The Selling of Our National Parks: Back to the "Way Back" Machine, 2003

Selling of Our World -- National Parks, etc.

(12-14-2003)

In the 1980's the then Secretary of the Interior, James Watt, wanted to sell outright US public lands; now the threat of private take over of our public lands is more subtle, but just as serious.

The following are excerpts from an important paper presented last week in Germany at the "Tourism: Unfair Practices" Symposium. It is about industrial tourism and is subtitled: "The Disturbing Implications of Privatization in the Tourism Trade." This FoYV writer has added a few comments specifically relevant to Yosemite enclosed in brackets [ ]. We will provide a link to the entire paper when it becomes available. Or to get a copy of the paper, send a message to with the Subject Line: Send Tourism Paper (10 page attachment).

Also see FoYV Update, "Park Service Markets Yosemite as Tour Package (7/1/02)" at www.foyv.org

[While this article is international in range, it begins by focusing upon the privatization/ commercialization now taking place within the US National Park System and by explaining how what is now happening within the USA is serving as a world model.]


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