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The Parks Are Part of Our National Identity
Mark Udall was Colorado’s Democratic senator from 2009 to 2015, andrepresented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2009. He is theformerchairman of the U.S. Senate’s National Parks Subcommittee
It has been said that we don’t inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children. That idea has motivated my life’s work, in Congress and in the private sector, to protect the special places that helped forge our national identity and character.
My instinct—and that of every outdoor enthusiast I know—is to keep our wilderness areas and backcountry sanctuaries wild and to preserve their beauty for future generations. This is the same drive that inspired Congress to pass the Wilderness Act more than five decades ago.
These special places should be managed with one mission, one focus, rather than a patchwork of philosophies and principles. The federal government is in the best position to not only preserve these lands for future generations, but also to invest in their enduring place in our national consciousness.
Unfortunately, a small, but growing, cadre of lawmakers has plotted in recent years to unravel the fabric of our nation’s federally protected lands. Whether motivated by fiscal concerns or a political philosophy at odds with our nation’s bipartisan conservation heritage, there is a growing threat not just to the treatment of our public lands, but to their very existence.
Unless we are able to build support for our wilderness areas, parks, forests and other special places, we will lose this battle.
In the face of these threats, responsibly increasing access to our wilderness areas and other public lands is the right strategy to keep our conservation heritage strong. The president’s recent push to grant all of America’s fourth graders and their families unlimited access to our national parks for one year is a low-cost yet high-impact way to get more Americans out to enjoy our parks and public lands.
We must also take on the necessary but unglamorous tasks of ensuring our nation’s public lands are wisely run and properly cared for. If this is the price of getting more people involved in our public lands, then increased use and visitation is a price worth paying. In fact, getting more people interested in our public lands now is an investment that will yield strong returns for decades to come.
The States Would Manage Them Better
Rob Bishopis a currentRepublican congressman from Utah and chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
People in Washington are not malevolent, malicious, or incompetent. They just have too much to do. They own one-third of America, they can’t manage all that land with efficiency and efficacy. The areas controlled by states, tribes, and counties are much more productive, are better at conservation, and provide better recreational opportunities.
We are not trying to privatize public lands. We are simply saying that people who live in and around public lands should have a say in how they are managed. It is a locally driven effort.
In practicality, I don’t think anyone is expecting to dismantle the National Park Service. But you have to realize that some of the best parks in the West are state parks. They have been recognized as well-managed and well-run. The federal government still has a $11.9 billion backlog in park maintenance.
Almost no one in the East understands the problem of federal lands in the West. To someone in the East, you say public lands, they think a pretty tree by a lake. They think everything is Yellowstone. Instead, most of it is sagebrush. When I talk to my friends in the East, only two factors affect them: The first is that it costs $8 to $10 billion to manage public land in the West. The second thing is education—states in the West have been able to increase education funding at half the rate as states in the East [because education is funded through taxes on private property]. When they realize what happens to the kids, it is an eye opener—kids in the West are put at a distinct disadvantage.
People don’t realize that if you actually had an agency that was not trying to come up with a grand policy, but instead trying to meet the needs of the people, it would be different. State and local control can do that, because they are closer to the people. If you don’t like what Washington does, what can you do? Squat.
If I deal with federal land managers on the local level, for the most part, they get my plan. They are very problem-solving oriented. The higher up you get in Washington, though, the attitude toward parks becomes dogma. They hate the plan [to move federal land to local control] because we’re taking away their power and control.
FAQs
Answer and Explanation: The national parks are owned by the Federal Government. The legislative branches of the U.S. House and Senate have the power to determine the use of federal lands and can pass laws affecting the sale or preservation of those areas including national parks.
Are all national parks owned by the government? ›
National parks, wilderness areas, national wildlife refuges, military reservations, and public-domain land are all examples of lands owned or administered by the United States Federal Government, which is responsible for managing and protecting these lands to preserve the resources of the United States, to conduct the ...
Who controls national parks? ›
What government agency oversees the National Park Service? The National Park Service is a bureau of the Department of the Interior. Directly overseeing its operation is the department's Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Who funds the national parks? ›
The National Park Service is primarily funded by Congress through both the annual appropriations cycle as well as some mandatory funds. The National Park System also receives funding through park entrance and user fees, as well as private philanthropy.
Is national park privately owned? ›
National Parks are not nationally owned. The land within them is mainly owned by private individuals, public bodies and voluntary organisations such as the National Trust.
Are national parks private or public land? ›
What are U.S. Public Lands? Our public lands are national parks, national forests, national monuments, national wildlife refuges, and more. See this post from the U.S. Department of Interior for a complete list.
Does the federal government control national parks? ›
The National Park Service carries out its responsibilities in parks and programs under the authority of Federal laws, regulations, and Executive Orders, and in accord with policies established by the Director of the National Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior.
Was Yellowstone National Park sold? ›
It was announced this morning that ExxonMobil, the largest US oil company, has bought Yellowstone National Park. The price has not been revealed but is believed to be around 3.5 billion dollars. For this, the company gets a 99-year leasehold on the entire park, including all mineral rights. The deal was brokered by T.
Do taxpayers own national parks? ›
OWNERSHIP.
All federal public lands are owned by U.S. taxpayers whose money goes toward maintaining national parks, forests, wilderness areas, wild rivers, and scenic rivers. That means that every person has a right to be there, and a say in how those lands can be used.
Can the president make national parks? ›
National monuments are created at the President's discretion under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. National parks, on the other hand, can only be created by Congress.
“Yosemite National Park belongs to the American people. This action will not affect the historic status of the facilities, as they are still important cultural icons to the National Park Service and the public.”
Can the president establish national parks? ›
Additions to the National Park System are now generally made through acts of Congress, and national parks can be created only through such acts. But the President has authority, under the Antiquities Act of 1906, to proclaim national monuments on lands already under federal jurisdiction.
Who owns the Grand Canyon? ›
Despite these strategically located private in-holdings, the vast majority of the Grand Canyon is owned by the federal government, held in trust for the American people and managed by a varied collection of federal agencies. Indian reservations, state land, and private land surround these federal lands.
Does China own Yosemite National Park? ›
“Yosemite National Park belongs to the American people. This action will not affect the historic status of the facilities, as they are still important cultural icons to the National Park Service and the public.”
How many national parks does China own? ›
To date, China has 244 National Scenic and Historic Interest Areas. The ranges and boundaries of these national parks are often extended beyond what the official names might suggest. The National Scenic and Historic Interest Areas system still exists after the establishment of national parks in 2016.
Did Yellowstone park get sold? ›
It was announced this morning that ExxonMobil, the largest US oil company, has bought Yellowstone National Park. The price has not been revealed but is believed to be around 3.5 billion dollars. For this, the company gets a 99-year leasehold on the entire park, including all mineral rights.
What country owns Yellowstone National Park? ›
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho.
Was the Grand Canyon sold to China? ›
It took a moment to parse out with students that in fact China did not buy the Grand Canyon, that a google search of the actual news clearly bore that out and that the site they located was satire. This was completely unplanned and serendipitous in so many ways.
What Indian tribe owns the Grand Canyon? ›
The Havasupai Tribe is one of 11 Native American tribes that are traditionally affiliated with the Grand Canyon National Park. They've been living among the Grand Canyon's towering red walls of rock and expansive high desert landscape for centuries, before it ever became a U.S. national park.
