[Music]
in 1903
the president of the united states took
a three-day camping trip
in california's yosemite valley
president theodore roosevelt
slept in a grove of towering sequoia
trees camped in a snowstorm and spent
hours talking around the campfire with
his host and guide
conservationist john muir roosevelt
famously loved the outdoors but muir had
invited him there for more than just
camping
yosemite was in danger though yosemite
became protected land in 1864
the valley was still at risk for
over-development in 1903
it was at the heart of a decades-old
struggle to set aside land for both
preservation
and public use two goals that were much
easier said than done
the battle over yosemite began with the
1849
gold rush when miners surged west
seeking gold in the sierra nevada
foothills
in 1851 a state-sanctioned militia drove
the awanichi tribe from yosemite valley
those who managed to return witnessed
white settlers claiming the land
felling giant sequoias and building
hotels and saloons
in response a small group of concerned
californians
lobbied senator john connis to protect
the valley from private interests
in 1864 congress passed conus bill
granting the yosemite valley to the
state of california
marking the first time the u.s
government brought land under public
protection
but the management of the land remained
an open question
one that would only become more
complicated as more lands
came under similar protection seven
years later
geologist ferdinand hayden led an
expedition to the yellowstone plateau
which many native american tribes used
for ceremonies
hunting and trade the expeditions
scientists and artists brought back news
of spectacular geysers and hot springs
inspiring widespread support to bring
yellowstone under government protection
and restrict native people's access to
the land
however unlike yosemite yellowstone
couldn't be granted to a state
it was part of three u.s territories
that hadn't become states yet
instead congress brought yellowstone
under federal stewardship in 1872
creating the world's first true national
park
during his presidency teddy roosevelt
was instrumental in expanding the lands
under public protection
by 1916 there were 15 national parks
but the problem of management remained
unsolved and maintenance of the park
was handled haphazardly over multiple
government departments
straightforward tasks like building
roads and hiring personnel
required inefficient bureaucratic
maneuvering
none of the departments had set rules
for conduct in the park
so hunters killed park wildlife cattle
over grazed fields
and visitors vandalized landmarks the
solution
came from canada which had a highly
effective centralized park service
in 1916 the united states established
the national park service based on this
model
to this day the mission for the park
service is comprised of two goals that
sometimes conflict
to conserve the parks for the future and
to allow the public to enjoy them
that's a delicate balancing act roads
trails and other infrastructure make the
parks accessible to visitors but also
alter the landscape
while visitors themselves can contribute
to pollution erosion and damage of
delicate ecosystems
the very history of preservation can
also be at odds with its mission
many parks were not at the time of their
founding the uninhabited wilderness
that's become the standard for their
preservation
instead many were homes or places of
worship for native peoples
who lost access to these lands in the
name of public use
only recently has the national park
service begun to reckon with this legacy
and engage native americans in park
management
around the world indigenous communities
play crucial roles in land management
and preservation today there are
thousands of national parks worldwide
and each must balance public use with
historical and ecological preservation
parks in new zealand iceland australia
and south africa
have experienced severe erosion as
visitor numbers have skyrocketed
some like mu kho similan national park
in thailand have closed sections to
tourists entirely to allow the ecosystem
to recover
national parks have preserved
irreplaceable landscapes for future
generations
they also force us to reckon with hard
questions
what are our responsibilities to this
planet and
to each other those magnificent redwood
trees that roosevelt camped amongst
can grow to be as tall as the statue of
liberty
their towering canopies form their own
micro ecosystems teeming with surprising
life
from sea creatures to berry bushes and
the story of how we discovered this
is not for the acrophobic