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In 1903, the President 
of the United States

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took a three-day camping trip 
in California’s Yosemite Valley.

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President Theodore Roosevelt slept 
in a grove of towering Sequoia trees,

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camped in a snowstorm, and spent hours 
talking around the campfire

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with his host and guide, 
conservationist John Muir.

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Roosevelt famously loved the outdoors,

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but Muir had invited him there 
for more than just camping:

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Yosemite was in danger.

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Though Yosemite became 
protected land in 1864,

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the valley was still at risk 
for overdevelopment in 1903.

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It was at the heart of a decades-old 
struggle to set aside land

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for both preservation and public use—

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two goals that were much easier 
said than done.

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The battle over Yosemite began 
with the 1849 gold rush,

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when miners surged west, seeking gold 
in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

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In 1851, a state-sanctioned militia,

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drove the Ahwahneechee tribe 
from Yosemite Valley.

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Those who managed to return witnessed 
white settlers claiming the land,

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felling giant sequoias, 
and building hotels and saloons.

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In response, a small group 
of concerned Californians

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lobbied senator John Conness to protect 
the valley from private interests.

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In 1864, Congress passed Conness’ bill,

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granting the Yosemite Valley 
to the State of California,

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marking the first time the U.S. government
brought land under public protection.

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But the management of that land remained 
an open question,

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one that would only become 
more complicated

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as more lands came 
under similar protection.

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Seven years later,
geologist Ferdinand Hayden

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led an expedition 
to the Yellowstone Plateau,

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which many Native American tribes used 
for ceremonies, hunting, and trade.

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The expedition’s scientists and artists 
brought back news

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of spectacular geysers and hot springs,

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inspiring widespread support to bring 
Yellowstone under government protection—

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and restrict native people’s 
access to the land.

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However, unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone 
couldn’t be granted to a state—

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it was part of three U.S. territories 
that hadn’t become states yet.

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Instead, Congress brought Yellowstone 
under federal stewardship in 1872,

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creating the world’s first true 
National Park.

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During his presidency, 
Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental

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in expanding the lands 
under public protection.

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By 1916, there were 
fifteen national parks.

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But the problem of management 
remained unsolved,

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and maintenance of the park 
was handled haphazardly

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over multiple government departments.

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Straightforward tasks like building roads 
and hiring personnel

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required inefficient 
bureaucratic maneuvering.

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None of the departments had set rules 
for conduct in the park,

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so hunters killed park wildlife, 
cattle overgrazed fields,

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and visitors vandalized landmarks.

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The solution came from Canada,

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which had a highly effective 
centralized park service.

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In 1916, the United States established 
the National Park Service

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based on this model.

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To this day, the mission for the park 
service is comprised of two goals

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that sometimes conflict:

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to conserve the parks for the future

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and to allow the public to enjoy them.

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That’s a delicate balancing act: 
roads, trails, and other infrastructure

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make the parks accessible to visitors, 
but also alter the landscape,

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while visitors themselves can contribute 
to pollution, erosion,

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and damage of delicate ecosystems.

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The very history of preservation 
can also be at odds with this mission.

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Many parks were not, 
at the time of their founding,

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the uninhabited wilderness that’s become 
the standard for their preservation.

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Instead, many were homes or places 
of worship for native peoples,

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who lost access to these lands 
in the name of public use.

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Only recently has 
the National Park Service

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begun to reckon with this legacy 
and engage Native Americans

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in park management.

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Around the world, indigenous communities 
play crucial roles

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in land management and preservation.

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Today, there are thousands 
of national parks worldwide,

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and each must balance public use with 
historical and ecological preservation.

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Parks in New Zealand, Iceland, Australia, 
and South Africa

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have experienced severe erosion 
as visitor numbers have skyrocketed.

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Some, like Mu Ko Similan National Park 
in Thailand,

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have closed sections to tourists entirely 
to allow the ecosystem to recover.

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National Parks have preserved 
irreplaceable landscapes

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for future generations.

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They also force us to reckon 
with hard questions:

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what are our responsibilities 
to this planet, and to each other?