When a team of scientists and conservationists led by A. Starker Leopold wrote the Leopold Report in 1963, national park visitors were still feeding bears through their car windows, nocturnal wildlife still feasted on park garbage dumps, and park rangers still shot cougars and wolves to maximize the number of visitor-friendly elk and pronghorn.

Prompted by a population explosion of elk—and the subsequent need to cull them–Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall established a Special Advisory Board on Wildlife Management and asked it to examine wildlife management in America’s national parks. The committee’s response, the Leopold Report, became the first concrete plan for the use of scientific principles in managing national park visitors, wildlife, and habitats. The report prompted a revolution in wildlife and habitat management and set the National Park Service on a trajectory to utilize the best available science as a foundation for decision-making. The national parks, their wildlife, and park visitors all benefited from this redirection.

Last month, almost 50 years after the release of the Leopold Report, the Science Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board presented a 21st-century version of this important document and recommended a new basis for policy, planning, and management to confront new challenges to our national parks as we approach their 2016 centennial. After attending the committee’s presentation of the new report to the Park Service in late August, I fully expect the agency will accept these recommendations—a move that would put our national parks on the right track for the future.

The new document, Revisiting Leopold (PDF, 1 MB), comes from a team of the nation’s most accomplished scientists and conservationists, including a Nobel Laureate and two recipients of the Presidential Medal of Science. They revisited A. Starker Leopold’s questions from 1963 and molded their answers with the realization that, “Environmental changes confronting the National Park Service are widespread, complex, accelerating, and volatile.” They specifically identified biodiversity loss; climate change; habitat fragmentation; groundwater removal; invasive species; overdevelopment; air, noise, and light pollution; and the erosion of cultural resources.

The committee noted that cultural and socioeconomic changes confronting the National Park Service in the 21^st century “include an increasingly diversified, urbanized, and aging population, a transforming US economy, and constrained public funding for parks.”

Given these constraints, the committee concluded, the overarching goal of park resource management should be, “to steward NPS resources for continuous change that is not yet fully understood, in order to preserve ecological integrity and cultural and historical authenticity, provide visitors with transformative experiences, and form the core of a national conservation land- and seascape.”

Revisiting Leopold calls for new strategies that go beyond park boundaries and extend over longer periods of time. The authors note the need to expand representation of unique ecosystems and a special need to protect habitat that may help wildlife survive and disperse in an era of rapid climate change.

Because ecological and cultural systems are continuously changing and not fully understood, the committee recommends that Park Service managers and decision-makers embrace “at all levels” the precautionary principle, which requires that stewardship decisions reflect science-informed prudence and restraint. When in doubt, the precautionary principle suggests, err on the side of protection.

To implement these policies, the authors of Revisiting Leopold recommend a systematic review of NPS policies to align them with the goals proposed in their study. But they warn against revising the Organic Act, altering the mission of NPS, or relaxing restrictions on impairment of park resources. They also call for a significant expansion of science within NPS by hiring a new and diverse cohort of scientists, supporting their research, and applying the results of their findings.

In conclusion, the committee warns against basing future park resource management on past practices and points to an urgent need for structural changes and long-term investment in preservation. They urge the Park Service to “act immediately, boldly, and decisively,” noting that the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service provides an extraordinary opportunity for action and a critical benchmark for progress.

Some of the recommendations in Revisiting Leopold can be achieved through a change in perspective. Viewing national parks as anchors in greater landscapes, for example, costs nothing. To fully express this concept on the ground, however, requires financial investment: creating and maintaining a trained staff and establishing partnerships with owners and managers of adjoining lands. Here, Revisiting Leopold zeroes in on the most serious challenge facing NPS in 2012: the lack of adequate funding. “The NPS has an excellent corps of resources managers,” the committee writes, “but these managers must be supported with the necessary funds and personnel, as well as with training and professional development.”

Just as the initial Leopold Report of 1963 revolutionized Park Service wildlife management, its new iteration, Revisiting Leopold, can ensure that America’s national parks thrive during their second century of existence, continuing to serve as lifeboats for our nation’s biological inheritance and as the cultural landscapes of our nation’s history. The authors of Revisiting Leopold should be lauded for providing a brilliant vision for protecting our nation’s natural and cultural heritage. Assuming these recommendations officially guide scientific policy moving forward, the men and women of the National Park Service should be commended for taking the front line in helping us turn that vision into reality.

This past weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the National Park Service’s Call to Action report, and a new opportunity to revisit the goals and policies guiding our national parks just four years shy of their centennial in 2016.

What is the Call to Action? Last year, on the 95^th birthday of the founding of the National Park Service, the agency celebrated its own birthday in a unique way. At an event staged at the historic Ford’s Theater in Washington, NPS released a report titled A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement.

This report was written by the Park Service as a guide for the future of the agency, but also includes an invitation to its partners to commit to actions to move forward towards a shared vision for the parks for 2016 and the second century. Its central stated goal is that NPS “must recommit to the exemplary stewardship and public enjoyment of these places.” The vision for a “second century” Park Service (drawing on the work of the Second Century Commission) is that it will:

• Connect a broader and more diverse audience to the parks to better provide communities with places that protect their natural and cultural heritage;
• Advance the educational mission of the Park Service by strengthening its role in learning and interpretation for the benefit of all of our people from early childhood to seniors;
• Preserve natural and cultural landscapes using the best science, planning, and management practices; and
• Enhance its professional and organizational excellence by recruiting a more diverse and effective workforce that is fully capable of leading change and working with partners through greater innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

Park Service Director Jon Jarvis made it clear last year the agency intended to review its progress towards these goals annually and revise the Call to Action each August through 2016. NPCA applauds the Park Service for committing to a meaningful 2016 agenda. Their revisions to this important document, however, were quite modest.

Last summer, NPCA released The State of America’s National Parks, a comprehensive report, outlining the most significant threats to the National Park System. The report identified important priorities to enforce air quality laws; reintroduce native wildlife; monitor and respond to the impacts of climate change; and address the current inadequate level of protection for historic buildings and artifacts.

Recognizing that our national parks face many challenges, NPCA believes there needs to be some significant additions to the Call to Action moving forward. These include:  

• Expanding the “Scaling Up” initiative, which is intended to improve the ecological connectivity of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and plants in the face of the growing impacts of climate change, energy development, and other threats.
• Drafting a service-wide comprehensive connectivity strategy that prioritizes ecosystem protection across the system so that landscape conservation can be addressed to the greatest degree possible.
• Transferring unrestricted funds annually to begin to fund the second century national park endowment NPS and we believe is necessary for long-term sustainable funding for the park system.

From Acadia to Gettysburg and Yellowstone, the National Park System contains some of our most historically significant sites as well as some of the last wild lands of America. They provide some of the very best wildlife viewing experiences in the country. Visitors can see grizzlies, bison, and mountain goats in the wild; and can experience the historic migration of caribou or pronghorn and see lynx, wolves, and other animals in their native habitat.

The Park Service is on the right path; now we need to build on the “Call to Action” to protect our parks for all Americans to enjoy in their second century and beyond.

The National Park System contains some of our most historically significant sites as well as some of the last wild lands of America. They provide some of the very best wildlife viewing experiences in the country. Visitors can see grizzlies, bison, and mountain goats in the wild; and can experience the historic migration of caribou or pronghorn and see lynx, wolves, and other animals in their native habitat. Yet our national parks are vulnerable from the number one threat facing our parks today–inadequate funding. The Park Service currently suffers from an annual operating shortfall of more than $500 million, and additional looming cuts will jeopardize this world-class resource.

After two years of declining funding, national parks now face the prospect of devastating cuts through the annual appropriations process and the looming threat of the “sequester” scheduled for January 2013. If Congress doesn’t agree on a budget, the Park Service could face cuts of up to 10 percent. As reported in the Washington Post, that would likely mean closed visitor centers, closed campgrounds, closed park sites, and thousands of rangers and other park employees out of a job.

In a time when our economy and local communities are facing some of their greatest challenges, national parks offer some of our most promising sources of hope. National parks are a top tourist draw but are a very small part of the federal budget–less than 1/14th of 1 percent. Yet they support $31 billion in private-sector spending and 258,000 jobs each year. And even in these challenging fiscal times, new poll results indicate that 92 percent of likely voters think that federal spending on national parks should be increased or kept the same.

Americans cherish national parks and want to see them adequately funded and protected for the future. Earlier this year, nearly 400 diverse voices convened at America’s Summit on National Parks to chart a course for national parks in their second century. Participants engaged in dynamic discussions about some of the greatest challenges and opportunities facing our national parks and these ideas are captured in the “Statement of Principles,” for which we have now nearly 550 park supporters that have vowed as a community to take action to ensure the protection, enhancement and support for our national parks and programs into their second century.

The centennial of the National Park Service should be more than a celebration of the past. It should be the public renewal of a national commitment to one of history’s most successful ideas. American voters want to help with this effort, as indicated by the 36 percent who said they would actively volunteer time or money to support a national campaign to protect them for the future.

Our national parks are at a crossroads. Making the right choice to invest in national parks will not only protect our national park legacy, but benefit local economies and communities nationwide. As we look to the November election, this milestone can be a turning point and unique opportunity for our next President and Congress to leave their imprint by advancing the national park idea for the century to come, and enhancing its relevance to a new generation. It is a cause that all Americans can support, put aside our differences, and unite on America’s common ground.

-Tom Kiernan, NPCA President

This story is cross-posted with the Huffington Post.

If you liked this story, you might also like:

• NPCA Urges Congress to Avoid Across-the-Board Budget Cuts (July 17, 2012)
• A Call to Action for the Nation’s Urban Parks (July 16, 2012)
• Supporting the Regional Parks That “Pay Huge Dividends” (April 18, 2012)

The nation’s urban national parks are long-neglected, underfunded, under-used, and often unreachable through public transportation. Yet they are a critical asset that can anchor communities, dramatically improve quality of life, and help maintain our nation’s identity. They are often overlooked compared to iconic western parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, yet they provide great recreational and educational opportunities. Many urban parks are also located at ecological intersections and serve as crucial links between larger fragments of our remaining ecosystems.

Last year, the National Park Service issued an inspirational Call to Action, a five-year commitment to bring more people into our parks, increase educational opportunities, and preserve our rich heritage in time for itsthe agency’s centennial celebration in 2016. What does this mean for our urban parks? As society shifts away from rural areas, the Park Service realizes the next five years are the perfect opportunity to tap into urban parks’ potential. The detailed Call to Action outlines at least 36 proposed initiatives that will help achieve this.

Connecting all types of people to parks is one essential initiative in the Call to Action. Community parks are meeting grounds where people of different backgrounds can gather, and places within communities that bond and bind their people. When we truly understand a city’s unique interests and values, we can create thriving urban parks that honor the intersections of race, class, age, physical ability, and gender.

Another initiative would increase access for urban residents via public transportation such as ferries and pedestrian and bike paths, as well as provide new informational maps. Yet another calls for healthy, sustainable food options in park concessions, higher safety standards, and programs to promote outdoor exercise. To further reduce barriers to the parks, heritage programs would help new visitors establish personal connections to the history of the area. Events commemorating anniversaries of historic events, such as moments from the Civil Rights movement, would keep American history alive.

Since national parks are preserved for future generations, inspiring and educating youth is vital. Sites like New York City’s Floyd Bennett Field are within a few miles of more than 1 million schoolchildren in 1,000 schools. Nothing inspires a child to become an activist or conservationist more than connecting to a national park through an internship, job, service project, art project, or recreational trip. Park Rangers plan to encourage students at every national park to participate in special educational programs to help engage new park lovers.

Thanks to a new understanding about the role of cities in preserving natural resources, historical sites, and artifacts, it’s clear that urban parks provide the perfect opportunities to combine new technologies with old traditions for exciting recreational opportunities. The Call to Action is a tremendous opportunity to give all Americans a true national park experience by bringing the parks to the people.

NPCA is participating this week in the Greater and Greener Conference to reimagine urban parks for the 21^st century. Learn more about the conference and the Call to Action, and find a park near you to visit.

Facts about urban parks:

• By 2025, 85 percent of Americans will live in metropolitan areas
• Boston’s park system alone provides recreational opportunities valued at more than $350 million each year
• In Washington, D.C., urban parks are estimated to have added more than $1 billion to property values
• New York’s Central Park is estimated to have added $17.7 billion to adjacent property values
• Park visitors in San Diego add an estimated $40 million a year to the city’s economy
• Urban parks increase public health, community aesthetics, and regional biodiversity
• Urban parks help build cities’ tax bases by attracting new residents in search of high quality of life

 These facts were taken from the Summer 2012 Northeast Regional Field Report available online (PDF, 824 KB) with citations.

Above: NPCA President Tom Kiernan at Yellowstone.

By Tom Kiernan, President of NPCA

Almost exactly three years ago, I flew to Montana late in the day. By the time my plane reached the tiny airport in Bozeman, it was too dark to see the stately, snow-capped mountains that I knew surrounded me. I felt the ten-degree chill as I wandered over to pick up my rental car, then I drove for three hours to my final destination: Yellowstone. Well past midnight, in the frigid January cold, and enveloped by pitch darkness, arriving at the entrance to America’s first national park is still nothing short of inspirational.

I had traveled to Yellowstone to make a presentation to the National Parks Second Century Commission–a group of leading Americans that NPCA had convened to craft a vision for NPS as it approached its 2016 Centennial. Joining me for that presentation was the soon-to-be Director of NPS Jon Jarvis.

Today, we are three years closer to that centennial, and Jon and I are meeting again to craft the “Action Plan” that will implement the vision crafted by the Second Century Commission. This time we’re in Washington, D.C., joining the largest and most diverse gathering of park leaders ever organized at America’s Summit on National Parks. NPCA is partnering with the National Park Foundation and the National Park Hospitality Association to convene this gathering of the leaders of the parks community.

The big difference today is that we are moving from vision to action.

There’s a lot at stake. Last year, the National Park Service released “A Call to Action,” a five-year plan that will serve as a starting point for the summit. Fulfilling this call to action and creating a forward-thinking movement for parks could mean:

• Reaching 25 percent of the nation’s schoolchildren every year through field trips, trainings, classroom materials, online resources, and educational partnerships;
• Promoting large-scale landscape conservation through public-private partnerships in five regions of the country, making strategic land acquisitions that support healthy ecosystems and cultural preservation;
• Developing a $1 billion endowment to ensure the long-term health of the National Park Service; and
• Expanding federally protected park lands to include new ecological regions and cultural areas.

If you think that sounds ambitious, I agree. An opportunity like this only comes around once every hundred years, and with so many parks struggling with underfunding, development, pollution, and other serious threats, the need is urgent. Fortunately, when this many diverse leaders take action together, we create a coalition so strong, we have real political power to make our vision for parks a reality.

That’s why, as I welcome you to our new blog, I hope you will join our efforts, share your vision for the next century for national parks, and along with us make that vision a reality. What motivates you to protect these places we love, and what issues concern you most for their future?