National Parks Research Paper

National Parks It has taken decades and continuous generational work to increase the areas of land that are protected from the drastic changes that humans bring to nature. Because of the labor of past generations, great amounts of effort have been forthput to protect regions of forests, deserts, bodies of water, and more. There is a great need to preserve the current National Parks across the nation, and continue to create new preservations to maintain the natural beauty of our nation. Dating back to around the 1870’s is largely considered to be the birth period of the first National Park, Yellowstone National Park(Birth). The future park was discovered by explorers who dared to go beyond the line of civilization and venture into the wilderness.
These trailblazers pushed for a park bill in Washington between 1871 and 1872, using artist's paintings and sketches to draw upon the imagination of congress(Birth). This was a time of expansion and there was still a growing number of people flooding westward claiming the uninhabited land. Being that there was no real restrictions on where newcomers could settle, excluding the Native American land, people would give no thought to settling in a place that should be upheld and maintained. But there were some people who recognized the importance of putting restrictions upon the American people as to where settlement should take place in the vast expanse of a new continent. Not only was the regulation of settlement important, but also the collection and use of natural resources such as timber, coal, oil, precious metals, animals, and more. There are irreversible effects of incautiously procuring and consuming natural wealth. One dominant example was stated by President Theodore Roosevelt “The extermination of the buffalo has been a veritable tragedy of the animal world.”(AZ Quotes). It is a known fact that before the settlement of the west the North American plains had hundreds of thousands of buffalo that roamed freely, but due to the unchecked killing and hunting of these wild animals their numbers dropped drastically. This is a prime example of how immense the impact humans have not only the landscape, but also the animals. As this was important in the early stages of molding this country, it can be seen today how important it is to continue to strive for a healthy ecosystem.
In current times, with a rapidly increasing population globally, there is a greater need to preserve what is left of the forests.
As stated by National Geographic “Eighty percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.” This adds cause as to why there is a greater importance to saving national forests, because not only for the animals sake but for human's sake as well. If the reckless deforestation continues it would offset the balance of Earth’s ecosystem and, simply put, would eventually end all life. So what the government and other organizations have done is they created a park service that is there to protect and maintain the parks. The earliest form of the park rangers were men from the army, sent because the men who had attempted before to protect the park had failed(Birth). Through later years and more development the ranger service would continue to grow and improve upon its doings(Birth). Because of this however, it has created numerous jobs across the nation that are all in the group effort “to protect, preserve, and improve the Park(s)”(Birth). Among the many sobering and weighted facts of what could go wrong without the National Parks, there is a more uplifting side to the story behind the importance of these national gems. And that has to do with the amount of everyday people that enjoy, learn, grow, and prosper by and through the many different pockets of pure
nature.
The many jobs that are held by numerous people are not only present to take care of nature, but to also educate the youth so that one day they too can learn to appreciate and take care of nature. National Parks across the country are visited by millions of people annually to hike, climb, camp, canoe, and much more. The United States combined have some of the most prodigious landmarks in the world. This creates a tremendous draw for not only people who live in other states but also for people who live worldwide. Year after year National parks cause an influx of different people of varying races and ages to keep coming back to view the beauty of nature at its finest. Not only does this add to the desire to see different regions of the country and travel but also to inspire. Nature is one of the only timeless things that have inspired writers, plain people, and children since the beginning and will continue to do so till one of the two are gone from the earth. Nature has the ability to inspire some of the greatest writers of all time such as Thoreau or just about any other author, poet, or musician. Not only can it do that but it can also instill pure awe in the eyes of a child, such as one who was asked by his father to go hiking with him and was able to sit with his father and gaze at the stars around a campfire for an evening. It cannot be matched by any other worldly thing, nor can it be replicated or over powered. It will continue to inspire and support humans as long as we take care of it and respect it. And this can be easily achieved by supporting National Parks across the nation.
From the beginnings of the National Parks, to the impact that it plays in maintaining a healthy and reliable ecosystem, to the inspiration and the enjoyment of people. The National Parks not only have a sizable impact on the lives of animals, but it also has a substantial influence upon the lives of every person on the planet. With the continued importance of these added facts there is and always will be the need to preserve the current National Parks across the nation, and continue to create new preservations to maintain the natural beauty of our nation.