R: Parks Are for People

In 1916, Congress established the National Park Service to conserve the parks "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." It was a promise between generations to preserve something for the future. Since then, National Parks in the United States have extended well past what their creators had ever imagined. It might be time for us to reconsider.

Is the best way to preserve nature through government owned parks? Do parks need to be protected from our own destructive tendencies? Or is nature best protected by the people? Has the trend of National Parks becoming a popular vacation spot corroded their purpose? Or is nature at its best when appreciated by people? Does nature have a value beyond recreation that needs to be preserved? If so, to what extent?