Drastic funding and staffing cuts recently affecting the National Park Service suggest that some folks, particularly those currently running the U.S. government, could use a reminder of just how worthy of preservation the country's public lands are.
A new coffee-table book fulfills that task in visually arresting fashion, illustrating across 230 photographs what we stand to lose with improper stewardship of the American wilderness.
Released by the Utah-based publisher Gibbs Smith, Parklands ($40) showcases the work of photographer Jacob W. Frank, who spent more than a decade hiking, climbing, boating, biking, skiing, and caving in the most scenic U.S. landscapes in order to capture the images in this book.
Divided into six chapters based on fundamental aspects of outdoor preserves—geology, water, plant life, wildlife, dark skies, and human history—Frank's visual odyssey is intended as a celebration as well as a call to action, according to the publisher, which hopes to inspire readers to become champions of preservation.
Even buying the book helps. A portion of the sales of the first 1,000 copies of Parklands (set for release August 19) will go to the Association of National Park Rangers' emergency relief fund, established by the nonprofit to assist National Park Service employees in times of need.
That includes rangers and other park workers who have lost their jobs due to the actions of the Trump administration. (To donate directly to the fund, go to ANPR.org/donate.)
In keeping with the show-not-tell ethos, we've gathered a sampling of Frank's photos from Parklands, reproduced here courtesy of the publisher.
Pictured above: Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska
Redwood National and State Parks, California
One thing a camera can't convey, Frank writes in Parklands, is the sheer size of the trees in Northern California's redwood groves. Sounds to us like a good reason to visit in person.
Arches National Park, Utah
Though Arches is often described as having a "lunar landscape" due to its multitude of red rock formations, here's visual proof that eastern Utah is not, in fact, the surface of the moon. Frank's photo juxtaposes the real thing with the Balanced Rock formation in the foreground.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
This starry view of the Old Faithful geyser offers a rare nighttime perspective on one of the most famous sights in the entire National Park System. To obtain the winter shot, Frank braved temperatures of -20 F.
Dinosaur National Monument, Utah
Situated in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, Frank's favorite national monument encompasses hundreds of dinosaur fossils from 150 million years ago as well as petroglyphs and pictographs left by Indigenous inhabitants. Much of the rock art here is credited to the Fremont peoples "who lived in the area between 300 and 1300 CE," according to the park service.
Parklands: America's National Parks and Public Lands by Jacob W. Frank (Gibbs Smith; $40) is available for preorder now.