Revisiting the Organic Act: Can It Meet the Next Century's Conservation Challenges?

Keiter examines the capability of the Organic Act, the act written into law in 1916 that established the National Park Service in the US, to conform with the next century's conservation challenges. The law has ever since served as the Magna Carta of the national park system in the country. Organic Act's language defines the national park mission as to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. For all of its quaintness and distinctly un-modern provisions, the Organic Act has served the national parks well for nearly a century.