The History of National Parks and Their Role in Landscape Conservation
National parks are important to the environment on Earth. The national parks were first proposed on March 1st 1872. The national parks were heavily pushed by Theodore Roosevelt. The National Parks were originally founded because there was a need to conserve forests and nature. Animals, plants, and other living organisms needed protection, and national parks were the perfect solution to raising awareness on nature conservation. Another important reason why the government pushed for national parks was to conserve the beautiful scenery and nature. They didn’t want these beautiful sceneries to be damaged due to development. Therefore, the government decided to preserve them. As exploration across the country continued throughout the century, more people called for more protection of natural lands. Many people began to pressure the government to protect those scenic places from exploitation. After support from many citizens and nature conservations,Congress established more than 12 new national parks over a few decades. However, John Muir (a naturalist and renowned conservationist) and others continued to think that the locations of the national parks should be expanded. Congress protected 407 sites with 28 designations throughout the years. In addition, in the 1900s, shortly after Franklin Roosevelt became the US president, the push for more national parks started to pick up more speed. A huge part of his presidency revolved around environmental conservation and national parks. His aggressive motive to expand the national parks helped increase the locations of the national parks. However, it was soon realized that “the rising popularity of the parks was accompanied by an increased recognition of their fragility”. Some efforts for the national parks were discouraged due to fear or weaning human and animal interactions. Many people didn’t appreciate the lands being cut out just for conservation purposes. Hunters and landowners didn’t like all the heavy environmental regulations associated with the park.
However, the constant push for more national parks helped develop the landscape of the country throughout the years. Also, the national parks were developed to include tons of acres. Nowadays, the national parks cover about 400 additional acres of land. The national parks currently occupy more than 84 million acres of land in 50 states. There are parks established all over the United States, including the Alaskan Wilderness. The National park service is responsible for everything from the environment and educational programs. They also make sure park roads and buildings are well-maintained. The National park service includes more than 22,000 employees and 221,000 volunteers.
The National Park has affected our nation as one of the hottest tourist attractions.When people visit National Parks, they are surrounded by the wonder of nature and are able to experience a closeness at the wilderness. It is important that the national parks continue to be maintained to bring awareness to nature and conservation. Some opportunities to get involved include the Youth Conservation Corps and volunteer research opportunities. Please get involved with the national parks whether it’s through work or donation to try to conserve our country’s landscape.
Sources:
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/quick-nps-history.htm
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Park-Service/Years-of-growth
- https://www.themanual.com/uncategorized/national-park-facts/
- https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/about/about-the-national-park/facts-about-the-national-park/
Daniel Cho (xxdanielcho@gmail.com) is a student at William H. Farquhar Middle School. He is one of the co-founders and the current Vice President of Earth Minions. He is passionate about animal cruelty, climate change, and habitat loss. Outside of being a student and working with the Earth Minions, Daniel enjoys dancing, soccer, and singing. (Silver Spring, MD)
