Preservation vs Public Access

The National Parks as we know have provided the community with a great deal of

recreational activities and the beauty of nature for everyone to enjoy. Although the main purpose

of these National Parks were to encourage wildlife preservation and environmental care,

recreation quickly became another huge part of the picture as demands grew overtime

(Neumann, p.1204). Both preservation and public access are valuable in their own ways,

allowing the parks to prosper financially and through environmental awareness. As important as

it is for both to coexist, there are also negative attributes that come with the benefits. Not every

human activities and interactions are considered to be harmless, but rather more harmful to the

environment. Preservation within National Parks should be the number one priority, while still

allowing public access without detrimental repercussions.

I have not been to a National Park myself, but I have been to multiple local hiking trails

around my city. It was a nice experience being able to explore the local wildlife, but I often find

trash littered all over the floor when there are garbage cans nearby within a walking distance. It

was a disappointing sight to see especially when there are squirrels digging through an empty

chip bag instead of finding food within their own environment. Human interaction cannot exist

alongside nature without some precautions. As for National Parks, there are a lot more

recreational activities present such as kayaking, mountain climbing, biking, canoeing, and more.

With more human interactions, more risks would develop and therefore threaten the living

quality of the ecosystem for both humans and animals (Manning et al, p.172). The effects may

not be evident immediately, but changes can also occur overtime through constant usage as

shown in global warming and climate change. Pollution from cars, tour planes, and even certain

water vehicles can harm and pollute the air quality in which living organisms need in order to
survive. Preservation by definition refers to the action to maintain something in its original state,

but that cannot be done if roads, buildings, and structural accommodations need to be made in

order to sustain these recreational activities (Neumann, p.1204). Landscapes were molded to fit

the standard of tourism, reducing the availability of shelter and food for the local wildlife.

Despite some of the negative impacts, the creation of the National Parks were made to spread

awareness of environmental preservation and maintain the beauty of nature along with its history

(Manning et al, p.215). Things could have been a lot worse without these governmental actions

since the time of major industrialization would have taken over our precious lands and reduced

the population of the species as we know. Recreational activities also allow people of many

different cultures to come together to learn the history of America and appreciate the wonders

nature has to offer.

The Big Bend National Park offers a safety guideline for tourists to follow as they visit

the park. By setting ground rules for recreational activities, the risks to the environment could be

reduced and perhaps avoided. Fire and wildlife encounter safety are especially important for

those who are looking to use the campgrounds since the area is being shared among other plants

and animal species as well (National Park Service, 2021). Fires are extremely hazardous in most

parks due to its ability to rapidly spread and destroy, which is also a recurring problem today due

to the climate. By limiting certain forms of interactions that would cause long term effects on the

environment and being more strict about park rules, National Parks can continue to thrive

alongside the public recreational activities. It is important for National Parks to allow public

access in order to continue spreading awareness and provide a place for people to learn important

pieces of history, but recreational activities should be properly maintained in order to sustain the

original purpose of environmental preservation.

 Bibliography

Manning, R. E., R Diamant, N. Mitchell, & D. Harmon. (2016). A Thinking Person's Guide to

America's National Parks. George Braziller Publishers.

Neumann, R. P. (2007). National Parks: Tourism. Independent Scholar.

https://csufullerton.instructure.com/courses/3208633/pages/neumann-article-on-national-

parks

National Park Service. (2021). Big Bend National Park: Camping. National Park Service U.S.

Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/camping.htm