Argumentative Essay On National Parks
The National Park is a distinctly American idea. Since the establishment of the first
National Park at Yellowstone, the parks have taken on a plethora of adaptations. Some
advantageous and others detrimental to the parks. Through political leanings, changing
administrations and changing perceptions of the wild and its trappings, parks evolved from
a collection of curiosities designated for the upper class to a multifaceted tourist retreat.
The main goal of the national parks system is to “conserve unimpaired,” to nurture and
protect nature. This dual mandate is paradoxical at best, as it supposes that parks are meant to be
preserved and conserved while facilitating public access and visitor enjoyment. However, it is
debatable whether this aim …show more content…
Parks need science to
understand the native wildlife and vegetation that characterize them.
Much like the fabled campfire origin story of Yellowstone, the history of the parks was
previously a history of heroes and villains with, almost exclusively, the white European being the
hero. Sellars and Keiter’s monographs, written in 1997 and 2013 respectively have shed a more
inclusive more multi focused analysis of events. Sellars interpretations is a very matter of fact
version of parks history. He focuses more on the beginnings of the parks and how they came to
be their contemporary counterparts. Sellars’ monograph is the pioneering work of National
Parks history. It represents a shift and a recognition of the importance of environmental history.
Keiter’s piece, written sixteen years later, addresses how policy makers and politicians have
shaped the history of the parks. He further uses more contemporary examples to further his
argument.
Despite all of the efforts and laws and political epics over the years, the only success that
seems to have come out of the national parks idea is tourism. It drives the parks today and
National Park at Yellowstone, the parks have taken on a plethora of adaptations. Some
advantageous and others detrimental to the parks. Through political leanings, changing
administrations and changing perceptions of the wild and its trappings, parks evolved from
a collection of curiosities designated for the upper class to a multifaceted tourist retreat.
The main goal of the national parks system is to “conserve unimpaired,” to nurture and
protect nature. This dual mandate is paradoxical at best, as it supposes that parks are meant to be
preserved and conserved while facilitating public access and visitor enjoyment. However, it is
debatable whether this aim …show more content…
Parks need science to
understand the native wildlife and vegetation that characterize them.
Much like the fabled campfire origin story of Yellowstone, the history of the parks was
previously a history of heroes and villains with, almost exclusively, the white European being the
hero. Sellars and Keiter’s monographs, written in 1997 and 2013 respectively have shed a more
inclusive more multi focused analysis of events. Sellars interpretations is a very matter of fact
version of parks history. He focuses more on the beginnings of the parks and how they came to
be their contemporary counterparts. Sellars’ monograph is the pioneering work of National
Parks history. It represents a shift and a recognition of the importance of environmental history.
Keiter’s piece, written sixteen years later, addresses how policy makers and politicians have
shaped the history of the parks. He further uses more contemporary examples to further his
argument.
Despite all of the efforts and laws and political epics over the years, the only success that
seems to have come out of the national parks idea is tourism. It drives the parks today and