National Parks test 2

Influence of WW2 and conditions following austerity of war years

•National affluence of post-WW2 years led to tremendous growth

^300% from 1947-1963

Mission 66

Rescue plan for sad shape of the parks. To manage growing numbers and provide high quality interpretation

Resource Management

Preservation vs. conservation

•Protect “As Is” vs. Cycle of “Intelligent” Use

what is an ecosystem, ecosystem management, ecosystem concepts

•Interdependent community of plants, animals, their environment

•Aims to sustain and integrate social, physical, economic + biological factors, Links people and their culture as part of ecosystem

•Niche, habitat, indicator species, biodiversity

Tragedy of the Commons (what is it and examples)

Commons – resources accessible to all that are taken advantage of for personal gain. ex) overfishing

Factors that affect carrying capacity

•Ability of a resource to sustain use w/out deterioration

resources, space, conditions, etc

Visitor management

            1. Direct management techniques

•Limit choice, numbers and harden resources

           2. Indirect management techniques

•To influence visitor behavior thru information/education

All about Alaska! Alaska Statehood Act, Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), Exxon Valdez spill

•became a state (1959) – Alaska Statehood Act

•Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) (built 1974-1977)

–Exxon Valdez disaster (1989)

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)

1971- •To resolve long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims

•Established Alaska Native claims to the land by transferring titles

•Natives received ~44 million acres of land and $963 million

Alaska Coalition (why created? why did fight became a national battle?)

•HUGE controversy over Carter’s proclamation of protected lands

•Vast oil deposits found and Trans-Alaska pipeline built

–> Fight over what to do with federal lands became a national battle

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILC)

•President Jimmy Carter signed ANILC Act (1980)

•Set aside 47 mill acres to NPS and 54 mill acres to the NWR System

A System Threatened

(1981-1992) •Economic recession and altered political priorities

Bernard DeVoto

“Let’s Close the National Parks”

Stewart Udall

•Secretary of the Interior (1961-1969)

George Hartzog

•NPS Director (1964-1972)

Rachel Carson

•Silent Spring (1962)

•Dangers of DDT – considered catalyst of environmental movement

Aldo Leopold

•Leader in Environmental Ethics and “Father of Wildlife Ecology”

Jimmy Carter                

•39^th President (1977-1981) (2:34C)

•Champion of human rights, created Department of Energy

Proclaimed national monuments ~56 million acres

John Cook

promised new national monuments > Alaska’s “permanent pipeline” > tourism!

Ronald Reagan

•40^th President (1981-1989)

•Added 18 NPS units

James Watt

•Secretary of the Interior under Ronald Reagan (1981-1983)

–One of most controversial in history – “anti-environmentalist”

Dinosaur National Monument

located on the border between Colorado and Utah

Echo Canyon

•Irrigation fight over Echo Park Dam (1950)

Redwood National Park

•Threatened by logging outside boundaries

•> Holistic approach needed

Blue Ridge Parkway

1st National Parkway

Cape Hatteras

1st National Seashore

Pictured Rocks

1st National Lakeshores

Golden Gate NRA

•1st National Recreation Areas

Glacier Bay

–Muir called it “nature’s own reservation”

Wrangell-St. Elias

–By far largest park at 13.2 million acres

Kenai Fjords

–Against but then major driver of Seward’s local economy

Gates of the Arctic

–Least visited park, almost all designated wilderness

Kobuk Valley

–Where humans and animals crossed Bering Land Bridge

Clean Air Act (1963)

•Parks’ airsheds more tightly constrained

Wilderness Act (1964)

•“Where the earth and its community of life is untrammeled                                                     by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain”

National Environmental Policy Act (1969)

•Environmental Impact Assessments now required

Endangered Species Act (1973)

•May not jeopardize endangered/threatened species or its habitat

Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (1965)

•Main source of $$ for federal, state, local park and recreation agencies

National Historic Preservation Act (1966)

fundamental piece of U.S. legislation aimed at preserving the nation’s historic and cultural heritage.

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968)

•To protect rivers of outstanding values

National Trail Systems Act (1968)

fundamental piece of U.S. legislation aimed at preserving the nation’s historic and cultural heritage.

General Authorities Act (1970)

•All park areas equal > no hierarchy

National Outdoor Recreation Act (1963)

•Established Bureau of Outdoor Recreation

National Parks and Recreation Act (1978)

•Added 15 units, 8 rivers, ~2 mill acres of wilderness, $725 million for renovation

National Park Omnibus Management Act (1998)

–To reform process to consider additions to NPS > requires Congress authorization

–Science and research finally added to management mandate

Federal Aid Highway Act (Interstate Act) (1956)

•largest public works project ever at that time

Robbins Report (1963)

•Led to extensive research and new management for “ecosystem preservation”

Leopold Report (1963)

•Park’s primary purpose to maintain it’s biotic associations

State of the Parks Report (1980)

assessed the condition and management of national parks across the United States.

GAO Report (1987)

–Threats not being addressed and things getting worse in the parks

–Not being run consistent with laws established to protect them

Science and the National Parks Report (1992)

–More attention to science as basis for policy and management