Connecting Past and Present

June 26, 2022 By: Tina Ihas

Steinberg’s chapter Conservation Reconsidered suggested capitalism is often at play within the conservation movement. For example, Yellowstone National Park’s wolves were exterminated so elk populations would thrive through lack of predation. This was desirable as a significant tourist population (including big-game hunters) came to the park to experience the elk. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned, and once the wolves were gone, the park’s ecosystem changed dramatically, becoming unbalanced and unable to sustain the now large elk population.

I have long been a big fan of the 1995 project undertaken by the scientists to return wolves to Yellowstone and the crystal clear example it has provided us with how one species can impact so many species of plants and animals. An ecosystem is so interconnected that it can easily become unbalanced. In this example, the return to a balanced ecosystem that resulted from the reintroduction of the wolves is awe-inspiring. Without them to keep the elk population in check, an ecological chain reaction occurred, resulting in the loss of habitat for other species as well as changes in the landscape resulting from overgrazing. Once the wolves were established, the park slowly began to return to its sustainable roots and it has become a different place than it was 25 years ago.

Bibliography

Clifford, Frank. “Wolves and the Balance of Nature in the Rockies.” Smithsonian Magazine, February 2009. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/wolves-and-the-balance-of-nature-in-the-rockies-44604810/

Findlay, Andrew. “The Delicate Act of Creating a National Park in Polarized Times.” The Narwal,  July 26, 2019.https://thenarwhal.ca/delicate-act-creating-national-park/

“Gray Wolf.” National Park Service. Accessed June 6, 2022, https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolves.htm

Peterson, Christine. “25 Years After Returning To Yellowstone, Wolves Have Helped Stabilize the Ecosystem.” National Geographic Society, July 10, 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/yellowstone-wolves-reintroduction-helped-stabilize-ecosystem

Steinberg, Ted. “Conservation Reconsidered.” In Down to Earth: Nature’s Role in American History 4th ed., 121-137. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.

I make several trips a year along highway 3 between my home in Trail and Vancouver and a few years ago noticed a plethora of signs in the Keremeos area, seemingly in opposition to the formation of a new national park in that location. The signs simply say, “Yes National Park,’ or more often, “No National Park.” I realize that the formation of parks such as Yellowstone is an American experience; however, it is worth noting that the First Nations peoples in the area were not consulted, their needs not considered, and their voices not heard. I am sure it would be similar to any Canadian National Park created decades ago. In the case of this park, it will be considered a National Park reserve and will go ahead with the approval from First Nations, which are affected by its 273 square kilometres area. From the reading I have done on the debate, there seems to be an ironic twist, the First Nations people are interested in the conservation of the area and the threatened and endangered species protections that will be afforded by a new status as a National Park, whereas the settler population is concerned with grazing lands for their cattle and hunting rights. An interesting turn of events, to be sure.

Bibliography

Findlay, Andrew. “The Delicate Act of Creating a National Park in Polarized Times.” The Narwal,  July 26, 2019.https://thenarwhal.ca/delicate-act-creating-national-park/

Grant, Robyn. National Park Reserve Gets the Go Ahead.” Penticton Western News, July 2, 2019. https://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/national-park-reserve-gets-the-go-ahead/

Phillips, Brennan. “Progress on New South Okanagan National Park Steadily Advancing.” Summerland Review, August 12, 2021. https://www.summerlandreview.com/news/progress-on-new-south-okanagan-national-park-steadily-advancing

“Proposed National Park Reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen.” Government of Canada, January 27, 2022. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/cnpn-cnnp/okanagan

Strachan, Brady. “What’s So Wrong About a National Park In B.C.’s Southern Interior? Many Locals Still Strongly Opposed.” CBC, December 30, 2018. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/what-s-so-wrong-about-a-national-park-in-b-c-s-southern-interior-many-locals-still-strongly-opposed-1.4955053