Nestled in southern Colorado , North America’s tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind-shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland, containing over 30 square miles of massive dunes, became a national monument in 1932. With the passage of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act, resources now also include alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000′ in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands and wetlands–all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species.

History & Culture

Great Sand Dunes National Monument was established in 1932 by Herbert Hoover, in response to a local citizens’ effort spearheaded by the Ladies’ PEO chapters in the San Luis Valley. In the 1920’s, gold was found in the Great Sand Dunes and active gold mining in the sand and sand extraction for cement production began to occur. San Luis Valley residents became concerned about long-term protection of the Great Sand Dunes. An intense but remarkably short and successful campaign to gain support and protection for the dunes ensued, culminating in President Hoover’s Proclamation: “Whereas it appears that the public interest would be promoted by including the lands hereinafter described within a national monument for the preservation of the Great Sand Dunes and additional features of scenic, scientific and educational interest. now therefore I, Herbert Hooverdo proclaim and establish the Great Sand Dunes National Monument” Hoover’s proclamation focuses on the preservation of the dunes, giving us clear guidance on one of primary interpretive stories: the dunes themselves, our primary resource. We are equally clearly directed to also protect and interpret the ‘additional features’ which make this landscape so diverse and captivating.

On November 22, 2000, President Clinton signed the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000, which authorized the expansion of the national monument into a national park almost four times its original size. Like the proclamation of 1932, it was powered largely by Valley residents who banded together to protect the resources important to them; in this more modern era, groundwater. Perhaps most importantly, the legislation authorized the eventual purchase of privately held property from willing sellers for inclusion in Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Lands identified as vital to the protection of park resources included the area known as the Baca Ranch, recently purchased on behalf of the federal government by The Nature Conservancy. The Baca includes the northwestern corner of the dunefield, wetlands, nesting and migratory bird habitat and numerous archaeological sites. This purchase, finalized on September 10, 2004, enabled the Secretary of the Interior to affirm that “sufficient dive...

Glacier capped mountains, wild Pacific coast and magnificent stands of old-growth forests, including temperate rain forests at Olympic National Park, you can find all three. About 95% of the park is designated wilderness, which further protects these diverse and spectacular ecosystems. Often referred to as “three parks in one”, Olympic National Park encompasses three distinctly different ecosystems rugged glacier capped mountains, over 60 miles of wild Pacific coast and magnificent stands of old-growth and temperate rain forest. These diverse ecosystems are still largely pristine in character with about 95% of the park is designated wilderness.

Olympic is also known for its biological diversity. Isolated for eons by glacial ice, the waters of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Peninsula has developed its own distinct array of plants and animals. Eight kinds of plants and five kinds of animals are found on the peninsula and live nowhere else in the world.

History & Culture

Olympic National Park welcomes you to a diverse and stunning world a fog-shrouded coast with booming surf and wave-manicured beaches, spectacular alpine country dotted with sparkling lakes, lush meadows, glaciers and North America’s finest temperate rain forest. American Indians have lived here for thousands of years, both along the coast and in the interior reaches of the peninsula. Their primary form of subsistence came from the sea and rivers, as well as berries, roots and land mammals. Cedar was the most important material resource, used for everything from house planks to canoes. The bark was used for clothing and baskets, even towels and diapers.

In 1592, the first European, Juan de Fuca, may have come along these shores. Reliable information of European penetration, however, is not available until 1774 when Juan Perez sailed along this coast. In the next 25 years a bevy of British, American and Spanish explorers visited the area. The most enduring work was done by Robert Gray, an American and George Vancouver, an Englishman. Both men explored the area thoroughly, establishing rival claims to this land for their own countries.

Although American Indians utilized and traveled throughout the mountains of the peninsula, it was not until 1885 that the first systematic documented exploration of the interior of the Olympic Peninsula was made. That year Lt. Joseph P. O’Neil led the first documented expedition into the interior. In 1889-90 the Press expedition led by James Christie made a north-south crossing in five and one-half months. In 1890 Lt. O’Neil returned and made an east-west crossing. Slowly a movement got underway to set aside some of the peninsula as a national park.

In 1897, President Grover Cleveland created the Olympic Forest Reserve, a portion of which President Theodore Roosevelt designated a national monument in 1909. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation creating Oly...

The world’s tallest living trees can be found along the northern California coast. Of the coast redwood forests still around today, almost one half of them can be found within the protected boundaries of Redwood National and State Parks. In 1994, the National Park Service and the California State Parks joined forces to manage four parks Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks collectively known as Redwood National and State Parks. These parks have been designated a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve, thereby protecting that which is loved by many.

Introduction

Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world’s tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors. The parks’ mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline. Cultural landscapes reflect American Indian history. The more recent logging history has led to much restoration of these parks. Three California state parks and the National Park Service unit represent a cooperative management effort of the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation. The four parks that contain 45 percent of all the old-growth redwood forest remaining in California are:

• Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
• Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
• Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
• Redwood National Park.

Together these parks are a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, protecting resources cherished by citizens of many nations.

History & Culture

The native people of the North Coast region have made the redwood forests and associated ecosystems their home for thousands of years. These American Indians spoke many different languages and held numerous and distinct identities. Today, the descendants of these people continue to live on and off reservations in the redwood region. Prior to Euro-American contact, American Indians had adapted well to this environment. Their profound religious beliefs, extensive knowledge of the natural world, languages, customs and perseverance continue to be a source of admiration for other cultures.

American Indians in the region belonged to many tribes, although no one tribe dominated. Indeed, the concept of “tribe” does not describe very well the traditional political complexity of the area. There were scores of villages that dotted the coast and lined the major rivers; each of these villages was more or less politically independent, yet linked to one another by intricate networks of economic, social and religious ties.

Food sources important to the native peoples included deer, elk, fish from the ocean, rivers and streams, nuts, berries and seeds. Effici...