The National Park Service (NPS) is charged with the management of the nation's most precious natural and cultural resources. Established in 1916 to manage the national parks, the agency has grown to care for over 350 parks, historic sites, battlefields, cultural sites, and recreation areas. In spite of the fact that the National Park Service is widely and deeply respected by the public, the agency is today beset by controversy, concern, weakened morale, and declining effectiveness.In 1991, the NPS celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary. It did so in a unique and important way. The agency, working with Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the World Wildlife Fund/Conservation Foundation, and the National Park Foundation, sponsored a year-long review and convened a 75th Anniversary Symposium held in Vail, Colorado. Distinguished experts, career NPS employees, and concerned citizens studied the problems facing the NPS and proposed pragmatic and significant changes in the way the national park system is managed. The result is National Parks for the 21st Century: The Vail Agenda.The report has become known as The Vail Agenda. It represents an important turning point in the history of the nation's park policies. The Vail Agenda is at once a disturbing critique and a challenging plan for recovery. It is of interest to all those who care about the future of the national parks. Read Less