Distinguished experts, career NPS employees, and concerned citizens studied the problems facing the NPS and proposed pragmatic and significant changes in the way the national park system is managed. The result is National Parks for the 21st Century: The Vail Agenda

Now in a fully updated edition, this invaluable reference work is a fundamental resource for scholars, students, conservationists, and citizens interested in America's national park system. The extensive collection of documents illustrates the system's creation, development, and management. The documents include laws that established and shaped the system; policy statements on park management; Park Service self-evaluations; and outside studies by a range of scientists, conservation organizations, private groups, and businesses. A new appendix includes summaries of pivotal court cases that have further interpreted the Park Service mission.