I'm speaking as a philosopher 10,000 years old. We see the national park as a unit to support our traditions.
I'm speaking as a philosopher 10,000 years old. We see the national park as a unit to support our traditions.
Mayor Yuri Tototto
Lavrentiya settlement, Magadan Oblast
The recommendations which follow for an international park define park in the broadest sense. They include the idea that each country should set aside areas for the principal purpose of protecting our common Beringian heritage. They also recognize that heritage is not confined to protected areas. In its travels, the team looked at landscapes that embodied scenic, natural, cultural, and lifestyle characteristics.
The recommendations include areas and activities that would promote and protect
The recommendations broadly define the term culture and suggest the device of cooperative agreements to promote current activities. These agreements would recognize the importance of existing lifestyles, including traditional sybsistence of existing lifestyles, including traditional subsistence, national holidays, ceremonies, handicrafts, and native art. The agreements would extend the park beyond its boundary without expanding federal ownership on the American side or threatening existing patterns of local use on the Soviet side.
This study does not define the boundary of the international park, but existing national park areas on the Alaska side would form the basis of the U.S. designation. On the Soviet side protected areas would be established according to their laws, policies, and regulations. Each side would organize and manage the park in accordance with the regulations and laws of each country.
Considering the exceptional political significance of this project, and its high potential for promoting international cooperation in circumpolar and Pacific regions, other organizations such as the United Nations would be logical partners in supporting its operations.