The Great America Without National Parks: A Nightmarish Scenario
If we were to imagine the United States of 2019 without the establishment of the National Park system beginning in the 1870s, the landscape would be both altered and grim. In this alternate timeline, the imprint of human industry and exploitation would dominate, undermining the natural beauty and ecological integrity that we now cherish.
The Absence of National Treasures
America in 2019 could have had a distinctly different look and feel, with industrial strip mines scattered across the country, and national natural attractions being converted into amusement parks. Trails that should lead to wondrous vistas now trail to polluted waters and desecrated landscapes. The absence of the National Park, National Monument, and National Forest systems would be a stark testament to the shortsighted focus that values profit over preservation.
The State of Niagara Falls and Its Struggle
The falls of Niagara, without the protection of a well-organized national park system, might have ended up in a significantly different state than the one we enjoy today. Before modern protections, there were numerous ramshackle buildings constructed at the top of the falls, exploiting its powerful resources. Today, an uneasy balance exists between maintaining the falls' natural beauty and harnessing their waters for entertainment or power generation.
Approximately half of the water from the Niagara Falls is diverted by the United States and the State of New York, as well as Canada and the Province of Ontario, to generate roughly two thousand megawatts of electricity. This diverts resources from nature and recreation, leading to a situation where half the waterfall's potential is lost to human needs.
John Muir, the advocate of the wilderness, felt strongly that the Hetch Hetchy Valley, located north of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, was a national treasure on par with Yosemite. He proposed that, given the high demand for camping in Yosemite Valley, other areas with no scenic value should be considered for water resources. He believed dismantling the Hetch Hetchy Dam and returning the valley to its former glory with some restoration efforts could be a way forward.
The Ohio Hardwood Legacy
Ohio, betrayed by its early colonial settlers, offers a poignant look into the past and the present. When the pioneers first moved into the region around 1730, Ohio was covered with a dense hardwood forest of majestic trees, including Oak, Basswood, Maple, Walnut, and Sycamore. However, by the late 1800s, an estimated 99 percent of these forests were gone, cleared for farmland, burned, and used for lumber. Today, only a few hundred acres remain in their original state, with most of the woods being second or third growth, lacking the grandeur of their predecessors.
Stripped mines, in fact, pose a looming threat to these remaining natural treasures. Near Dysart Woods in Belmont County, strip miners operate almost up to the boundaries of the reserve, risking the pollution of waters and the degradation of soil. In this alternate universe, the squirrel's journey across Ohio would be unimaginable, now limited to telephone wires rather than natural passage.
Imagination can take us far in envisioning the road not taken, but it serves a critical purpose in understanding the value of our National Parks. The existence of these protected areas is not a mere luxury but a necessity for the health and diversity of our natural world, and the well-being of future generations.