When the opportunity arose to write the history of natural resource management in the national park system, my wife, Judy, urged me to seek the assignment. And when I discussed the idea with John E. Cook, then director of the National Park Service's Southwest Regional Office in Santa Fe, he readily and enthusiastically agreed. Through funding allocations and other administrative decisions, John cleared the way for this project. When politics within the Service several times threatened early termination, he made sure the project was given the time and thought necessary, asking only that I proceed at all deliberate speed. John is a third-generation Park Service employee, who loves the Service more than anyone I know; yet his devotion to its many traditions never led him to interfere with my study of the Service's history or to place constraints on my writing. I shall always be grateful for his generous support and trust.

Serving as a volunteer for the National Park Service while taking a leave of absence from her position as librarian with the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, Judy Sellars accompanied me on numerous research trips, becoming closely familiar with the topics being studied and giving invaluable assistance with the research. Throughout the project, during countless conversations on the road and at home, she provided important insights that helped me revise and refine this analysis of Park Service history. She also commented on each chapter of the manuscript. I am thankful for her continued support and encouragement.

Although I am responsible for the research and writing, this study was in many ways a broad cooperative effort. Dozens of generous people gave their time and support to nurture the project to conclusion. They critiqued all or most of the manuscript, or gave me advice and support at crucial times during my work. Special thanks go to Edwin C. Bearss, William E. Brown, Susan L. Flader, Jane N. Harvey, F. Eugene Hester, Robert J. Krumenaker, Barry Mackintosh, Charles H. McCurdy, Mary Meagher, George J. Minnucci, Jr., Jerry L. Rogers, Jay Shuler, William R. Supernaugh, and Robert M. Utley. I am indebted to JoAnn Y. Ortiz and Rebecca M. Post, who undertook a wide variety of secretarial tasks to move this work along. The library staff of the National Park Service's Santa Fe office was always exceedingly helpful. I am grateful to Amalin Ferguson, Peg Johnson, and Michael Gonzales for all their efforts on my behalf. And for their support in the metamorphosis of my manuscript into publication, I thank especially Charles Grench, editor in chief of Yale University Press, and Margaret Otzel, production editor. I also thank copyeditor Vivian B. Wheeler and indexer Laura Moss Gottlieb for their excellent work.

I am grateful for the special support I received from Roland T. Bowers, Susan P. Bratton, Victor H. Cahalane, Judy Chetwin, Vanessa Christopher, John Conoboy, Gary E. Davis, John G. Dennis, Tom DuRant, Linda Eade, S. Norman Ewanciw, Nancy Potts Flanagan, Milford Fletcher, Vivian M. Garber, John W. Henneberger, Robert J. Howard, Glen Kaye, Ronal C. Kerbo, Gerald D. McCrea, David Nathanson, Dwight T. Pitcaithley, James B. Snyder, and Roger Young.

Many others made contributions to this effort: Craig D. Allen, Leslie P. Arnberger, Robert L. Arnberger, Lisa Backman, Robert D. Barbee, Barbara Baroza, Reginald H. Barrett, Robert Beauchamp, James M. Benedict, Mark S. Boyce, Jim Brady, Jeffrey Bradybaugh, Willys E. Bramhall, Edgar B. Brannon, Jr., Richard H. Briceland, Harry A. Butowsky, Clara Cassidy, Howard H. Chapman, Stuart E. Coleman, Wayne B. Cone, Richard (Rick) Cook, Tim Coonan, Bruce Craig, Richard Crawford, Mary Shivers Culpin, Richard Curry, John P. Debo, Jr., Don Despain, Michael J. Devine, Rolf Diamant, Russell E. Dickenson, Lary M. Dilsaver, James J. Donoghue, David J. Donohue, F. Dominic Dottavio, Tom Ela, Boyd Evison, Rick Ewig, Richard D. Falb, Michael V. Finley, Ronald A. Foresta, Dawn McGilvrey Foy, Denis P. Galvin, Marshall Gingery, Art Gómez, Jerome A. Greene, Linda W. Greene, William P. Gregg, Neal G. Guse, Jr., Aubrey Haines, William L. Halvorson, Wayne Hamilton, Shirley Harding, David Harmon, Annette Hartigan, Thomas L. Hartman, Peter Hayden, Gary Y. Hendrix, Ruthanne Heriot, Darlene S. Herrera, Marjorie Hoffman, David Humphrey, Jonathan B. Jarvis, Einar Johnson, Renee Jussaud, Bruce Kaye, Richard Keigley, Bruce M. Kilgore, Zack Kirkland, Samuel H. Kunkle, Keith R. Langdon, Gary L. Larson, Robert M. Linn, Laura Loomis, Lourdes Lujan, John Mack, Manuel Mandell, Kitty Manscill, Stephen Mark, Richard W. Marks, Robert Martin, Clifford Martinka, Mary Maruka, Henry E. McCutchen, Brian McHugh, Abigail Miller, Sue Mills, Robert C. Milne, Rene C. Minnick, Ben Moffett, Kenneth Morgan, Ernest Morrison, Jody Morrison, Duncan Morrow, Louise Murie-MacLeod, Susan Myers, Dan Nealand, O. V. Olsen, Russ Olsen, Gordon C. Olson, Mary Padilla, Dale Pate, Jim Peaco, John Peine, Grant A. Petersen, Randall R. Pope, L. Lee Purkerson, Edie Ramey, Charles E. Rankin, Donald W. Reeser, Linda Ries, John Thomas Ritter, William B. Robertson, Molly N. Ross, Edwin L. Rothfuss, Jimmy Rush, Joseph L. Sax, Paul Schullery, Susan Schultz, Marvel Schumacher, Ellen Seeley, C. Mack Shaver, Napier Shelton, Steven Slack, Richard B. (Rick) Smith, Michael Soukup, Laura Soulliere, George Sprugel, Jr., Howard R. Stagner, Barbara R. Stein, Robert T. Steinholtz, Tom Tankersley, Julie Thomas, Ben H. Thompson, Vivie Thue, Ed Trout, Kent Turner, John D. Varley, Stephen D. Veirs, Jr., Gary S. Waggoner, Frederic H. Wagner, William H. Walker, Jr., Glennie Wall, Louis S. Wall, Jim Walters, Douglas Warnock, Janelle Warren-Findley, Thomas H. Watkins, Michael D. Watson, Betty Wauer, Roland H. Wauer, Robert A. Webb, David J. Weber, Donald H. Weir, Jannette Wesley, Beverly Whitman, Lee Whittlesey, Arthur Wilcox, Robin W. Winks, Kenna Wood, Terry Wood, Bebe Woody, David G. Wright, R. Gerald Wright, Keith A. Yarborough, and Barbara Zafft. Beyond those listed above, I thank the many staff members of the National Park Service's Santa Fe office who gave me support.

In addition to hundreds of informal discussions, I interviewed the following: Leslie P. Arnberger, Robert L. Arnberger, Robert D. Barbee, James M. Benedict, Mark S. Boyce, Jeffrey Bradybaugh, Susan P. Bratton, Richard H. Briceland, Victor H. Cahalane, Stuart E. Coleman, John E. Cook, Tim Coonan, Richard Curry, John P. Debo, Jr., John G. Dennis, F. Dominic Dottavio, Tom Ela, Michael V. Finley, Milford Fletcher, William P. Gregg, Neal G. Guse, Jr., Aubrey Haines, Thomas L. Hartman, Peter Hayden, Gary Y. Hendrix, John W. Henneberger, F. Eugene Hester, David Humphrey, Einar Johnson, Bruce M. Kilgore, Zack Kirkland, Robert J. Krumenaker, Samuel H. Kunkle, Keith R. Langdon, Robert M. Linn, Richard W. Marks, Robert Martin, Charles H. McCurdy, Brian McHugh, Mary Meagher, Kenneth Morgan, Russ Olsen, John Peine, Randall R. Pope, L. Lee Purkerson, William B. Robertson, Molly N. Ross, Edwin L. Rothfuss, Richard B. (Rick) Smith, James B. Snyder, Laura Soulliere, George Sprugel, Jr., Howard R. Stagner, William R. Supernaugh, Ben H. Thompson, Ed Trout, Kent Turner, Stephen D. Viers, Jr., William H. Walker, Jr., Douglas Warnock, Roland H. Wauer, Arthur Wilcox, Garree Williamson, David G. Wright, R. Gerald Wright, and Keith A. Yarborough.