Preface
No institution is more symbolic of the conservation
movement in the United States than the national parks. Although other
approaches to conservation, such as the national forests, each have
their own following, only the national parks have had both the
individuality and uniqueness to fix an indelible image on the American
mind. The components of that image are the subject of this volume. What
follows, then, is an interpretative history; people, events, and
legislation are treated only as they pertain to the idea of
national parks. For this reason I have not found it necessary to cover
every park in detail; similarly, it would be impossible in the scope of
one book to consider the multitude of recreation areas, military parks,
historic sites, and urban preserves now often ranked with the national
parks proper. Most of the themes relevant to the prime natural areas
still have direct application throughout the national park system,
particularly with respect to the problems of maintaining the character
and integrity of the parks once they have been established. The
indifference of Congress to the infringement of commercialization on
Gettysburg National Military Park, for example, is traceable to the same
pressures for development which have led to the resort atmosphere in
portions of Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and other parks.
The reluctance of most historians and writers to
dwell on the negative themes of national park history is understandable.
National parks stand for the unselfish side of conservation. Take away
the national park idea and the conservation movement loses its spirit of
idealism and altruism. National parks justify the conviction that the
United States has been as committed to do what is "right" for the
environment as what is mandatory to ensure the productivity of the
nation's natural resources. Without the national parks the history of
conservation becomes predictable and therefore ordinary. Taking
precautions to ward off the possibility of running out of natural
resources was only common sense.
The history of the national park idea is indeed
filled with examples of statesmanship and philanthropy. Still, there has
been a tendency among historians to put the national parks on a
pedestal, to interpret the park idea as evidence of an unqualified
revulsion against disruption of the environment. It would be comforting
to believe that the national park idea originated in a deep and
uncompromising love of the land for its own sake. Such a
circumstancemuch like the common assertion that Indians were the
first "ecologists"would reassure modern environmentalists they
need only recapture the spirit of the past to acquire ecological wisdom
and respect. But in fact, the national park idea evolved to fulfill
cultural rather than environmental needs. The search for a distinct
national identity, more than what have come to be called "the rights of
rocks," was the initial impetus behind scenic preservation. Nor did the
United States overrule economic considerations in the selection of the
areas to be included in the national parks. Even today the reserves are
not allowed to interfere with the material progress of the nation.
It has been as hard to develop in the American public
a concern for the environment in and of itself within the national parks
as it has outside of them. For example, despite the public's growing
sensitivity to environmental issues, the large majority of park visitors
still shun the trails for the comfort and convenience of automobiles.
Most of these enthusiasts, like their predecessors, continue to see the
national parks as a parade of natural "wonders," as a string of
phenomena to be photographed and deserted in haste. Thus while the
nation professes an awareness of the interrelationships of all living
things, outmoded perceptions remain a hindrance to the realization of
sound ecological management throughout the national park system.
Previous editions of this book have gratefully
acknowledged the many friends, relatives, and colleagues who contributed
to its research and completion. All, accordingly, will understand if I
now refrain from simply listing them yet again. Instead, I would like to
give brief acknowledgment to the debt I owe an era, that time when
history was about achievement more than about who had done what to
whom.
Perhaps, in everyone's insistence to be inclusive,
historians have forgotten what true achievement means. I came from that
side of the tracks where history now spends most of its time. No one
need tell me how hard it was for immigrants, minorities, and working
class families to get ahead. I know, because my parents were part of
that struggle, wondering like everybody else how to get through another
day.
The point is that struggle also meant advancement,
not only heartache but opportunity. History as I discovered it lifted
the story of America to a higher plane, and me as well. I thank that age
for its inspiration if not for its perfectibility, leaving perfection to
those who really believe only remorse is now the answer.
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Teton Mountains and Snake River.
Ansel Adams Photograph, ca. 1940, courtesy of the National
Archives.
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