National parks exam 3

America’s old view of nature

Dark, dangerous, evil, wasteful, threatening

Who is Roderick Nash? and what are his definitions of wilderness

1) There is no universal definition of wilderness, 2) Wilderness is difficult to define because it is weighted with personal, symbolic, and changing kind, 3)definition of wilderness includes perceptions and values

John Muir (his role and view on wilderness)

Nature was his connection to God. Formed the Sierra Club: conservation and environmental protection “to make the mountains glad”

Hetch Hetchy Valley (why and outcome)

a valley of freshwater, government wanted to build a dam in order to get the water, Muir and park lost and the dam was built to help areas of california coast

where was the first wilderness area?

Gila Wilderness, New Mexico

how were early wilderness areas designated

In the early stages it was managed by the Forest Service and now by congress

What were Bob Marshall’s views of wilderness?

Chief of Forestry, said gov. needed to be involved in protecting wilderness, founded wilerness society

what are Aldo Leopold views on nature

He was a forest Service ranger, Wilderness has intrinsic scientific value, support life systems which provide to humans, historical and cultural values that define being American; founded Wilderness Society

who is Howard Zahniser

Led the fight against the Echo Canyon Dam, push to have congress designate areas instead of Forest Service, Author of the wilderness act

What was the Echo Park (Canyon) Dam

Proposed Dam on Green River (Utah/Colorado), the dam was stopped after public opposition, laid groundwork for Wilderness Act

How do Hetchy Valley and Echo Park compare

Both tested national commitment to preservation

what does the wilderness act say/do

“Where earth and community are untrammeled by man, and where man is a visitor but does not remain”; Established the National Wilderness Preservation System, required congress to designate wilderness areas on federal lands

What does “Wilderness is a protective overlay” mean

Management layer on existing federal land; protection against development; Area cna be a wilderness area and a National Park

Wilderness Character: Natural Quality

Free from effects of Human actions, including unintentional acts (Let nature be nature)

Wilderness character: Untrammeled Quality

Free from human control, limits, or manipulation, allows natural forces and processes to operate (No human hand steering nature)

Wilderness Character: Undeveloped Quality

wilderness is without permanent improvements or the sights and sounds of modern human (no buildings, no roads, no machines)

Wilderness Character: Opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation

Visitors experience remoteness

Values of Wilderness: Direct (Experiential) values

Gained from firsthand contact with wilderness: Recreation, solitude, education, ect

Values of Wilderness: Indirect Values

Not contingent on direct experience of wilderness: Ecosystem services, value knowing it exists even if they never go (existence value)

Park, Parkway, and Recreation Area Study Act of 1936

Directed the NPS to analyze the needs for outdoor recreation and collaborate with state and local governments

Outdoor recreation Resources Review Commission

Created to determine recreation needs, inventory recreation resources and recommend policies and programs; also recommended help from fed. gov with preserving trails. Major outcome: Bureau of Outdoor Recreation

Bureau of Outdoor Recreation

Established within the department of interior to coordinate national recreation planning, partnered with local and state agencies to expand recreation access

what was the first national seashore?

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

how did the first seashore serve as a template for these units?

Balancing recreation with protection of coastal ecosystems and cultural heritage

Purpose of National Seashores and Lakeshores

Preserve natural coastal processes, dunes, wetlands, while providing public recreation

Values of National Seashores and Lakeshores

Protection of shorelines and aquatic areas for recreation, protection of geologically and biologically significant resources, preserve lighthouses and estates

What was the First Recreation Area and what did it do?

Lake mead National Recreation Area (Nevada/Arizona), helped establish recreation as an NPS pursuit

The Recreation Advisory Council’s Three Major Criteria for NRAs

1) be spacious, 2) be within 250 miles of urban centers and accommodate heavy multi-state patronage, 3)afford a quality of recreation experience better than that normally associated with areas provided by state and local gov. 

Main emphasis of National Recreation Areas (NRAs)

Recreation and public use first; resource protection is secondary but still important

Examples of heavily visited urban NRAs

Golden Gate and Gateway

What’s significant about Golden Gate and Gateway NRAs?

Both part of the People and the Parks movement (1970s)-goal was to bring parks to urban populations

How were the lands for Golden Gate and Gateway acquired

Many lands were federal surplus properties, military installations, or abandoned industrial landsNation

National Rivers and the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act (1968)

protect certain rivers with outstanding scenic, recreational, geological, wildlife, or cultural values in free-flowing condition for enjoyment of present and future generations

How rivers are classified: Wild rivers

Free of impoundments and generally inaccessible except by trail, undeveloped (dont see presents of humans and are unmanaged); preservation priority, wilderness like conditions

River classifications: Scenic Rivers

Free of impoundments, still undeveloped, more accessible by roads (Little bit more human presents); Mix of preservation and recreation

River classifications: Recreational Rivers

very accessible, some development along shorelines and undergo some impoundment in past (most human presents); Access and use prioritized, but still protected from major alteration

Who manages the National Rivers?

Designations are overlays for existing units and can vary along river; Shared among NPS, Forest Service, Burea of Land Managment adn Fish and Wildlide service

National Trails System Act (1968) and what act created it?

Created the National Trails System to recognize, preserve, and promote historic, scenic, and recreational trails

How was the National Trails System Act related to the “people to parks”

the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission recommended federal help for the creation of national trails, as part of the “People to Parks” initiative

National Recreational Trails

Shorter, locally managed, trails that contribute to health, conservation and recreation goals, Designated by Secretary of Interior

National Historic Trails and how can authorize?

Follow historical travel routes, preserve cultural and interpretive values, Only authorized by Congress

National Scenic trails and who can authorize them

trails of particular natural beauty, long distance routes through scenic areas, can only be authorized by Congress

What is the Appalachian Trail and how manages it?

Completed in 1937, runs from Georgia to Maine; managed by NPS, Forest Service, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

How did the Railroads help the Park access?

The Railroads are what got people to travel long distances to these parks, also partnered with hotels and communities to increase visitation and stay in the parks.

How did railroads help to dictate the locals of Gateway Communities?

The Gateway Communities developed near the rail termini leading into the parks, communities became hubs for visitors, guiding park access and development

When and where did the first car arrive in a National Park

First car entered Yellowstone National Park in 1900

How were cars central to Stephen Mather’s plan to increase visitation?

Thought that if people can easily get to the parks, then it will promote public support for park service and funding.

what was the National Park-to-Park Highway Association?

Private group promoting a loop road connecting 13 western national parks; Goal was to encourage cross-country road travel and promote “seeing America first”

What was the National Park-to-Park Highway Association’s first action?

76-day promotional caravan visiting all the parks

Were Mather’s efforts successful?

very successful, auto tourism skyrocketed, National Park visitation exploded

Post WWII, did influence of cars and park visitation increase or decrease

Dramatically increased, this was because of rising income and highway expansion

How have other means of travel (planes, ferries, ect) affected visitation

Provided ways to get to remote regions and island parks

Why are roads in parks important?

They connect visitor centers, viewpoints, and trails which are essential for public enjoyment and education

What are negative impacts of transportation in parks

traffic congestions and delays, Visual impacts, Increased risk of accidents, habitat destruction, pollution,

How is the NPS dealing with the negatives of cars?

Park transit system: goal is to reduce congestion and pollution and minimize infrastructure

What was the intention/use of the earliest parkways?

Designed as scenic pleasure drives, usually in big cities; reflected Mather’s ideas that parks should be accessible to everyone

How did the intent/use of parkways change over time

They later became routes to connect people with national parks and natural scenery

what was the first parkway authorized by congress?

Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway

what was the first parkway designed and implemented by NPS?

Colonial parkway, linked Virgina’s Historic triangle (in Colonial National Historic Park)

What road served as a prototype for modern parkways and scenic highways?

Skyline Drive (Shenandoah National Park)

what are the most common design elements of NPS parkways and scenic highways?

1) noncommercial, recreational use with restricted speed limits, 2) integrate the roadway with surrounding terrain, 3) Avoid unsightly buildings and roadsides developments, 4) Utilize grade-separated crossings and space entrance/exit ramps at distant intervals

History, purpose, and reasons to visit Blue Ridge Parkway

Congress authorized, began as public works projects but no NPS units, FDR and senate recommended that Skyline Drive be extended southwest to Great Smoky Mountains Np; reasons to visit Appalachian culture and history and nature and recreation

Why is park visitation important? (non-utilitarian values)

Fulfilling the mission of the parks, promoting individual well-being, offering physical and mental health, fostering a connection to nature and history

What are Economic impacts of parks (Internal)

Economic returns from entrance fees, concessions, ect; Make the case for more funding from congress

Organic Act

to preserve nature and historical objects for the future enjoyment for generations

Economic impacts of parks (External - Direct effects)

Impacts on surrounding communities and the nation; money spent when people purchase goods and services from local businesses while visiting parks

Economic impacts of parks (External- Secondary effects)

impacts on surrounding communities and the nation; ripple effect of spending in local economies that includes indirect effects (local buying from another local) and induced effects (employee spending wages at local restaurant) 

what are Gateway Communities

Community that exists in close proximity to a national park and offers food, lodging, and other services to park visitors (ex: Gatlinburg)

Benefits of National Parks: Environmental

1) Conservation: park preserve endangered species, protect natural communities, and conserve natural resources like clean air and water, 2) Ecosystem health: parks maintain healthy ecosystems, provide habitats for wildlife, and contribute to carbon reduction by preserving sustainable landscapes. 3) Natural Infrastructure: parks play role in natural infrastructure, such as reducing stormwater runoff and replenishing aquifers

Benefits of National Parks: Health and Wellness

1) mental well-being: Exposure to nature in parks can decrease stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, while improving brain function, 2) Physical Health: parks offer safe affordable opportunities for physical activity, 3) Connection to Nature: Parks provide sanctuaries for people to connect to nature and foster a sense of belonging

Benefits of National Parks: Economic

1) Tourism and Spending: Park visitors generate significant economic activity by spending money in local communities, 2) Job Creation: The influx of visitors and operations of the parks themselves create numerous jobs in gateway communities and across nation, 3) Community Support: park programs and visitor spending provide consistent economic contribution to well-being of communities surrounding national parks

Environmental Impacts of Visitation to Parks

resource damage (litter, graffiti, off trailing), Erosion (increased foot and vehicle traffic leads to erosion), Ecosystem disruption (Human activity, noise, pollution stresses wildlife and disrupts natural processes), Increased Waste (more visitors=more trash)

Impacts of Visitation to Parks: Visitor impacts

Crowding (long waits), Reduced solitude (crowding diminishes sense of peace), Aesthetic degradation (scenic and tranquility are decreased), Infrastructure strain, Safety concerns (increase accidents, ect)

What are some solutions for environmental and visitor impacts on parks?

Putting in boardwalks or signs to keep people on desired path, limiting entry, reservation system, permits