National Park Service

• John Muir – Major force in creation of National Park System– Did not like how industry and science were transforming the

landscape– Muir wanted places where people could escape “progress”– He saw wilderness as a place of spiritual inspiration– Lost fight over Hech Hechy convinced him that the Forest

Service was not a friend– Needed a new organization to protect wild places

• Starting with Yellowstone (1872), Congress reserved lands from disposal as “natural wonders”

• Confusion about purpose of reserves

National Park System

• National Parks: ~ 50• National Monuments: ~ 80, 5 million acres• National Preserves: 12, mostly in Alaska• National Seashores (10) and Lakeshores (4)• National Historic Site, Memorials, and

Battlefields: mostly in the east • National Recreation Areas: 15, most created out of

FS land• National Parkways – e.g. Blue Ridge Parkway

• 1916 National Park Service Established

– Objectives of agency: People, scenery, wildlife and history.

– Principles for administration:• Parks should be maintained completely free from degradation• Parks should be used for observation, health, and pleasure• National interest – not local interests -- governs all activities within the park, both public and

private.

• Stephen Mather – 1st Administrator– Interpreted this to mean that primary duty was to preserve parks for posterity

• So put in hotels, roads, concessions in part of park, leave rest alone• This pattern still apparent in most park

• On-going controversy: what to preserve – scenery or ecology?– 1916 act specifically mentions scenery– Led to façade management

• Grand vistas and large mammal herds• Fire suppression – keep the picture pretty

– But wanted to keep wildlife for future generations

Didn’t understand the importance of natural disturbance or non-equilibrium dynamics!

• 1933 Roosevelt transferred National Monuments to NPS– Mission to interpret history,

American heritage

• 1950s emphasis on greater visitor use– e.g. Mission 66: for 50th year

of NPS – more roads, development of visitor centers in each park

• Fortress mentality: protect what is inside the park, but ignore what is going on outside the park can this work?

Trans-boundary Issues – Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem:

• logging - housing development

• Roads - predator management

• Oil and gas - ORVs - Mining

• Today – greater emphasis on ecology, restoration, natural dynamics

– Predator and endangered species reintroduction– Prescribed fire

– Ecosystem management• Coordination with adjoining landowners• Allowing natural disturbances to operate more freely• Lots of planning to better balance ecological and social objectives

– Better use of science to inform decisions– use – reduce where possible or desirable– But visitor use increasing – hard to keep up with– Huge backlog in maintenance – not enough funding

Reintroduced in 1995

14 wolves initially

Now 140

11 breeding pairs

Yellowstone Wolf Packs, 2004

National Protected Landscapes of the United Kingdom

NPS – Natural Heritage Areas

http://www.nps.gov/history/heritageareas/