Yellowstone Evolves From Playground to Preserve

Dozens of motorists recently pulled over to watch a young grizzly graze on flowers and berries.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, the bear might have stood on its hind legs and raised its paws in a greeting that it had learned would usually result in a treat such as cookies or potato chips.

But this is 1997. The animal-watchers kept well back from the 250-pound bear and returned to their cars after it ambled into the woods.

At 125 years old, this land of Old Faithful, spectacular waterfalls and bubbling mud is now operated and respected as a preserve, not just a playground.

The change in the crown jewel of America’s park system was prompted by the realization that the millions of visitors to Yellowstone each year could love it to death, and that more must be done to preserve its natural state.

“Attitudes have changed toward parks, and people are more supportive of that,” said Assistant Supt. Marv Jensen.

For those who are not, rangers enforce strict rules about visitors’ interaction with wildlife, requiring them to stay at least 25 yards back from most species and at least 100 yards from bears.

“You can still come to Yellowstone and see Old Faithful and all of the other features. A lot of people are seeing wolves, they still see bears,” Jensen said. “It’s still an incredible place.”

More than 3 million people visit Yellowstone each year, most of them in the summer.

The 2.2-million-acre expanse at the juncture of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana was first described to members of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804 by Indians.

Later, wild claims by fur trappers and miners about geysers, mud pots and natural caldrons of boiling water went largely disbelieved until 1871, when a government-funded expedition documented the area’s thermal features.

In 1872, public pressure led to the creation of Yellowstone National Park.

The National Park Service took over Yellowstone operations from the Army in 1916 with a mandate not only to conserve the scenery, but to provide for its enjoyment.

Lodging and other services were developed for visitors who suddenly found nature much more accessible with the decision to allow automobiles into the park in 1915.

But the rush to provide more accommodations slowed in the 1960s as the Park Service shifted from managing the park as a novelty to viewing it as a crucial part of a larger ecosystem.

The shift has not always gone smoothly, as evidenced by the forest fires of 1988 and the resulting political furor over the park’s firefighting policies.

To give nature a bigger role in shaping the park, park officials decided not to battle any naturally caused fires that did not threaten structures or people.

But brisk winds, high temperatures and flammable debris left on the park floor by a century of fighting every blaze created the biggest fires believed to have occurred since the park was created.

When the fires became too large, the Park Service decided again to battle all flames in the park. The fires burned 1.1 million acres before they were stopped by late fall rain and snow.

Today, with reservations required even for camping in the park, visitor numbers continue to grow, but the park has not seen a corresponding increase in funding.

In the last 10 years, annual attendance has grown about 50%, to 3 million. The park’s budget, meanwhile, has grown from about $12 million to about $20 million, an increase of about 40% when adjusted for inflation.

The result is problems with the Park Service’s 1,100 buildings and roads, as characterized by hundreds of orange diamonds marking large potholes and buckled pavement.

But Jensen said the park still provides visitors with unforgettable experiences that outweigh most problems they can have during a visit.

“You hear about Old Faithful, but we had no idea of the vastness of all the geysers, hot springs and other things,” said Patti Carr of Wrightsville, Pa.

Her husband, Don, said: “The problems don’t bother us because we’re from Pennsylvania, which has the worst roads in the nation. I think they do great. I can’t complain.”

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Why Yellowstone Is Blue

Some of the problems affecting Yellowstone, the crown jewel of America’s national park system:

Money: There isn’t enough. The park budget has increased from about $12 million a year in the mid-1980s to more than $20 million today. But higher operating costs, an increasing number of programs and inflation have forced cuts in personnel, maintenance and other areas.

Infrastructure: It’s crumbling. Yellowstone has about 2,200 buildings, half owned by the National Park Service and half by concessionaires. Many have leaky roofs, deteriorating foundations and other problems. Sewer and water services are also falling apart. Roads are buckled and riddled with potholes.

Brucellosis: The disease caused a national uproar last winter. Montana officials, afraid Yellowstone bison would spread the malady to cattle, killed or sent to slaughter nearly 1,100 bison--one-third of the park’s herd. Brucellosis can cause cattle to miscarry but has never been shown to have been transmitted from wildlife to livestock.

Lake Trout: The exotic species is eating up the native Yellowstone cutthroat, on which grizzly bears and bald eagles feed. Lake trout were illegally introduced to Yellowstone at least 15 years ago. Biologists are trying to remove the fish, and fishermen must keep all lake trout they catch.

Visitors: Their numbers continue to grow. Yearly attendance has jumped by about 1 million in the last decade alone, to about 3 million. Officials are looking at ways to control the number of visitors.

Associated Press