TY - JOUR TI - Cultural landscape preservation in United States national parks DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3PR7TW4 PY - 2012 AB - Scholars and officials generally define cultural landscapes as “combined works of nature and man. ” The National Park Service (NPS), established in 1916, is the United States’ governing organization on the preservation and protection of cultural landscapes, and manages all U.S. National Parks. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is another major association that also provides protection to cultural landscapes on a global scale. While several U.S. National Parks are identified as “Natural Sites” on the World Heritage List, these sites are eligible for re-designation as “Cultural Landscapes”. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and compare the definitions and criteria for nomination of cultural landscapes according to UNESCO and the NPS. I will evaluate five U.S. National Parks, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay, Yosemite and Hawaii Volcanoes, in terms of the specific characteristics, preservation, visitation, and infrastructure of the potential cultural landscapes. General Management Plans pertaining to each park will be analyzed, and the current preservation strategies designed by the NPS and implemented by each park will be discussed. In addition I will consider the benefits of World Heritage Listing. This thesis will conclude with a set of recommendations focusing on steps these parks can take to further protect their cultural landscapes under UNESCO. KW - Art History KW - Cultural landscapes--United States LA - eng ER -