Resource+management

[|Resource management] is the responsible and [|sustainable] management of resources, or natural capital. As it is practiced today, resource management can be largely traced to the early 20th century from the ideas of [|Gifford Pinchot]. At one time the Chief of the US Forest Service, Pinchot was the first to coin the term "[|conservation ethic]" and apply it to natural resources, resulting in the "wise management" of natural capital. Pinchot's concept of conservation was in drastic contrast to the ideals of his contemporary [|John Muir], who pioneered the school of environmental preservation in America. Natural resource management usually focuses on a scientific and technical (economic) understanding of resources and [|ecology] and the life-supporting capacity of those resources. It is a two-part process:
 * 1) The technical process, which is based on science and undertaken by experts, involving the collection and interpretation of data.
 * 2) The political process, based on societal values ([|worldviews]) and undertaken by politicians, which involves the decision-making process. The concept of resource scarcity - the limited access to environmental services provided by natural capital - underlies resource policy.

When the first national park of Canada was created the idea of preservation and managing resources was not included in the planning of the park and now with new studies being done in the park region people are starting to see damaging effects of poor planning to preserve land and manage the local resources.

The managing of these resources has been completely over looked by park officials. The booming tourism and business sectors of Banff have defined its new resources. The natural resources of the park have been mismanaged in the face of possible economic effects preserving them may have. In Banff the decisions made are a result of the interests of the people, which have been skewed more towards development then preservation of the parks natural resources. Another aspect of management in the park is looking at preservation of resources for tourism because without the natural resource abundance tourists would no longer be interested in traveling to the park.

Perhaps, with the intervention of environmentalists the parks resources will be managed more efficiently. In a ideal situation, the park would be left to itself to manage. The reality is that people are living in the park and tourism as never been better. There is no changing that. The only thing that can be done is to try and preserve whats left, and limit anymore huge development for economic benefit.