Management of the National Parks
20 September, 1975
September 20, 1975
As the national organization representing one of the major uses of the parks, the sport of mountaineering, The American Alpine Club has strived to promote in mountaineers an awareness of their individual responsibility for minimizing their impact on the natural environment. Although concerned with promoting the use and enjoyment of the parks by mountaineers, where use and preservation of the natural environment are in clear conflict, The American Alpine Club believes that preservation must take priority, and it continues to endorse the authority of the Secretary of the Interior and the National Park Service to take reasonable measures to safeguard the integrity of the natural areas committed to their charge.
In creating and adding to the National Park system, Congress has repeatedly stipulated that the areas designated were to be set-aside "in their natural condition." If the second injunction is to be honored, clearly "enjoyment of the people" cannot connote any-and-all uses, but rather such uses as are consistent with preservation in the natural condition.