Even if you’ve never set foot in Yellowstone National Park, you know its iconic natural splendors: Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the like. What you may not know -- even if you’ve been there -- is that Yellowstone is the largest essentially untouched ecosystem in the lower 48 states. And while its status as a national park means its "protected," that doesn’t mean its 2.2 million acres are safe.
Far from it, in fact.
Think about it. Perched astride the Continental Divide in the northern Rockies that stretch into parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park, established in 1872. The year it opened, 300 curious visitors traversed the trails within its wilderness. Now, Yellowstone plays host to between 2 and 3 million people annually. Even those dubious of climate change can’t deny the impact of those crowds hiking and camping, to say nothing of all their minivans and RVs.
Far from it, in fact.
Think about it. Perched astride the Continental Divide in the northern Rockies that stretch into parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park, established in 1872. The year it opened, 300 curious visitors traversed the trails within its wilderness. Now, Yellowstone plays host to between 2 and 3 million people annually. Even those dubious of climate change can’t deny the impact of those crowds hiking and camping, to say nothing of all their minivans and RVs.
- 7/28/2010
- by Lydia Dishman
- Fast Company
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