Parks Stewardship Forum

The growth of the US National Park System is an important preservation story that shows the historical, ecological, political, and cultural character of the nation. Proposals for new units follow both agency plans and individual or group initiatives. The study of proposed units that fail reveals much about NPS criteria and public attitudes. This article adds to the literature about unsuccessful proposals by explaining why NPS does not have a unit interpreting the gold and silver mining rushes that helped open the entire conterminous West. We detail the criteria by which new proposals are judged, the impact of the Historic Sites Act of 1935, and contrast national historic landmarks with other designations that have full inclusion in the park system. After establishing the significance of precious metal mining in American history, we then identify 10 reasons why specific proposals collapsed, five based on public reactions and another five stemming from NPS itself. Finally, we briefly consider whether opportunities still exist to interpret this major part of the American experience.