Abstract
This essay is on the history of California's national parks, especially Yosemite National Park. The paper discusses how such land came to be preserved, and what obstacles were faced in the process of their preservation.

From the Paper
"According to an essay published online by the California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (CERES), the National Park Service maintains different units in California, including nine National Parks. These Parks, Monuments and Preserves offer visitors a wide variety of options, including historical and cultural experiences to the exploration of natural wonders which can be seen nowhere else in the world. California's best known National Park is Yosemite National Park. According to an essay published online on the American Parks Network website, Yosemite Valley's first residents..."

Tags:National park service, california, national park, Yosemite, preservation, creating, congress

Abstract
This essay deals with four areas which are causing Canadian National Parks to disappear--extreme government cut-backs, identity crisis, improper management and ecosystem destruction. It also suggests ways in which the government can change its polices to save these parks.

From the Paper
"Canadians look at the infamous National Park's landscape and see a vast and beautiful range of Canada at its best. Unfortunately, what one sees is often deceiving. The truth is that the state of Canada's National Parks is alarming. Entire species are disappearing, vegetation is being destroyed by development and urbanization, and the pristine lakes and rivers are being contaminated by pollution. The Canadian Government has not been fulfilling its managerial role in protecting the essential resources that are comprised in Canada's National Parks. The problems that have generated in the Park's system have often dismissed due to their seemingly insignificant characteristics. Unfortunately, all of the insignificant problems joined together to create a devastating picture of dysfunctionality of the National Parks. There are four pivotal points that have caused the Park's disastrous spiral aimed at oblivion. Extreme cuts to the Parks Canada's budget has forced them to compromise their principles on how the parks should be run, and resorted to doing what they could. Parks Canada has found itself in an extreme identity crisis, as financial pressures are pitting conflicting philosophies against one another. The Canadian Government is the root which many, if not all of the posing threats the National Parks has emerged from. Their improper management and mentality has potentially shattered any chance of Canada's ecosystem to flourish. Until the Canadian Government stops seeing the nation's national Parks yet another way to generate a clever income for their institution, the parks will continue to lose their ecological integrity until they fade from man's sight completely."

Tags:canada, crisis, cutbacks, degredation, forestry, government, identity, management, national, park

Abstract
National parks should be considered treasures of this country. They are some of the few remaining examples of how beautiful the land truly is in its natural state. This paper contends that snowmobiles harm American national parks and their inhabitants (animals) with pollution to the air as well as noise pollution. In addition to this, they disrupt the national park experience for the millions of visitors to parks such as Yellowstone.

From the Paper
"Snowmobiles run on fuel just like the automobiles we drive in everyday life. Those automobiles of course pollute our cities everyday and it would be foolish to assume that snowmobiles do not do the same thing to the national parks of America. Air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution are all results of the frequent snowmobile use in several prevalent national parks in this country. According to Sean Smith, the snowmobiles have "two-stroke engines that spew up to 30 percent of their fuel out the tailpipe and emit highly toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons"(Presley). One does not have to be an environmental expert to realize that machines releasing 30 percent of their fuel into the atmosphere is a bad thing. "

Tags:animals, pollution, recreation, yellowstone

Abstract
This six-page undergraduate paper is brief general discussion on the American National Parks. It describes the physical environment, climate/weather, vegetation and land cover, the kind of landscapes some parks have and what physical process formed this landscape and what physical processes may still continue to alter the form of these parks.

Abstract
Two sets of authors present divergent views on issues related to the management and protection of biodiverse regions. While the topic question is framed in an either/or fashion about National Parks or community based conservation, the authors really do not present a clear either/or answer. Instead they seem to be advising for a more in-depth look at many factors for selecting both locations and methods of preservation.

From the Paper
National Parks vs. Community Based Conservation These two articles present varied approaches for preserving natural diversity, conservation and land use in the developing world. They do not, however, present opposing approaches nor do they present "national parks" vs. "community based conservation" as the central conflict facing conservationists in their efforts to protect the World's remaining biodiversity. Instead, the authors of both articles recognize that the current methods for conserving the world's shrinking biodiversity are not working. Both articles, however, present optimistic alternatives that suggest that it may be possible to make progress in this endeavor.

Tags:biodiversity, conservation, ecology

Abstract
The paper discusses how national parks in the US have various problems, including pollution stemming from inside and outside the parks and a present management that is seen as insufficient and contradictory. The paper discusses the structure, history and mission of the National Park Service (NPS). The paper looks at park system powers and the politics surrounding them. The paper concludes that a restructuring in the administration of the NPS might be in order, if only to gain more protection for the parks against 21st century environmental problems.

Outline:
Structure
History
Mission
Powers
Politics

From the Paper
"Since 1916, more than 370 parks of great natural beauty and grandeur from Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to the Hawaiian Islands have been managed and preserved by the National Park Service (NPS) which is a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. Such great historic and natural treasures as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone; are now parks that preserve the pristine animal habitats or echo the nation's history, such as the Gettysburg Battlefield or preserve such notable landscapes as Mesa Verde and parks along seashores, lakeshores, and river-ways. They also provide opportunities for outdoor activities, such as at Assateague Island and Lake Mead. (National Park Service 2006)."

Tags:nature, resources, pollution, preservation, scenery, habitat

Abstract
This paper describes the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park and the threats it faces as a result of hurricanes, tourists, a home-building boom, and social inequality.

From the Paper
"The U.S. Virgin Islands National Park is located in the Caribbean in the U.S. Virgin Islands on the island of Saint John. The park borders encompass the island with the park owning all of the land within its boundaries, except for..."

Tags:U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands National Park, ecology, demographics, social inequality, coral reefs, geography, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

Abstract
This paper discusses the history of Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The paper explains that the park was built to preserve the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi people and that it is of historical and archaeological significance to visitors and scientists alike.

Tags:Mesa Verde, national park, Native Americans, Anasazi

Abstract
This paper explains that the boundaries of Joshua Tree National Park are several mountain ranges including a quadrangle underlain by a basement terrane comprising Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic plutonic rocks, and Mesozoic or Cenozoic hypabyssal dikes. The author points out that, even in arid climates such as Joshua Tree National Park, water and wind are the key dynamic as far as erosion of rock is concerned; however, what is seen today in this park is a collection of relict features inherited from an earlier time of higher rainfall and lower temperatures. The paper stresses that the park, located just east of the San Andreas fault zone, is crisscrossed with hundreds of faults from ancient and recent earthquakes, which can be viewed and clearly understood by an alert visitor to the park.

From the Paper
"On June 28, 1992, the largest earthquake to have hit the contiguous United States in 40 years hit the Joshua Tree National Park area - a 7.3 Richter Scale shaker. It was called the Landers Earthquake Sequence; it was the result of a "right-lateral shear on five major faults," according to an article in the journal "Science". The earthquake was generated in an 80-kilometer-wide swath of seismically active faults along the southern part of the eastern California "shear zone" - of which Joshua Tree is a part."

Tags:earthquake, dikes, water, relict, terrane

Abstract
This paper briefly discusses the history of the Kruger National Park which is considered to be an international icon and represents the heritage of South Africa. The paper also explains that thousands of people had to suffer so that the park could grow and flourish, and thousands of people have been displaced because of the bureaucratic decisions made by officials.The paper also emphasis that the park has a dark history of a war over land as there were land claims from the tribes that once populated the park.

From the Paper
''The establishment of game reserves in the Transvaal in 1889 before the park was founded as well as more recently is still an issue surrounded by controversy today. Game reserves are considered undemocratic by many due to the fact that the land is closed to the public and only available for use by certain privileged individuals. The governing of game reserves in the Transvaal was not well established at the time, which made it difficult to even define what constituted a game reserve. Those who took part in the establishment of these reserves believed it was a novel idea, and that they should be given credit this new and modern institution, however in actuality, game reserves had a long history going back many centuries. After the South African War from 1899-1902, the already existing game reserves were inherited by the new British government in place, and looked upon as a method of wildlife protection. No real function of these game reserves was ever announced during the life of the Transvaal Republic Government, and this was straightened out during the colonial Transvaal period. It was stated that game reserves were for sportsman, and that they would eventually contribute to the government after the antelope population returned to an adequate number and the reserves would then be open to the public who would pay to hunt. In addition to the colonial citizens, African residents also opposed game reserves because they alienated land and made it impossible to defend themselves from dangerous animals since Africans were not allowed to have weapons. In addition to this, many Africans were evicted from their homes and forced to live on native reserves or "locations", in addition to the fact that they were not allowed access to game as a means of subsistence. Africans were commonly arrested for "being in possession under suspicious circumstances of game meat".

Tags:rinderpest, epizootic, poaching, land, claims, game, reserves