The Capacity for Wonder: Preserving National Parks

The national parks of North America still inspire our "capacity for wonder." Yet they are threatened by increasingly difficult problems from both inside & outside their borders. William Lowry examines changes in the park services of the United States & Canada over the last fifteen years. He describes recent challenges--such as rising crime, the pressures of tourism & overcrowding, pollution, eroding funding for environmental research & the continuing debate over preservation versus utilization--& the abilities of the agencies to deal with them. The park services are similar in many regards, but they have changed their relative priorities in recent years. Lowry shows how American parks are now managed mainly to serve political purposes, while Canadian parks are managed with preservation as the highest priority. He presents a variety of data, including nearly 100 interviews with park personnel, agency officials, politicians & interested observers in both countries. Lowry advocates usage of the parks only in ways that enhance the natural experience & calls for a strong commitment to preservation in the United States. This book should be read by those interested in environmental policy, students of U.S., Canadian & comparative government & the growing field of public management & by everyone concerned with the future of national parks.William R. Lowry is the author of 'The Capacity for Wonder: Preserving National Parks', published 1995 under ISBN 9780815752981 and ISBN 0815752989.