Keynote Address:
Discovery 2000 Conference

Robert Stanton
Director, National Park Service
Monday, September 11

"The strength and character of our nation are determined by how we care for the resources."

--President Thomas Jefferson

Good morning.

I hold firmly to the belief that national parks and National Park Service programs provide opportunities and experiences to awaken the potential in each of us to become better stewards -- indeed better citizens.

Discovery 2000 is destined to be a most productive and memorable event in the annals of the National Park Service, and I trust each of you will actively contribute to the many exciting and challenging learning sessions that have been planned for and by you.

Toward a full realization of the potential in each of us to become better stewards we need to learn and grow from each other in a candid, open and constructive way. We, in essence for this occasion, and I trust that in all occasions we are friends -- for a friend is one with whom you can think aloud. Having our thoughts and expressions respected and appreciated reflects profoundly what it means to be among friends.

We are here to see as far as we can into the future. We are here to contemplate a vision -- to dream, anticipate, and begin to formulate the role the National Park Service will play in the future of this nation.

We can succeed only if every person feels an atmosphere of friendship and the freedom to think aloud. Speak freely. Listen openly. Speak on behalf of your grandchildren; listen on behalf of their grandchildren. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, today I proudly declare that Discovery 2000, the National Park Service general conference, is a gathering of friends. It is safe here to think aloud.

I shall always cherish the very warm and gracious introduction by one of this nation's most accomplished park professional, administrator, and conservationists, an outstanding American and a great friend -- our 7th director, George B. Hartzog, Jr. Director Hartzog asked that I extend to you his deepest respect for the work you do and his best wishes for your continued success.

I know you will agree with me that Director Hartzog's legacy and support are very much with us here in St. Louis, and remain evident in his stellar leadership and vision that, for example, made the arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial possible. In his thought-provoking, insightful and informative book, Battling for the National Parks, he reminds us that, "saving the national parks is a compact between the past and the present. The obligation of the contract is that these inherited treasures shall be passed on 'unimpaired' for the enjoyment of future generations. Our generation must not default on this immutable obligation."

I am particularly pleased to inform you that in 1999, Director Hartzog and Mrs. Hartzog established within the National Park Foundation -- the Helen and George Hartzog Endowment Fund for National Park Service volunteer recognition. The purpose of this fund is to support annual recognition of one or more volunteers in parks in appreciation of their service to enrich the lives of the millions of visitors to America's National Parks and to preserve the nation's heritage resources, for future generations.

Now I must tell you how privileged and honored I am to be with you this week. I want to thank Mayor Harmon for his kind welcoming remarks and the many courtesies extended by the city. I also want to thank Superintendent Gary Easton and his dedicated staff for all they have done -- and are doing -- to make our visit to St. Louis and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial a pleasant and rewarding experience. To Jerry Rogers, conference chair, and the Discovery 2000 committee -- you have performed with distinction -- all here today stand in your debt in making the conference possible -- thank you. Most importantly of all I want to thank each of you: our former directors, distinguished speakers, the volunteers, National Park Service alumni, many partnership conservation and cooperating associations, tribal and state government leaders, our special international guests, congressional staff, board members and staff of the National Park System advisory board, the National Park Foundation, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers representatives of other federal agencies and offices, and those of whom I'm most proud -- the men and women of the National Park Service. I am honored to be a part of you -- and you a part of me!

At this time, I ask each of you to join me in an acknowledgement of the men and women in all levels of government: tribal, state, county, local, federal and international who have put themselves in harm's way in the protection of lives, resources, and property during the record number of wildland fires throughout the western part of our country. We all are in their debt for their hard work and devotion to public service, and to our park rangers, U.S. Park Police, and firefighters who provide outstanding services day in and day out. We say thank you and in deep gratitude and memory for those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

As we prepare for our fruitful and exciting discussions on the challenge and opportunities confronting us and our responsibility and accountability in discharging the trust that the American people have given us, we should keep in mind the fullness of the scope of the responsibilities of the National Park Service thusly stated. We manage:

1. The National Park system, National Trail systems, and The National Wild and Scenic River Systems;
2. Financial and technical assistance to tribal governments in a government relationship;
3. Technical and financial assistance to the states, their political subdivisions, trust terrorities, and the District of Columbia, colleges and universities, private and the public organizations and communities;
4. International programs with respect to resource stewardship and technical assistance to our global neighbors;
   
5. Collaborative and cooperative relationships with land management agencies, environmental compliance and regulatory agencies, other governmental community, conservation, public and private organizations and citizens with respect to mutual goals and objectives in the preservation of our nation's rich diverse, and shared cultural and natural and cultural heritage.

My friends, we stand on the watch tower of great human achievement -- and the promise of the 21st century is without limited possibilities for realizing even greater achievements in preserving, understanding and appreciating the resources entrusted to our care.

For a moment, look at all that has happened in the century just ending. The very founding of the National Park Service did not occur until the century was in its 16th year. Until then the handful of national parks was an extra responsibility of the United States army. Those early parks were almost happenstance creations, in remote locations far from centers of population. Individually administered, uncoordinated, unsupported by networks of state or local parks or colleagues in other federal agencies, unaided by citizen-owners of places we now call natural and historic landmarks or by public interest organizations, and unaware of the 72,000 places now in national register of Historic Places that catalog so much of our national identity. But even at this agency's birth, national parks were already feeling the pressures of popularity.

Parks were thought to be protected by their splendid isolation. In this sense, remoteness was an asset. Even in the 1960s, when my own career was beginning in Grand Teton National Park, we viewed many parks as islands of nature, free from the pressures and problems of growth and development. Today, no spot on the planet is safe from the effects of things that happen elsewhere. When the National Park Service began, the ideal management situation seemed to be a large park area with exclusive federal jurisdiction. Today we know that parks can and must be created in which many jurisdictions and many partners and owners are involved.

When the National Park Service began, the appearance of nature -- simple scenic beauty -- was mistaken for nature itself. Today we know that scenic beauty can mask dying species and disappearing ecosystems. I hasten to take a moment here to recognize and applaud Dick Sellar's 1997 book, Preserving Nature in the National Parks, that has been a key catalyst in our recommitment to a comprehensive natural resource management challenge. We are in essence echoing the ideas of Aldo Leopold, who said: "a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

When the National Park Service began, the accepted purpose of historic places was to shape citizen minds to conform to the dominant cultural view. Today, historic places understand the full scope of places to help us learn and understand human experience, so that citizens may avoid repeating grievous mistakes even as they admire the accomplishments that glorify the nation.

It has been said that "without history, there is nothing." So it is with the National Park system. Our history is a story often told with images of sewing: a patchwork quilt in which each piece has a special story but the full effect is only achieved when they are sewn together. Or, in another version, a tapestry on interwoven strands of every hue and color, forming patterns of great beauty. I like those images because they tell the story of America -- the real America. The real America is a vast American Indian civilization that developed the culture that built cities, cliff dwelling and villages, and fought bravery to protect their own homelands, cultures, and liberties. It is the historic homes of civil rights, educational, political, and corporate leaders. It is the lands of the poor, struggling to build lives for themselves on a Nebraska homestead claim. Even the military forts that dot the National Park System symbolize different things. There are the great fur trading posts and memorials to great Spanish explorers. We also have the way stations on the migration routes of a dynamic, expanding nation, and we have the Underground Railroad and the Trail of Tears.

It is places where we honor and preserve the rich cultural resources and traditions of native people of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and Samoa. There are battle sites from the revolutionary and civil wars, including key surrender fields of both great conflicts, and there are places that tell the nation's history of educational, social, transportation, and industrial achievements.

The preservation of our cultural resources demonstrates the values of diversity and community that honor and link us with the heritage of our predecessors, and represent our individual and collective legacy to our successors and future generations.

When the National Park Service began, its entire mission could be taken from a few simple sentences in the National Park Service act of 1916. Today, those sentences are but the foundation of a greater mission that includes the Service's relationship with many others who may be far from the parks themselves. This changed world is why Discovery 2000 is more than a superintendents' conference, the broader concept of a general conference is the reason why servicewide, regional, and local managers of programs, as well as many delegates-at-large are here along with the superintendents.

As the demographics of America continues to shift, the protection and enhancement of the national parks will be dramatically affected by the vision of a "new America." This is an America whose culture and values have yet to be fully woven into the national park theme. Whether it is visiting the parks, advocating for their protection, pursuing a career or contracting opportunities with the National Park Service, minority communities are still underrepresented.

As President Theodore Roosevelt told us: "Nothing short of defending this country during wartime compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us." I submit that well-maintained parks, open and receptive to the full spectrum of our society is a central part of Mr. Roosevelt's "central task." To survive and continue to be relevant, we must make the necessary connections, relationships, and partnerships with our nation's citizens.

This is not simply a question for the new century -- we should be thinking in terms of what will be here for the 22nd and 23rd. We have dishonored our legacy if we are not prepared to protect and preserve it and pass it on to succeeding generations. This changed world is why many people in this room are not employees of the National Park Service. Some of our gathered friends are from other nations; some are from sister federal agencies, states, local governments and tribes; still more are from universities, foundations, and profit-making or non-profit organizations. Some are simply dedicated citizens.

This conference differs from any we've held before because the world is different. And the future we will examine will be different than the world of today.

Although physical isolation exists no more, it is still possible to be isolated in other ways from one another, from common thought and philosophy, from coordination and cooperation -- even from the public interest. We are here, however, to overcome all forms of isolation -- unity, not separation, will determine our future.

What a time this is! This is not just another year. We stand at the turn of a century and the turn of a millennium. This is the perfect moment, better than any other in my lifetime or yours to work on vision. Beyond any plan, beyond "action steps," there must be vision. The highly acclaimed educator and university administrator Benjamin May said it best: "The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach. Not failure, but low aim is a sin."

Time will march on. The future will come, with or without our preparation. This is our chance to prepare. I need the help of every mind. This week all minds, all ideas, all thoughts are equal. All are wanted; all are respected; all are valued. Everything should be critically inspected and analyzed. We're looking for the gems, but we're not afraid to see the flaws.

Some sessions will allow more active participation than others. Many of the smaller breakouts are designed to follow a format based on dialogue, and those will be highly participatory. Other larger ones will be more conventional, where audiences listen to speakers. But every session is about the future, and each is about vision.

There will be other ways to contribute -- look for the "time capsule" and write your vision there. Revisit the Discovery 2000 Website and join in its continuation of what we achieve here. Encourage those who are not here to do the same. Participate thoughtfully in the journal sessions. At all times, however, especially when you are in a dialogue-based session, remember these points: change is certain, but we tend to resist changes we don't understand. Help one another understand what we foresee. Let us shape the future, not fight it.

Effective change requires involvement of those who will live the change. We are only a small portion of the many who will have to live the change. Get involved -- here and now. Stay involved after this week, and help draw in those who were not here -- the future is theirs as much as ours!

The interrelated forces with which the National Park Service works are far broader than people usually consider. It is a universe that encompasses more than the entire National Park System -- and more than its external programs, too. It includes all who pursue "parklike" and preservation goals.

To this end, the National Park Service plays an important role in shaping the environment, civic life, cultural heritage, economy, and future of our nation's cities and communities. Our role must be based on sound stewardship of resources and an accurate understanding of the relationship between people, parks, and their environment. In that spirit, group participation in its own right is important because it molds us into a single team. And remember that there are many kinds of personal intelligence: those with great knowledge and memory, those whose youth and inexperience frees them from inhibiting assumptions, those who have an idea a minute, those who understand political and administrative realities, and many others. We need them all in Discovery 2000.

I want this conference to increase the long-term commitment of every participant to the things they have in common with other participants. I want each one of us, and the members of our extended family who are not with us here, to have the opportunity to share in ownership of our collective future.

I know many of you are wondering what happens after this week. What will be the follow-through? I cannot give you a detailed plan with outcomes guaranteed. If I tried, I would be limiting the dynamism I hope we have inspired. Every member of the National Leadership Council recognizes the necessity of follow-through. They have pledged to me their determination that Discovery 2000 will bring results.

Undergirding all that we shall accomplish this week and beyond is a recognition of our responsibility for learning and the education of our youth, future and current stewards about our heritage resources -- both natural and cultural. America's National Park system has been described as the greatest set of outdoor classrooms that the world has ever seen. But, the educational value of those classrooms will be lost if we fail to recognize they are simultaneously the greatest set of natural laboratories and history of human struggles and achievements.

Regarding our shared history, we cannot skew the stories of our heritage to suit our own agenda. One of the great challenges of interpretation and educational programs is to deliver a message that is as truthful, balanced, and fair as we can make it.

We have a great advantage in that we are telling the stories of places that have already been recognized as deserving the attention we give them. But it is up to us to demonstrate that they have continuing relevance in a changing world.

Interpreters are well known for their abilities to find creative solutions to solving park problems and for being able to reveal previously unknown meanings residing in park resources. The challenge of 21st century park interpretation and educational programs is to make Americans understand that those resources offer unchanging values deserving of our continuing attention and concern. Freeman Tilden, in his book Interpreting Our Heritage, reminds us that "interpretation aims not to do something for the listener, but to provoke the listener to do something for himself."

With a great deal of pride and inspiration, permit me to share with you the genius and wisdom of a 17-year old college junior at Morehouse University in his paper on the Purpose of Education. I quote: "It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life. The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character -- that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate."

The author of these words and his legacy are commemorated in the National Park system in recognition of his struggles, leadership and courageous fight for the civil rights and human dignity for all our citizens -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Leadership, my friends, is having the ability, the courage, the will, and vision to effectively and efficiently manage and lead people and achieve your goals on a day-to-day basis -- while at the same time setting new goals for a higher level of achievement. Our day-to-day preservation and maintenance of the resources, serving visitors, assuring accountability for fiscal resources must be acceptable and at the same time you and I must see and strive for the mountain top beyond the foot hills. I encourage and support others to do likewise.

In closing, and as we consider our vision for the 21st century and our commitment and efforts to fulfill -- without fail -- our organic act of August 25, 1916, and the 1978 Amendment for the General Authorization act of 1970, that we be appreciative of the rich diversity of the citizens of our nation and the contributions of the parks and programs to the quality of our lives and community. We humbly recall here in St. Louis at the historic Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Federal Court House, place of the Dred Scott decision and coming bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, to live up to our individual and collective responsibility. To strive, without hesitation or doubt, to achieve the noble purpose which is set forth in the preamble of our Constitution. To form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. We my friends cannot do lest -- we shall not do less.

THANK YOU!