Nature in World Development: Patterns in the Preservation of Scenic and Outdoor Recreation Resources. Working Papers.

This report reviews the problems of protecting nature in a heavily industrialized democracy such as the United States. Factors contributing to the establishment of protected areas in the United States are traced from the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 to the present. Arguments in defense of wilderness areas consider nature as: (1) a reservoir of normal ecological processes, (2) a sustainer of biological diversity, (3) a formative influence on the national character, (4) a church, (5) a guardian of mental health, and (6) an educational asset in developing environmental responsibility. Diverse agencies, programs, and efforts exist at all levels. The National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Wilderness Preservation System function on the federal level. Coastal zone management and land use laws protect natural areas on the state level, city and county parks serve as protected areas on local levels, and private organizations such as the Sierra Club also contribute to wilderness preservation. Problems arise from the conflict between economic development and nature preservation, and the popularity of nature areas which leads to their destruction. Programs in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, East Africa, Europe, the Soviet Union, and Canada are also described. (KC)