ABSTRACT
The Organic Act governing the management of national parks in the United States indicates, “The fundamental purpose of [national] parks is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” (Rockwood 1988). Canada’s Organic Act for national parks requires that parks be “dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment…and shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” (Wilkinson 2000). Leaving national parks unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations is a preservation objective whereas providing for visitor enjoyment is a use objective. National parks are challenging to manage because of tradeoffs between the preservation and use objectives, particularly for parks that have high visitation. For example, Yellowstone National Park in the United States had to decide whether to allow snowmobiles to continue to operate in the park. Snowmobiling is a form of motorized winter recreation. The noise and pollution generated by snowmobiles can interfere with non-motorized forms of motorized winter recreation (e.g., snowshoeing and cross-country skiing) and disturb wildlife. This situation gives rise to a tradeoff between the recreational-economic benefits of snowmobiling and degradation in other forms of winter recreation, air quality, and wildlife. Banff National Park in Canada is trying to resolve conflicts between human use of the park and maintenance of ecological integrity. Yellowstone National Park’s and Banff National Park’s desire to resolve conflicts between human use and natural resource protection can be addressed in terms of selecting a preferred management plan for a national park and gateway communities.
