Rediscovering National Parks In The Spirit Of John Muir

Though he "retired" in 1995, Dr. Michael Frome has really never stopped writing, nor caring, about the national parks. In this, his 95th year, the distinguished journalist who has dedicated his life to conservation and parks celebrates that life and regales us with a memoir that not only looks back across the many decades of his work but which inspires us to carry that work forward.

The late Gaylord Nelson said Dr. Frome had no literary peer when it came to arguing for "a national ethic of environmental stewardship." It was Dr. Frome who stood before a distinguished audience of top National Park Service managers gathered to celebrate the agency's 75th birthday and promptly scolded them for losing sight of their mission, and who long ago warned that commercialization of the national parks will turn them into "popcorn playgrounds."

During an interview with the Traveler five years ago, just before he turned 90, Dr. Frome lamented the Park Service's drive, never so evident as it is now as we approach the agency's centennial, to build visitation as high as possible.

"Twenty years or so ago, they were talking about carrying capacity. 'Let’s determine the carrying capacity of the parks,'" he said in May 2010 during a call from the Wisconsin home in the woods he shares with his wife, June. "Now, they’re talking about, 'Let’s get more people in, so we can get more money.' The carrying capacity is out the window, so, I would say the condition of our parks has definitely gotten worse."

Dr. Frome's concerns shouldn't be taken lightly. In Rediscovering National Parks in the Spirit of John Muir, he retraces the course his life has taken as both a national park advocate and watchdog and urges us to follow his lead.

... I doubt that we shall ever see a perfect world, but we can all take heart from the spirit of our parks, joining together toward that goal. Compassion must be at the root of values; the power of human life is in emotion, in reverence and passion for the earth and its web of life. A feeling, a philosophy, and a love of earth count most. To identify with life on the green planet in all its forms, as we do in our national parks, is to celebrate human hope and human potential.

Crowds, congestion, noise, intrusions of human-made structures, and pollution of air and water all interfere with the appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of the natural scene. To be fully enjoyed, the parks must first be fully preserved.

A slower pace expands the dimensions of time. It enables us to recognize the limitations of a fragile earth, to pledge allegiance to a green and peaceful planet, and to believe that if others do likewise and we believe strongly, we will make it happen.

Rediscovering National Parks is not simply a clarion call, (though perhaps it rightly should be) for more support and preservation of the National Park System. The autobiographical approach Dr. Frome takes with it traces his career and highlights the concerns that have risen along with it as he's explored the park system, interviewed its managers, and witnessed the commercial pressures exerted upon it.

...our national parks are undoubtedly the most popular and most loved tourist destinations in America. But, like any object of beauty, a park requires protection, with high standards of care and conservation, to sustain the qualities that make it special.

There I go again, preaching again in a memoir. But national parks should never be regarded simply as tourist attractions with dollar signs attached to them. Public recreation is a large and essential factor in contributing to the quality of American life. It serves the economy as well, but that isn't its primary purpose. Outdoor recreation spans a variety of interests, tastes and goals. Theme parks fill particular niches. So do commercial resorts and campgrounds. But public recreation areas fill a different niche, providing an antidote to urbanized living, a return to pioneer pathways, a chance to exercise the body and mind in harmony with the great outdoors. In such places, Americans learn to understand and to respect the natural environment. Historic parks maintain the opportunity for successive generations to learn firsthand about the conditions that shaped our culture. Contacts of this nature instill the vital sense of being an American.

Who else today is driving these points home so eloquently and fervently? That Dr. Frome continues to do so in his 95th year is a testament to his love of the parks. But it should also be seen as a call for us to take up his tenacious concern for the parks and carry it forward. Buy this book, read what Dr. Frome has learned over a lifetime spent in the parks, share his concerns, and aspire to make a difference.