability Office report says that Yosemite officials have not been able to fill crucial law-enforcement positions. That has threatened the park's ability to provide around-the-clock 9-1-1 services.

The GAO also said vacancies are covered by staff members working overtime, and upcoming retirements will leave the park understaffed in patrol and jailer positions.

Yosemite received $22.7 million from the National Park Service budget for daily operations last year, compared with $22.5 million in 2001. But when adjusted for inflation, the auditors said Yosemite's funding has actually dropped more than 3% per year. Yosemite's funding decline has been more severe than at most of the other 12 national parks studied by the GAO.

The government auditors presented their report to the House subcommittee responsible for funding national parks. It's part of an examination of the Bush administration's overall budget request.

The Interior Department says that Yosemite complies with all emergency services requirements, including the staffing of 9-1-1. That may be technically true, but if Yosemite may not be able to continue providing full-time 9-1-1 services, that's a problem that must be addressed.

Yosemite is like a small city, and it is irresponsible to even consider reducing emergency services. With the large number of park visitors, there always will be crime and accidents — and they don't just occur 9-5. Throw in natural disasters such as fires, and you could have a real mess in Yosemite without the proper resources.

"We don't have the optimal staffing that we'd like for some of the support positions, and that's the struggle that we're having," said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.

Part of the problem is that Congress has authorized pay raises that have caused higher personnel costs. That's a typical move by Congress: Order a pay increase but don't provide the funding to pay for it. That forces park administrators to leave positions vacant to stretch their funding. They also have been postponing maintenance, which will increase costs in the long run.

It's time for Congress to confront these issues and stop funding our national parks on the cheap.