Geologic resource management in the National Park Service: A historical overview

Burning embers are pushed over a 3,000 feet granite cliff to create a ‘firefall’ visitor spectacular. Sounds like an amusement park attraction? Actually, this and other actions have taken place in National Parks that were not conducive to good management of geologic resources. This article will explore the evolution of geologic resource management from its laissez-faire inception, to an era when landscape architects largely drove management of geologic resources, to today's policy-driven Geologic Resource Division that professionally provides comprehensive and project-specific assistance to parks.