As Yosemite National Park stands in grave danger of fire, it is time again to enjoy Ken Burns’ The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. I never tire of the National Parks and the genius of making America own them. How many countries have these kinds of parks available to the common man? Most beautiful spots are owned by the rich and elite in other spots around the world. Yellowstone National Park was the very first (1872)and it just happens to be my favorite. It isn’t the prettiest by far but the animals and geysers and geological uniqueness make up for what it lacks in beauty. Perhaps the best thing about it is that the American buffalo was preserved and kept from extinction.
Yosemite was actually preserved first, being declared a state park during the Civil War. It was given to California under the condition that it never be allowed to go into private ownership. Thank heavens for the naturalists who saw the value of preserving these lands for everyone. Thank goodness for receptive legislators and presidents to give the stamp of approval to these lands. That is not to say that the Parks haven’t been politicized and themselves gone on the endangered species list. Greedy developers and legislators have continually tried to open up these lands to just about anything other than the People’s Parks.
There are those who disparage the National Parks. They feel it isn’t the job of government to set aside lands. Obviously private ownership doesn’t include the people of America so I would say these folks are simply wrong. It is only when America owns parklands that we will all get to enjoy them. The National Parks will air on PBS every night this week on PBS. If you missed it the first time, please try to catch it now. If you saw it, it is a wonderful rerun. Ken Burns always does a great job. The National Parks is no exception. What is your favorite park? Which ones have you been to and which ones do you want to see in the future?
Further reading:
Favorite is very hard to decide – there are a few of them that I have been to that are magnificent. Yellowstone and Yosemite are probably my top two. Grand Canyon, Bryce, Acadia – the list goes on.