0:00:08.031,0:00:10.751 In 1903, the President [br]of the United States 0:00:10.751,0:00:15.068 took a three-day camping trip [br]in California’s Yosemite Valley. 0:00:15.068,0:00:19.792 President Theodore Roosevelt slept [br]in a grove of towering Sequoia trees, 0:00:19.792,0:00:23.322 camped in a snowstorm, and spent hours [br]talking around the campfire 0:00:23.322,0:00:27.280 with his host and guide, [br]conservationist John Muir. 0:00:27.280,0:00:29.930 Roosevelt famously loved the outdoors, 0:00:29.930,0:00:33.340 but Muir had invited him there [br]for more than just camping: 0:00:33.340,0:00:35.680 Yosemite was in danger. 0:00:35.680,0:00:39.520 Though Yosemite became [br]protected land in 1864, 0:00:39.520,0:00:43.260 the valley was still at risk [br]for overdevelopment in 1903. 0:00:43.260,0:00:46.340 It was at the heart of a decades-old [br]struggle to set aside land 0:00:46.340,0:00:49.250 for both preservation and public use— 0:00:49.250,0:00:52.770 two goals that were much easier [br]said than done. 0:00:52.770,0:00:57.378 The battle over Yosemite began [br]with the 1849 gold rush, 0:00:57.378,0:01:02.365 when miners surged west, seeking gold [br]in the Sierra Nevada foothills. 0:01:02.365,0:01:05.415 In 1851, a state-sanctioned militia, 0:01:05.415,0:01:09.248 drove the Ahwahneechee tribe [br]from Yosemite Valley. 0:01:09.248,0:01:13.168 Those who managed to return witnessed [br]white settlers claiming the land, 0:01:13.168,0:01:17.708 felling giant sequoias, [br]and building hotels and saloons. 0:01:17.708,0:01:20.891 In response, a small group [br]of concerned Californians 0:01:20.891,0:01:25.681 lobbied senator John Conness to protect [br]the valley from private interests. 0:01:25.681,0:01:29.391 In 1864, Congress passed Conness’ bill, 0:01:29.391,0:01:33.008 granting the Yosemite Valley [br]to the State of California, 0:01:33.008,0:01:37.713 marking the first time the U.S. government[br]brought land under public protection. 0:01:37.713,0:01:40.813 But the management of that land remained [br]an open question, 0:01:40.813,0:01:42.920 one that would only become [br]more complicated 0:01:42.920,0:01:46.890 as more lands came [br]under similar protection. 0:01:46.890,0:01:49.690 Seven years later,[br]geologist Ferdinand Hayden 0:01:49.690,0:01:52.520 led an expedition [br]to the Yellowstone Plateau, 0:01:52.520,0:01:56.860 which many Native American tribes used [br]for ceremonies, hunting, and trade. 0:01:56.860,0:01:59.889 The expedition’s scientists and artists [br]brought back news 0:01:59.889,0:02:02.790 of spectacular geysers and hot springs, 0:02:02.790,0:02:06.870 inspiring widespread support to bring [br]Yellowstone under government protection— 0:02:06.870,0:02:09.880 and restrict native people’s [br]access to the land. 0:02:09.880,0:02:14.355 However, unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone [br]couldn’t be granted to a state— 0:02:14.355,0:02:18.402 it was part of three U.S. territories [br]that hadn’t become states yet. 0:02:18.402,0:02:23.465 Instead, Congress brought Yellowstone [br]under federal stewardship in 1872, 0:02:23.465,0:02:27.155 creating the world’s first true [br]National Park. 0:02:27.155,0:02:30.165 During his presidency, [br]Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental 0:02:30.165,0:02:33.135 in expanding the lands [br]under public protection. 0:02:33.135,0:02:37.235 By 1916, there were [br]fifteen national parks. 0:02:37.235,0:02:39.992 But the problem of management [br]remained unsolved, 0:02:39.992,0:02:43.045 and maintenance of the park [br]was handled haphazardly 0:02:43.045,0:02:45.725 over multiple government departments. 0:02:45.725,0:02:49.535 Straightforward tasks like building roads [br]and hiring personnel 0:02:49.535,0:02:52.915 required inefficient [br]bureaucratic maneuvering. 0:02:52.915,0:02:56.045 None of the departments had set rules [br]for conduct in the park, 0:02:56.045,0:03:00.087 so hunters killed park wildlife, [br]cattle overgrazed fields, 0:03:00.087,0:03:02.945 and visitors vandalized landmarks. 0:03:02.945,0:03:05.375 The solution came from Canada, 0:03:05.375,0:03:08.635 which had a highly effective [br]centralized park service. 0:03:08.635,0:03:12.625 In 1916, the United States established [br]the National Park Service 0:03:12.625,0:03:14.505 based on this model. 0:03:14.505,0:03:18.215 To this day, the mission for the park [br]service is comprised of two goals 0:03:18.215,0:03:20.435 that sometimes conflict: 0:03:20.435,0:03:22.575 to conserve the parks for the future 0:03:22.575,0:03:25.819 and to allow the public to enjoy them. 0:03:25.819,0:03:29.372 That’s a delicate balancing act: [br]roads, trails, and other infrastructure 0:03:29.372,0:03:33.022 make the parks accessible to visitors, [br]but also alter the landscape, 0:03:33.022,0:03:36.151 while visitors themselves can contribute [br]to pollution, erosion, 0:03:36.151,0:03:39.124 and damage of delicate ecosystems. 0:03:39.124,0:03:43.706 The very history of preservation [br]can also be at odds with this mission. 0:03:43.706,0:03:46.296 Many parks were not, [br]at the time of their founding, 0:03:46.296,0:03:50.746 the uninhabited wilderness that’s become [br]the standard for their preservation. 0:03:50.746,0:03:54.636 Instead, many were homes or places [br]of worship for native peoples, 0:03:54.636,0:03:58.358 who lost access to these lands [br]in the name of public use. 0:03:58.358,0:04:00.538 Only recently has [br]the National Park Service 0:04:00.538,0:04:04.018 begun to reckon with this legacy [br]and engage Native Americans 0:04:04.018,0:04:05.948 in park management. 0:04:05.948,0:04:09.307 Around the world, indigenous communities [br]play crucial roles 0:04:09.307,0:04:12.777 in land management and preservation. 0:04:12.777,0:04:15.987 Today, there are thousands [br]of national parks worldwide, 0:04:15.987,0:04:21.310 and each must balance public use with [br]historical and ecological preservation. 0:04:21.310,0:04:24.740 Parks in New Zealand, Iceland, Australia, [br]and South Africa 0:04:24.740,0:04:29.310 have experienced severe erosion [br]as visitor numbers have skyrocketed. 0:04:29.310,0:04:32.930 Some, like Mu Ko Similan National Park [br]in Thailand, 0:04:32.930,0:04:37.971 have closed sections to tourists entirely [br]to allow the ecosystem to recover. 0:04:37.971,0:04:40.871 National Parks have preserved [br]irreplaceable landscapes 0:04:40.871,0:04:43.127 for future generations. 0:04:43.127,0:04:46.217 They also force us to reckon [br]with hard questions: 0:04:46.217,0:04:50.815 what are our responsibilities [br]to this planet, and to each other?