White Sands National Monument has been redesignated as a "national park"/NPS
Long known as a national monument, White Sands in southern New Mexico now is known as a national park due to language that made that name change that was included in the Defense Department budget bill signed by President Trump.
The name changed boosted the number of "national parks" in the National Park System to 62.
“Our staff are very excited for White Sands to be recognized as a national park and to reintroduce ourselves to the American public,” said White Sands Superintendent Marie Sauter. “We are so appreciative of our partners, local communities, and congressional leaders who made this achievement possible and look forward to continued success working together.”
White Sands National Monument was established on January 18, 1933, by President Herbert Hoover to preserve, “the white sands and additional features of scenic, scientific, and educational interest.”
The re-designation recognizes the added significance of the park for its natural and cultural resources. In addition to containing the world’s largest gypsum dunefield, including gypsum hearthmounds found nowhere else on earth, the park is home to the globe’s largest collection of Ice-Age fossilized footprints and tells more than 10,000 years of human presence, all while providing memorable recreational opportunities.
Comments
Mext up: Bears Ears National Park. Then follow it up with Grand Staircase - Escalante National Park. And then start converting some of the Alaskan national preserves attached to existing national parks. I'm sure Congress will be thrilled.
I personally think the taxonomy started failing miserably with the redesignation of Fort Jefferson/Dry Tortugas myself, though there are no doubt earlier examples of cynical boosterism.
Cynical boosterism? The "taxonomy started failing" with Fort Jefferson/Dry Tortugas? Please elaborate on what you mean and why you mean it. Given the crowds that line up to visit our parks and preserves, do you think we have too much protected public land? Do you think our public lands receive too much protection? Do you think Bears Ears or Grand Staircase - Escalante are not worthy of protection and, if so, why not and what in your background provides a basis for your position?
My point is, these days the criteria for what is a National Park vs another type of unit in the system rests chiefly on the political power of those who stand to benefit from money flowing from tourists without and within the boundary, more than any objective measure of the resource or its significance, and regardless of whether the area or resource is "worthy of protection" which - though that is an important element - has nothing to do with whether the unit should be a park vs a monument vs a recreation area etc.
Let's just rename all NMs to national parks and get it over with. Might as well. The designations have lost all meaning and people seem hell bent against any kind of heirarchy or ranking system in the NPS.
I'm not against protecting equally and I believe the NPS manages lands that way regardless. But, Gateway Arch is not equal to Grand Canyon. They really arent even protecting the same kind of resource. And I dont care what anyone says, Gateway is a national historical park, not a national park proper. Congress continues to damage the national park brand.
The area that encompasses White Sands National Park is well worth the status of being called and officially recognized as a National Park. This was characterized by the testimony of the NPS earlier in the summer while testifying before Congres. The very same NPS also testified against giving Gateway Arch and Indiana Dunes the same designation. As an individual who has been to White Sands and Gateway Arch (I will visit Indiana Dunes NP this summer), I will say this: White Sands National Park is incredible and well worth a visit. It encompasses over 149,000 acres of amazing scenery. The previous three National Parks (Indiana Dunes, Gateway Arch, and Pinnacles) preserved 15,000, 91, and 36,000 acres respectfully. Enjoy your newest National Park: White Sands. It's well due for the designation!