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The Year’s Top Stories

A list of the ten most read stories from 2014 covering local, national and even international issues with both contemporary and historical emphases.

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The Recreation Imperative

In 1970, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation completed a long awaited study of outdoor recreation resources in the United States, entitled “The Recreation Imperative.” The ambitious document laid out a new direction for conservation, calling for an infusion of some $6 billion, with the majority of funds going to cities – a major change from previous allocation patterns. Ultimately, neither the Nixon nor the Ford Administrations ever released the report and it was only made public in 1974 through action by a Congressional Committee.

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Photograph Courtesy of Rolf Diamant

Compare and Contrast: ICOMOS General Assembly and World Parks Conference

Last month (November 2014) was a very busy moment for World Heritage. At almost the same time, but half way around the globe, ICOMOS held their 18th triennial General Assembly in Florence Italy and IUCN held their once in a decade congress World Parks Congress in Sydney Australia. A few enterprising individuals managed to make an appearance at both meetings, but as is often the case the forces of culture and the forces of nature were far, far apart.

Read More »
Photograph courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Reading the Tea Leaves: What can we learn from Australia and Canada?

Do the recent midterm elections in the United States signal a change in the nation’s heritage policies? To read the tea leaves, we might look to the fate of parks and heritage conservation programs in Australia and Canada – where conservative governments have recently been in power. In the past, both countries had a track record of innovative heritage programs – developing world class historic sites, new approaches to the recognition of indigenous cultural values and strong interpretation of history and nature. So what has been the impact of the fiscal belt tightening of Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada?

Read More »
Photograph Courtesy of the National Park Service

New York State’s Recreational Areas Deserve Spotlight

New York State has played a pivotal role in shaping the history of conservation in the United States. The Adirondack Park, Central Park, and the Hudson River Greenway, among other sites, have all influenced patterns of protected area management, as did the state’s innovative urban cultural parks (now heritage areas) program.

Read More »

The Year’s Top Stories

A list of the ten most read stories from 2014 covering local, national and even international issues with both contemporary and historical emphases.

Read More »

The Recreation Imperative

In 1970, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation completed a long awaited study of outdoor recreation resources in the United States, entitled “The Recreation Imperative.” The ambitious document laid out a new direction for conservation, calling for an infusion of some $6 billion, with the majority of funds going to cities – a major change from previous allocation patterns. Ultimately, neither the Nixon nor the Ford Administrations ever released the report and it was only made public in 1974 through action by a Congressional Committee.

Read More »
Photograph Courtesy of Rolf Diamant

Compare and Contrast: ICOMOS General Assembly and World Parks Conference

Last month (November 2014) was a very busy moment for World Heritage. At almost the same time, but half way around the globe, ICOMOS held their 18th triennial General Assembly in Florence Italy and IUCN held their once in a decade congress World Parks Congress in Sydney Australia. A few enterprising individuals managed to make an appearance at both meetings, but as is often the case the forces of culture and the forces of nature were far, far apart.

Read More »
Photograph courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Reading the Tea Leaves: What can we learn from Australia and Canada?

Do the recent midterm elections in the United States signal a change in the nation’s heritage policies? To read the tea leaves, we might look to the fate of parks and heritage conservation programs in Australia and Canada – where conservative governments have recently been in power. In the past, both countries had a track record of innovative heritage programs – developing world class historic sites, new approaches to the recognition of indigenous cultural values and strong interpretation of history and nature. So what has been the impact of the fiscal belt tightening of Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada?

Read More »
Photograph Courtesy of the National Park Service

New York State’s Recreational Areas Deserve Spotlight

New York State has played a pivotal role in shaping the history of conservation in the United States. The Adirondack Park, Central Park, and the Hudson River Greenway, among other sites, have all influenced patterns of protected area management, as did the state’s innovative urban cultural parks (now heritage areas) program.

Read More »