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This is a story about a dream. The
dream is an American national system of parks. It started with the commitment of private
citizens who were in love with their homeland. They created the world's first national
park, Yellowstone, in 1872. They made real the thoughts and words of people such as
Thoreau, Emerson, and others in the country, all combining to represent the start of a
national movement.
This national movement has resulted in what Stephen Mather, founder and father of the
national park service, called a "national system of parks." Therefore, the
National Park Trust's first report (our Live Chat to learn
more about the report) uses the term: the national system of parks. We believe it is the
most appropriate term and truly represents the continuing dream of the American people --
to preserve the unique natural and cultural resources that have shaped the American
character.
It is of common practice today to say that the national park system is "broken"
or that it suffers from problems of neglect. Both descriptions ignore the fact that such
forces have always threatened parks. Poor funding for operation and maintenance, for
science and interpretation, and most importantly, inadequate staff, have been a constant.
There is good news. First, there are the park employees in the field "nibbling"
away each day at these problems. Second, there are private citizens out there across the
country working for what parks should provide education, enjoyment by families,
preservation of our natural and cultural heritage, and creation of Americašs parks that
truly need to be a part of the national system of parks. We could not save park land
without these two groups.
There are also new experiments that are described in this report. The Tallgrass Prairie
National Preserve is one such example, a new type of privately acquired, publicly
accessible National Park unit. In addition, there are state park directors who have found
ways to return to their roots and operate without federal restraints and funding. Many of
these systems are blossoming in ways that can be attributed to their sheer determination
and creativity for park protection.
The National Park Trust has worked for almost two decades to help complete many parks by
acquiring and donating, without taxpayer money, the remaining in-holdings of the national
park system. From Hawaii to the Virgin Islands, from panther habitats to presidential
birth sites, this task has demanded all the resources of the Trust. Our staff is minimal,
but experienced and dedicated. The Trust does not seek recognition, in part because there
is so much demand out there just within the national park system, let alone the state
parks. Within the 84 million acres of the national park system, seven million are
privately owned. Of those, on any given day, 200,000 are under an immediate threat. The
National Park Trust believes, however, that focusing on the negative has achieved little.
There are many outstanding and dedicated public and private citizens working in the parks
each day, trying to respond to the ever increasing demand on the U.S. national and state
parks. And to them, this story is dedicated.
The National Park Trust has concluded, that there is a limit to even how much a dream can
satisfy the dreamer. Just as a cathedral has only so many pews for worshippers, just as a
university has so many desks for students, so too has this national system only so much
capacity for visitors and usage. The American people demand that Congress act.
We need to develop systems to ensure that all people, especially future generations, have
the opportunity to enjoy, experience, and educate themselves in our parks without loving
them to death.
Paul Pritchard
President
National Park Trust
To obtain a copy of the report "Saving
the Legacy of the National System of Parks", please contact National
Park Trust, 202-548-0500.
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