Parks Stewardship Forum

Recent political assaults on natural resource management, scientific integrity, and historical memory by the United States’ current administration have exposed some of the brittle foundations of “America’s best idea” within place‑based conservation. Incremental fixes and a return to the status quo will not suffice to save our nation’s parks and protected areas (PPAs). What is needed is a deliberate refoundation, or establishing and building something anew after substantial disruption, of legal authorities, institutional design, and political coalitions so that beloved PPAs are co-governed with shared authority, durable legal protections, and reliable funding. This essay argues that co‑governance and co‑management can and should be the cornerstone of that refoundation, but only if they are paired with clear legal reforms, redesigned institutions, and a pragmatic political strategy.