TOWERING MOUNTAINS and glassy lakes Churning rivers and dense forests Lush prairies and baking deserts The open spaces and natural wonders of the United States once seemed as limitless as they were diverse But as human expansion and development increased in the 1800s forests and prairies were replaced by settlements and agricultural lands Waterways were diverted wildlife was over-hunted and the earth was scarred by mining Fortunately many Americans fought to preserve some of the country’s vanishing wilderness In 1872 Yellowstone National Park was established becoming the first true national park in the world and paving 6
the way for future preservation efforts In 1901 Theodore Roosevelt became U S president He once stated There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country and during his presidency Roosevelt signed five national parks into existence The National Park Service NPS was created in 1916 to manage the growing number of U S parks In 1934 Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in Tennessee and North Carolina Featuring ancient landforms and a rich diversity of plant and animal life this misty and mountainous preserve quickly earned a place among America’s most treasured parks 7
