Who owns the "wilderness"? - Elyse Cox

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Regina Chu

In 1903, the President of the United States

1903 年，美國總統

took a three-day camping trip in California’s Yosemite Valley.

到加州的優勝美地 進行三天的露營之旅。

President Theodore Roosevelt slept in a grove of towering Sequoia trees,

老羅斯福總統 睡在高聳紅杉樹樹林裡，

camped in a snowstorm, and spent hours talking around the campfire

在暴風雪中露營， 且花了數小時的時間在營火旁

with his host and guide, conservationist John Muir.

和他的東道主兼嚮導， 環保主義者約翰．繆爾交談。

Roosevelt famously loved the outdoors,

老羅斯福以熱愛戶外聞名，

but Muir had invited him there for more than just camping:

但繆爾邀請他到那裡去， 不只是為了露營：

Yosemite was in danger.

優勝美地正面臨危機。

Though Yosemite became protected land in 1864,

雖然 1864 年優勝美地 就成了受保護的土地，

the valley was still at risk for overdevelopment in 1903.

在 1903 年仍然遇到了 過度開發的風險。

It was at the heart of a decades-old struggle to set aside land

數十年來的困難在於

如何將土地同時做保育 及開放公眾使用——

for both preservation and public use—

two goals that were much easier said than done.

這兩個目標都是說的比做的容易。

The battle over Yosemite began with the 1849 gold rush,

爭奪優勝美地的對戰 始於 1849 年淘金熱時期，

when miners surged west, seeking gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

那時採礦者湧入西部， 到內華達山脈尋找黃金。

In 1851, a state-sanctioned militia,

1851 年，州政府的武裝民兵

drove the Ahwahneechee tribe from Yosemite Valley.

將阿瓦尼奇部落趕出了優勝美地。

Those who managed to return witnessed white settlers claiming the land,

想辦法返回的人，目擊了 白人移居者奪取這片土地，

felling giant sequoias, and building hotels and saloons.

砍伐巨大的紅杉，建造飯店和酒館。

In response, a small group of concerned Californians

一小群關心此事的加州人做出因應，

lobbied senator John Conness to protect the valley from private interests.

他們遊說參議員約翰．康納斯

保護優勝美地不受私人利益的侵害。

In 1864, Congress passed Conness’ bill,

1864 年，國會通過了康納斯的法案，

granting the Yosemite Valley to the State of California,

將優勝美地授予加州，

marking the first time the U.S. government brought land under public protection.

這是第一次美國政府 將土地納入政府保護下。

But the management of that land remained an open question,

但土地的管理仍然是個未解的問題，

one that would only become more complicated

當有越多土地被納入 類似的保護下時，

as more lands came under similar protection.

這個問題就只會變得更複雜。

Seven years later, geologist Ferdinand Hayden

七年後，地質學家費汀南德．海登

led an expedition to the Yellowstone Plateau,

帶領一支考察隊進入黃石高原，

which many Native American tribes used for ceremonies, hunting, and trade.

許多美國原住民部落在這個高原 進行儀式、打獵、交易。

The expedition’s scientists and artists brought back news

考察隊的科學家和藝術家帶回了

of spectacular geysers and hot springs,

關於壯麗噴泉和溫泉的消息，

inspiring widespread support to bring Yellowstone under government protection—

促成廣大的支持，期望 將黃石納入政府保護下——

and restrict native people’s access to the land.

並限制原住民對該土地的使用。

However, unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone couldn’t be granted to a state—

然而，和優勝美地谷不同， 黃石無法被授予一個州——

it was part of three U.S. territories that hadn’t become states yet.

它跨了三塊尚未 正式變成州的美國領土。

Instead, Congress brought Yellowstone under federal stewardship in 1872,

國會於是在 1872 年 將黃石交由聯邦管理，

creating the world’s first true National Park.

形成了世界上第一個 真正的國家公園。

During his presidency, Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental

老羅斯福總統在任期內，一直在協助

in expanding the lands under public protection.

將更多土地納入到政府保護下。

By 1916, there were fifteen national parks.

到了 1916 年，已經有 十五個國家公園。

But the problem of management remained unsolved,

但管理問題仍然沒有解決，

and maintenance of the park was handled haphazardly

公園的維護由數個政府部門進行，

over multiple government departments.

可說是做得一團亂。

Straightforward tasks like building roads and hiring personnel

像是建造道路和僱用人員 這些非常直觀明確的工作

required inefficient bureaucratic maneuvering.

都免不了沒效率的官僚操作。

None of the departments had set rules for conduct in the park,

沒有任何一個部門 為公園中的行為設定規則，

so hunters killed park wildlife, cattle overgrazed fields,

獵人會獵殺公園中的野生動物，

小牛因無限制放牧而破壞草皮， 訪客則會破壞地標。

and visitors vandalized landmarks.

The solution came from Canada,

解決方案來自加拿大，

which had a highly effective centralized park service.

加拿大有高效率的 集中式公園管理機構。

In 1916, the United States established the National Park Service

1916 年，美國根據這個模型

設立了國家公園管理局。

based on this model.

To this day, the mission for the park service is comprised of two goals

至今，公園管理局的任務 一直都包括兩個目標，

that sometimes conflict:

有時兩者會互相衝突：

to conserve the parks for the future

為了未來而保存公園，

and to allow the public to enjoy them.

以及允許大眾享受公園。

That’s a delicate balancing act: roads, trails, and other infrastructure

那是個需要極小心處理的平衡工作： 道路、小徑，及其他基礎設施

make the parks accessible to visitors, but also alter the landscape,

讓遊客可以進入到公園， 同時又會改變地景，

while visitors themselves can contribute to pollution, erosion,

而遊客本身就可能會將污染、侵害，

and damage of delicate ecosystems.

損毀帶給脆弱的生態系統。

The very history of preservation can also be at odds with this mission.

在這個任務中，保育的歷史 也有可能有不一致之處。

Many parks were not, at the time of their founding,

許多公園在成立的時候

the uninhabited wilderness that’s become the standard for their preservation.

就不是無人居住的荒野， 而這是保育的標準。

Instead, many were homes or places of worship for native peoples,

反之，許多公園是原住民的 家園或拜神的地方，

who lost access to these lands in the name of public use.

因為公園被拿來做公眾用途， 他們無法再使用這些土地。

Only recently has the National Park Service

一直到最近，國家公園管理局 才開始估量這些遺產，

begun to reckon with this legacy and engage Native Americans

並讓美國原住民參與公園管理。

in park management.

Around the world, indigenous communities play crucial roles

在世界各地，原住民部落

都在土地管理及保育方面 扮演關鍵的角色。

in land management and preservation.

Today, there are thousands of national parks worldwide,

現今，全世界有數千個國家公園，

and each must balance public use with historical and ecological preservation.

每個公園都得平衡公眾使用 及歷史和生態的保育。

Parks in New Zealand, Iceland, Australia, and South Africa

紐西蘭、冰島、澳洲，及南非的公園

have experienced severe erosion as visitor numbers have skyrocketed.

都因為遊客數目暴增 而經歷過嚴重的侵害。

Some, like Mu Ko Similan National Park in Thailand,

有些公園，如泰國的 西密蘭群島國家公園，

have closed sections to tourists entirely to allow the ecosystem to recover.

必須要將某些區域完全關閉 不讓遊客進入，讓生態系統恢復。

National Parks have preserved irreplaceable landscapes

國家公園為未來世代 保存了無可取代的地景。

for future generations.

They also force us to reckon with hard questions:

它們也迫使我們去思考困難的問題：

what are our responsibilities to this planet, and to each other?

我們對地球以及對彼此的責任為何？