1. Radio
/ Modified may 1, 2010 2:25 a.m.

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA

The new Ken Burns documentary series about the history of the national parks, traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Tonight at 8:00 p.m on PBS-HD. by Colleen Greer

The Morning of Creation (1946-1980)

Following World War II, the parks are overwhelmed as visitation reaches 62 million people a year. A new billion-dollar campaign — Mission 66 — is created to build facilities and infrastructure that can accommodate the flood of visitors.

yellowstone_family

Family in Yellowstone National Park

In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter creates an uproar in Alaska when he sets aside 56 million acres of land for preservation — the largest expansion of protected land in history. In 1995, wolves are re-established in Yellowstone, making the world’s first national park a little more like what it once was.

grizzly_salmon

Grizzly bear fishing for salmon, Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

National Parks

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