The Importance of Yellowstone

With my first trip fresh in my mind, I began to look for sources of information. At this time the public Internet was barely in its infancy, and I was largely ignorant of it. Nor was it replete with the vast volumes of information on it that there is now. So I turned to conventional means, such as good old-fashioned books. I found there were a plethora of books that gave basic as well as detailed information about Yellowstone out there, depending upon your level of time and interest in the subject. I chose some books that gave some good, basic overviews of the park and the surrounding area, also known as the GYE, or Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I read them thoroughly, and realized I was just scraping the surface of the subject. So, I delved deeper into the information pool, and came up with some more in depth books. After reading them, I felt a little more informed. Little did I know I had barely begun my exploration of Yellowstone, and didn’t really know or realize the true nature of the area, or its importance to the United States and indeed the entire world. For Yellowstone, first of the world’s National Parks, not only sparked a movement towards preservation of our world’s natural treasures, it continues to point the way in conservation efforts, on the bleeding edge of what it is to conserve our biosphere relatively intact.

The GYE has been the target of many schemes and plans throughout the years to dominate its resources and control its bounty, starting with the Northern Pacific Railroad before the park was even officially designated a National Park. The Northern Pacific dreamed of controlling access to the park’s thermal wonders for their own benefit, and used knowledge of the area as a goad to investors to give them money to complete the railroad. Fortunately their plan failed. But it was just the first of many, many schemes to control and develop the land in and around Yellowstone.

There have been many plans throughout the years to develop the park; building dams, bigger roads, exploiting resources including the thermal features and animals. In the early years of the park it had many enemies come against it, including a plan to destroy it completely and open it to settlers and private development. Luckily for future generations and us that particular plan was defeated. But that doesn’t mean the park is out of danger.