Muir Woods Research Paper

One of the most important aspects of American culture is the long history of conservation that very few countries have, thanks to the National Park Service, which is a Federal institution. The United States possesses some of the best­preserved landmarks in the world. However, in recent years, the government has proposed budget cuts to the NPS, which will severely limit its ability to properly maintain the parks. Because of the economic and historical

The wilderness and forests need to be saved for the future generations, and a sort of “wilderness bank” needs to be formed in order to keep the reality of the wilderness alive and keep mankind grounded to the earth.

John Muir was a muckraker who protested against the expansion of people and animals that would ruin our soon to be national parks. Muir was a man that loved to explore natural formations in nature and traveled around the world to see as much natural land as possible. As he traveled around the world, he found out that California was his place to live. In California, his favorite places to explore and watch were the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite. As more and more settlers moved West, the land that Muir loved was soon to be destroyed by herds of animals and people looking for a place to build their homes. Muir wrote most of his 300 articles and 10 major books in Oakland, California. In Muir’s writings, he elegantly

One of America’s greatest conservation achievements is the Wilderness Act of 1964. Fifty-two years later, this act has a legacy to withhold. A legacy that meant something in 1964 and remains the same today: to protect unspoiled land. Even though, through this act millions of acres have been conserved, the key word is continue. That is why America should pass laws to preserve the wilderness before developers spoil them.

John Muir is arguably the most influential conservationist in American history. He was an active member in the preservation of the American wilderness from the late 1800’s until he passed in 1914. Muir is often referred to as the “Father of the National Parks” because of his efforts in the establishment of several National Parks. One of the biggest flaws of American history textbooks in need of change is the fact that they do not include the conservationists who have preserved the environment so today the same beauty can be see the way that they saw it. John Muir was involved in many American conservation efforts including the co-founding of Yosemite National Park, founding of the Sierra Club, and his overall career as a

In June 1864 the Yosemite Land Grant was signed by Abraham Lincoln, which deeded 39,000 acres of the Mariposa Big Tree Grove and Yosemite Valley to the State of California (Hawken 40). It was an unprecedented piece of legislation, having almost universal support from private business, environmentalists and Congress. Sparked largely by the de-barking of “The Mother of the Forest”, one of the oldest sequoias in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove, several years earlier (Hawken 39). The Yosemite Land Grant was the first piece of legislation founded on the principle that nature needed to be preserved and protected from humans (Hawken 40). After nearly a century of clearing many forests on the East Coast, affording protection to land on the West Coast was a novel concept.

“This was my favorite tree. I used to come here all the time,” said Eric”(Masters) and another quote “In life, naturalist and California State Parks docent Scott Peden found peace and purpose amid the towering redwoods of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.” (Masters). These quotes all show how the redwoods in Santa Cruz are a big deal and the residents are affected and carer about these trees.

So, if Muir has been credited for that discovery then we can thank him for all the beautiful national parks system. Without John Muir, we might not have places such as Yosemite National Park, or the Grand Canyon. Beyond that John Muir, and several of his followers also came up with the invention of the Sierra Club. The goal of the Sierra

In May 1926 a bill was signed by former president Calvin Coolidge that provides the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This allowed the department of interior to have responsibility for the protection of the park as well as 150000 acres of land had been purchased along with the mountains. a“ Since the government was not allowed to buy land for the national park use, the former political booster ( help ) had to become fund raisers”, according to the site Gatlinburg inn. In the late 1920’s the legislatures of Tennessee and North Carolina devoted $2 million each for land purchase additional money was raised by individuals,private groups,and even kids donated money to the park. “By 1928, a total of $ 5 million was raised.

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) celebrated 100 years of preservation and conservation of our nation’s parks, monuments, and historical sites. Currently, the federal government has proposed significant proposed budget cuts to the National Park Service. If the government makes these cuts, then Americans could lose the national parks along with the beauty, culture, and history that comes with them. This would happen because the NPS would lose most of its funding that is needed in order to keep the national parks well­preserved. Investing in the NPS should be a priority in our nation because it provides educational programs, unites all ages and races, and preserves and conserves the national parks.

The short story, “The Wild Parks and Forest Reservations of the West,” by John Muir paints a picture of the necessity of human interaction with the wilderness. In his story Muir pleads with his audience to gain more appreciation of nature and to understand their impact on it by using religion, pathos, and imagery.

I agree with Anderson’s idea of making use of restoration techniques used by California natives because it focuses on conservation through action rather than a “hands off” approach. The California native techniques may be useful because it can help caretakers actively participate in restoration of flora and fauna while learning about their habitat and what makes them flourish. The natives were also concerned with “a sense of respect which consequently promoted habitat heterogeneity, increased biodiversity, and a well maintained vegetation system” (Anderson 2005). If caretakers can take native management techniques and combine it with their background of sciences concerning the natural world they can come up with a whole new technique of restoration

President Roosevelt and Muir talked to the Secret Service agents and were able to escape into the wilderness for three days without the American public knowing he was absent from the White House. Historians believe that during this excursion John Muir convinced the president to expand the national park system, and combine Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove (Perrottet, 2008). Mariposa Grove had been under California jurisdiction as Lincoln had authorized decades before. The unification of Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley came just three years after their excursion. For this reason, Muir was largely responsible for the creation of Yosemite Park. Without his love for nature, Yosemite’s beauty may have never been

Environmentalism has always been two sided. Nature versus urban. locals versus national. Frequently, large tracts of public and federal land are bought and developed by industry. Pristine wilderness turned to bustling epicenters of human activity, all in the name of progress and economic growth. This tale of preserving natural wilderness is one that begins with John Muir, an advocate against the taming of Yosemite national park and the Hetch-Hetchy reservoir, while the head of the US Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, insisted on the reservoir to supply the city of San Francisco with water. This timeless epic of conservation or preservation brings us to the Jumbo Valley, a vast expanse of uninhabited, pristine wilderness home to diverse

After returning from their trip to Yosemite, Muir and Johnson started a media campaign in order to generate public support for their cause: making Yosemite a national park. Muir wrote two articles for Century Magazine that praised the captivating beauty of Yosemite and the horrible threats that it faced. They further increased efforts to make Yosemite a national park by giving speeches around the country. With the support of the public, Muir and Johnson’s tireless efforts finally payed off. In 1890, Yosemite was appointed a national park.