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Parks need work, not fluff
They were created as wilderness; keep them like that
by Joe R. Howry
 The
West of which I speak is but another name for the Wild, and what I have
been preparing to say is, that in Wildness is the preservation of the
World. Every tree sends its fibers forth in search of the Wild. The
cities import it at any price. Men plow and sail for it. From the
forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind.
— Henry David Thoreau, "In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World"
A few years back, I was on a fishing trip in the Yellowstone Park area,
enjoying the wonders of the park as much as the fishing. It was early
fall, and everything had turned golden. The days were sunny, the
tourists were few and the park's wildlife abundant. At a park
campground, we were serenaded to sleep each night by the bugling of the
elk.
One morning, as we were heading out of the park to fish the Madison
River below Quake Lake, we were caught in a bison-induced traffic jam.
A herd of the shaggy beasts was moving, quite slowly, from its grazing
area near the river up into pines where the bison could rest in the
shade. They were making a mess of things as only bison that have just
eaten and drunk their fill can. The air was pungent.
Having visited the park many times, we were well-instructed in their
ways, knowing that bison move at their own speed and no amount of
encouragement, especially the honking of horns, would move them faster
than they wanted to go.
We were behind a very large recreation vehicle, whose owner, a man not
at all versed in the nature of bison, was demonstrating an impatience
that bordered on rage. He honked his horn repeatedly and tried to nudge
several of the animals along with the bumper of his vehicle. After much
effort, a large bull that weighed about 2,000 pounds and sporting an
impressive set of horns moved onto the shoulder of the road.
The animal plodded along steadily as the RV pulled alongside and tried
to pass. The RV was about halfway past the bull when it decided to use
its horn. Quite deliberately, it swung its massive head and planted its
left horn deep into the side of the RV. After taking a 3- to 4-foot
gouge out of the vehicle, the bull pulled his horn free and ambled on
down the road, completely indifferent to the damage it had done.
Of course, we all cheered with delight. Not only were we treated to
a wonderful show, we were all certain that the driver of the RV got
exactly what he deserved. Road rage with a bison is not a bright idea.
This story came to mind during a visit to The Star's Editorial Board
last week by a couple of folks from the National Parks Conservation
Association. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as
an advocacy group for our national parks. The purpose of their visit
was to raise awareness that the parks have been badly underfunded; they
claim to the tune of $800 million annually for the past decade.
Their plan is to use the 100th anniversary of the park service in 2016
as a rallying point to spur more funding. On its face, it appears to be
a noble endeavor, but I have uneasiness that the results will be more
detrimental, at least in terms of the original intent of the national
parks, than beneficial.
My fear is that the more money made available for the parks will lead
to turning them into wilderness theme parks, complete with fancy resort
hotels, fast-food chains and the total sanitizing of anything that
could be remotely dangerous.
The national parks were inspired by President Theodore Roosevelt, a
robust outdoorsman who envisioned the preservation of large areas of
wilderness for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. A big part
of that vision was that the parks were to be rigorously maintained in
their natural state, and visitors were to respect and enjoy these
natural wonders in an appropriate way.
That meant visitors were expected to accept those conditions and not
try to alter them for convenience. In other words, visitors were
expected to contribute and put forth effort to have a true wilderness
experience. That was the original intent, but who could foresee such
things as massive RVs and a culture in which people expect to have
things done for them, a culture that tries to bend everything to its
will?
As the fellow in the RV learned, and it should be an encouraging lesson
to all of us, there are forces in nature that bend to no one's will.
That is one of the many beauties of the wilderness. I, for one, hope it
stays that way.
— Joe R. Howry is editor of The Ventura County Star.
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