Unique
For a place to be considered for national park status, the area must possess a unique natural, cultural or recreational resource. The Grand Tetons is unlike any other place in the United States, and so in this regard it might qualify for inclusion in the national park system.
Protection
The prospective park area must be in need of protection, and it must be proved that the National Park Service is the only organization that can provide this protection. In the 1920s, it was deemed that the National Park Service was the only entity that could safely protect the spectacular Teton Range.
Feasibility
Finally, it must be agreed that the place under question can actually be protected by the National Park Service. Time has proven that in this case the park service was up to the task.
Elk Herd
In 1927, the U.S. Census of Biological Survey hired a wildlife biologist, Olaus Murie, to study the elk herd of Jackson Hole. Partly in response to Murie's investigations, the National Park Service pursued a course of enlarging the park's boundaries to protect the elk herd.
Targhee National Forest
On the western edge of the Grand Teton National park, visitors may encounter the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Although quite spectacular in its own right, the NPS has not deemed it necessary to include these federal lands within the national park.
Article Written By Henri Bauholz
Henri Bauholz is a professional writer covering a variety of topics, including hiking, camping, foreign travel and nature. He has written travel articles for several online publications and his travels have taken him all over the world, from Mexico to Latin America and across the Atlantic to Europe.
