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The “National Park” idea or concept is generally credited to one man, George Catlin (1796-1872) who traveled expansively among the native people in America through out his lifetime. In 1832, George traveled through the Dakotas worrying about the safeguarding of America’s westward expansion, wildlife, and the wilderness. In doing so, he wrote, “by some great protecting policy of government…in a magnificent park…a nation’s park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature’s beauty!” (1) Years later in 1864, Congress donated Yosemite Valley to California for the preservation as a state park. Eight years later, in 1872, Congress reserved the spectacular Yellowstone country (Yellowstone National Park) in the Wyoming and Montana territories “as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” It wasn’t really until August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the “Organic Act” creating the National Park Service (NPS), which was responsible for protecting all 40 national parks and monuments in America. (1) Another great contribution to the preservation of America’s environment is a man who spent his life to protect and conserve most of the lands resources, John Muir also known as “The Greatest Californian.”(2) Muir began his conservation career in the late 1880’s and his death in 1914 caused the nation to be committed in his spirit to the wise use of the natural resources we have. Many people believe that in a nutshell, that was his greatness as a human being. All of Muir’s writings have moved Presidents in the same way along with Congressmen to take critical action to America’s land use. He wrote in American Forests, “Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed - - chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones… Through all the wonderful, eventful centuries since Christ’s time - - and long before that - - God has cared for these trees… but he cannot save them from fools - - only Uncle Sam can do that.”(3) From this quote, President Cleveland established 13 Forest Reserves totaling more than 21 million acres and the creation of what was to become the U.S.
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