developers

Who Should Be Allowed to Purchase Privately Owned Lands in National Parks?

Candice Gaukel Andrews by Candice Gaukel Andrews | November 15th, 2012 | 7 Comments
topic: Eco Travel, Green Living | tags: America, Bryce Canyon National Park, civilization, construction, developers, Eco Travel, environment, government spending, homes, HOPE, housing developments, Kolob Canyon, Land and Water Conservation Fund, landowners, National Park Service, national parks, nature, offshore drilling royalties, oil companies, private lands, spirituality, subdivisions, travel, United States, wild lands, Wilderness Act, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Our national parks are our soul-restoring places; the spots we run to when we need to escape the constant clatter of civilization. They are where we go to see the last vestiges of wild America. And each of our national parks seems to have at least one iconic image that lives in our consciousness, whether we’ve actually seen it in person or not: landmarks such as El Capitan in Yosemite, the bubbling hot springs in Yellowstone, or the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon.

Now picture yourself standing on the rim of one of our national parks’ stunning canyons, looking out on nature’s beauty. You’re awed and inspired by the scene in front of you, until your eyes begin to register a structure that doesn’t seem to belong. Then you suddenly recognize what it is: a huge trophy home, with windows from floor to ceiling and a wraparound deck.

That could never happen, right? It could, and it almost did last month in one of our most treasured natural spaces.

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