Resisting the Pressures of the Present: Channel Islands National Park as a Case Study in Public Policymaking

Frisch, Scott; Wakelee, Daniel

The idea of setting aside large tracts of land as part of a public system for recreation and preservation of natural resources was first put into practice more than a century ago in the American West. Although several agencies have charges related to the management of federal lands, the National Park Service is the most visible. Institutions whose mission includes preservation or conservation of natural resources face particular challenges in carrying out their task, oft en in spite of efforts to exploit resources in their charge for commercial or private purposes. As of 2010, the National Park Service managed 392 areas of natural, historic or recreational significance, 58 of which have been designated as National Parks. These sites were created and maintained, oft en in spite of political forces (described in the quotation above) that favor potentially lucrative private uses over protection of land through public ownership and stewardship. Events both leading to and following the establishment of Channel Islands National Park illustrate this tension between private use and public preservation of unique pieces of the American landscape.