National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 227 | Expanding The National Park System

By Jess Repanshek - June 18th, 2023

There always seem to be calls to expand the National Park System. And those calls always spur a number of questions.

Why does the National Park System need to be expanded? What sites might be considered for expansion? Can we even afford to expand the system? After all, as the Traveler frequently points out, the National Park Service doesn’t have the resources in human capital or financial capital to properly manage the park units it has. There have been a number of stories recently in other news outlets about adding new national parks. But some of those simply point to existing units that are not officially called national parks, and why they should be renamed as national parks.

But is that really expanding the park system, or is it answering local chamber of commerce calls to rename the parks for economic benefit? Today we’re going to dive into this topic with Elaine Leslie, who back in 2017 as chief of biological resources for the National Park Service, contributed to the National Park Service System Plan, charged with envisioning the growth of the National Park System. Also in the conversation is Michael Kellett, who has spent roughly 40 years advocating for national parks, wilderness, national forests, free-flowing rivers and imperiled wildlife. Michael also is the co-founder and executive director of the New England-based conservation group Restore the North Woods. In that role he is director of the group’s New National Parks campaign, which is building a grass roots movement for new national parks across the country.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
1:38 Black Woods - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:59 Potrero Group
2:25 Interior Federal Credit Union
2:45 Great Smoky Mountains Association
3:10 Expanding the National Park System
17:12 Almost Home - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
17:35 Traveler Promo
17:48 The Everglades Foundation
17:59 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
18:28 Washington’s National Park Fund
19:04 Expanding the National Park System continues
42:31 Wonder Lake - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
42:45 Friends of Acadia
43:11 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
43:34 Yosemite Conservancy
43:59 Expanding the National Park System continues
1:02:51 Otter Point - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:03:21 Episode Closing
1:03:40 Orange Tree Productions
1:04:13 Splitbeard Productions
1:04:23 National Parks Traveler footer

Shenandoah National Park

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