Time for more-inclusive vision for next century of America’s public lands

By Bill Yoshino

Our national parks and other public lands play a unique role in capturing the many different historical and cultural stories that have shaped this country; in celebrating acts of bravery and sacrifice; and in providing opportunities for atonement and healing.

Unfortunately, these lands — along with the visitors who use them and the workers that manage them — have not always been reflective of our country’s demographic and ethnic diversity.

The National Park Service celebrated its 100th anniversary last week, which gives us the perfect opportunity to create and implement a new vision for the next century of conservation that focuses on the importance of national parks and public lands for all Americans.

Over the next hundred years, we need to make it a priority to protect cultural and natural landscapes that tell America’s complex history so we can learn from our past, honor our ancestors, and educate future generations. Unfortunately, according to a Center for American Progress 2016 report, only about a quarter of our national parks and monuments recognize or are dedicated to diverse peoples and cultures.

We also need to make sure that the faces of the workforce responsible for creating and managing these lands reflect the faces of our country. To be successful, land management agencies will need to find ways to engage all segments of the population so that they become active users, owners and supporters of public lands.

The Japanese American Citizen League is committed to promoting and preserving the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community. That heritage and legacy is reflected at places such as Manzanar, Heart Mountain and Tule Lake, where Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II.

As part of this commitment, our organization has joined the Next 100 coalition, a first-of-its-kind group of civil rights, environmental justice, conservation and community organizations who have come together promote the need for a more inclusive system of national parks and other public lands. A recent New America Media survey found that Asian-American voters as well as African-American and Latino voters across the country share these sentiments. The poll results showed overwhelming approval among voters of color for a variety of proposals aimed at improving access to public lands and providing more culturally diverse offerings.

Results also showed large amounts of support for creating new national parks, historic and cultural sites, and monuments that focus on the contributions of people that are currently under-represented within national public lands, including Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Native Americans. Finally, the survey found that these voters want proactive and continuing presidential leadership on this issue.

During his eight years in office, President Barack Obama has shown great leadership in creating parks and public lands that recognize the history of Asian Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, Native Americans and African-Americans in this country, including Honouliuli National Monument in Hawaii.

We join the Next 100 coalition in asking the president to continue to build on his legacy of inclusion by issuing a Presidential Memorandum that directs federal land management agencies to engage, reflect and honor all Americans in our system of public lands.

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Bill Yoshino is Midwest regional director of the Japanese American Citizens League.