Canyonlands National Park: A Multiple-Use Test Case

Abstract

Congress established Canyonlands National Park in 1964 during a time of great change for American outdoor recreation and the National Park Service (NPS). The area proposed by Utah Congressional delegates for inclusion in the park provided economic benefits to local communities via mineral extraction, hunting, and livestock grazing. Historically, these uses ran counter to the preservation rhetoric of the NPS, but the bills submitted by the delegates promised continued extractive uses in the new park. Supporters of the multiple-use concept noted the increasing material and recreational demands of American society and recommended that commercial development be permitted to continue. Preservationists argued that all national parks would be jeopardized if Canyonlands were established with such provisions. In this paper we use archival data spanning the period 1961 to 1971 to illuminate this important episode in resource management history. The story of Canyonlands National Park's creation not only helps us understand why past decisions were made but also how those decisions affect the use, management, and protection of NPS units today, especially those in the western U.S. Our findings provide insights into historical stakeholder decision making, federal public lands policy, and the evolution of multiple-use strategies.