Our national parks are lands set aside for the enjoyment of future generations. From the bison of Badlands to the wolves of Isle Royale our parks boast geological, biological, and cultural splendor, but the very land itself is threatened. According to the Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design published by the National Park Service in 1993, on a worldwide basis, "an estimated 24 billion tons of topsoil are lost in excess of new soil formation annually". Public lands, including national forests, grasslands, parks, wildlife refuges and rangelands comprise up to 29 percent of the acreage of the United States. These lands are managed for a multitude of purposes which at times, come into direct conflict with one another. In 1996 the President's Council on Sustainable Development published a report entitled Sustainable America: A New Consensus. Among their findings were this, "Studies by the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management have shown that the cumulative effects of past activities on public lands have led to serious environmental problems, including degraded aquatic and riparian systems; less productive rangeland conditions; fragmented plant animal and fish habitats; and a decline in forest health".

The National Park Service is faced with the tremendous challenge of protecting our national treasures while providing the public with opportunities for recreation and education. This balancing act is becoming more and more difficult as we discover the huge impacts that humans are having on single species, on whole ecosystems and alarmingly, on the entire web of life. The Worldwatch Institute reports the following, "According to their estimates, 25 percent of mammal and amphibian species, 11 percent of birds, 20 percent of reptiles, and 34 percent of fish species surveyed so far are threatened with extinction... The leading cause of vertebrate declines is human destruction of old growth forests, wetlands, chaparral and other rich habitats".

From the great forests of the Northwest to the Florida Everglades, we are witnessing declines in numerous plant and animal species. In the heavily altered Colorado River basin, more than half of the native fish species are either extinct or endangered. Massive volunteer efforts are taking place in many of our parks to restore native habitats. We are learning that we can not focus our attention only within the boundaries of our parks. Fouled air and water do not recognize boundaries and migratory species who move through our parks must have unspoiled routes and destinations or they will not survive long enough to return. Now the everyday choices that we make must be examined for their potential impacts both locally and globally. Learning to do more with less, to reuse and recycle are first steps in preserving our resources.