Finishing the Story
By Kim Heacox
THE NATIONAL PARKS, AMERICA’S BEST IDEA, a film by Ken Burns chronicles the remarkable story of a changing American land ethic that gave rise to our national parks. Ten years in the making, at a cost of $15 million, the film unveils the birth of a new conscience, a new awareness that enabled our industrious nation to slow down for a moment, reflect on our landscapes and our history, and save the best of what we have, from Yellowstone to Gates of the Arctic, from Yosemite to Acadia, from the Everglades to Glacier Bay.
The film spans the years 1851-1980, ending with passage of the sweeping Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. This piece aims to help finish the story and picks up where the film leaves off, carrying the baton into the last three decades:
- The Final Frontier: Alaska
- A Changing Climate
- Ecology Emerges
- The California Desert
- The Centennial Challenge
- A Diverse and Dynamic Workforce
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Author's Note: Kim Heacox is the author An American Idea: The Making of the National Parks. He has written for National Geographic, National Parks, Audubon, and Orion magazines. His latest book, The Only Kayak, was a PEN USA Literary Award finalist in creative non-fiction. Kim lives in southeast Alaska next to Glacier Bay National Park. As an expert on national parks and Alaska, Kim is featured in the film, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, a six-episode series, which premiered September 27th on PBS stations.
Published: September 19, 2009
