找出独特特征。这片地区有哪些不同于其他地点的风景、声音、气味和历史？黄石公园的独特之处是，它坐落于世界最大的火山口凹地之一，遍布着世界三分之二的间歇喷泉。

评估文化价值。植物生物学家出身的丹尼斯说：“我现在注意到了公园的文化资源，认识到它们同自然资源一样有价值。”黄石公园的自然资源十分宝贵，但它在美国原住民部落中也具有重要的精神价值，并且见证了美国早期移民向西开发的历史。

制定计划。格里格森说，“计划为决策提供可依循的逻辑根据”。一项好计划应该能够回答诸如这样的问题：公园的使命是什么？它的重要意义在哪里？它的根本资源和宝贵之处是什么？

众人参与。格里格森说，“所有公民都可对制定计划发挥作用。每当考虑采取有可能影响环境的行动时，公园管理局都向州、地方和部落政府、非政府组织以及民间行业征求意见。管理局将所有讨论纪录公开，并在这一过程中自始至终让公众发表评论。

灵活荟萃。例如，美国林业局（U.S. Forest Service）原计划在太平洋沿岸西北地区（Pacific Northwest）使用除莠剂来促进松柏生长。但是一些种植者、科学家和居民对除莠剂的毒性感到担忧，他们联合起来，与林业局一道制定出一个不靠除莠剂促进树木生长的方案。这种情况非常典型。格里格森说，公园的大部分计划在实施前都经过修改。

寻找减少影响的措施。当对环境造成损害或给公众的使用带来障碍时，公园会要求采用“缓解影响措施”。如果土地管理局（Bureau of Land Management）开发矿产，那么公园管理局可以要求土地管理局（两部门均隶属国内资源部[Department of the Interior ]）通过购置相邻的等量土地——精确到林木数量——来抵消损失。

发展旅游与保护自然。国家公园的使命之一是，管理公园以便让人享用公园。丹尼斯说：“许多人认为保护与享用势不两立，但我现在认识到它们并不冲突——两者都对实现公园的使命绝对必要。

So you want to manage a national park. Read this first.

Singled out for its unique thermal landscape, Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. Since then, the U.S. government’s approach to public land management has evolved, influenced by science and public opinion. National Park Service officials Patrick Gregerson and John Dennis offer lessons learned to others interested in public land management.

Identify unique attributes

What are the scenes, sounds, smells and stories that separate this land from other tracts? For Yellowstone, it is the park’s position on one of the world’s largest calderas and its possession of two-thirds of the world’s geysers.

Consider cultural value

“I’ve really become sensitive to the park’s cultural resources, and to seeing that they are of equal value to the natural resources,” said Dennis, who began as a plant biologist. Although valued for its natural resources, Yellowstone holds spiritual value among Native American tribes and witnessed storied westward expansion by early settlers.

Make a plan

“Planning provides a logical, trackable rationale for decisionmaking,” Gregerson said. A good plan answers questions like these: What is this park’s purpose? What makes it significant? What are its fundamental resources and values?

Involve everyone

“All citizens have a role in planning,” Gregerson said. The park service asks for input from state, local and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations and private industry whenever it is considering any action that might have an environmental impact. It records all discussions publicly and allows the public to comment throughout the process.

Keep an open mind

The U.S. Forest Service, for example, wanted to use a herbicide in Pacific Northwest forests to encourage conifer growth. Concerned about toxicity, a coalition of planters, scientists and residents worked with the agency to develop a nonherbicide plan for tree growth. That’s typical. Gregerson said agencies tweak most plans before implementing.

Look for mitigating measures

Agencies request a “mitigating measure” when environmental harm is done or public access lost. If the Bureau of Land Management extracts minerals, the park service could ask its sister agency (both are under the U.S.  Department of the Interior) to offset the harm done by buying adjacent, equivalent — down to the number of trees — land.

Seek tourism and preservation

Managing parks so people can enjoy them is a park service mandate. “Many people have argued there is conflict between preservation and enjoyment,” Dennis said. “I’ve come to realize that it’s not a conflict — both are absolutely necessary to meet the purpose of the parks.”