What Do You See: The Fire Lookouts of Glacier National Park
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
The fire lookouts of Glacier National Park represent a valuable reference point for understanding the ways in which humans shape and are shaped by the physical world we inhabit. The construction and use of these lookouts raises key questions in environmental history. Asking why these structures were originally built and tracing their presence to the present day, considering which are still standing and which have been actively or passively destroyed provides insight into human definitions of nature and wilderness.
Connecting this history to more specific issues of wildfire management, conservation and preservation, policy decisions, and historical as well as cultural resource management provides a compelling narrative of how humans see themselves in the world we inhabit. Studying the changes over time regarding the presence and use of fire lookouts in Glacier National Park provides an opportunity to recognize short and long-term consequences to policy decisions, all of which having transformative impacts on land set aside for projection through active management.
Studying these lookouts as living representations of the long-term consequences of historical decisions regarding the environment takes them from simply being historical artifacts. In the process we can recognize where past decisions regarding national park policies, wildfire management, and evolving attitudes towards outdoor recreation have utility for responsible stewardship going forward. Incorporating a broad scope of sources, from reports written by Park Superintendents to journals kept by the fire lookouts themselves will reveal the many layers of history connected to these lookouts. Moreover, tracing the firsthand experiences had by the people staffing lookouts and those visiting them against the guiding principles and decisions articulated through official documents such as the annual reports will allow for a complete analysis of where we as humans see our role with respect to wildfire. Asking how and why these lookouts were built then reviewing what the primary sources say in response against the current state and use of these structures will allow history to inform decisions made regarding wildfire management, outdoor recreation, and land use and protection, among others.
Mentor Name
Tobin Shearer
Personal Statement
Alex LeVan What Do You See: The History of Fire Lookouts of Glacier National Park The fire lookouts of Glacier National Park represent a valuable reference point for understanding the ways in which humans shape and are shaped by the physical world we inhabit. The construction and use of these lookouts raises key questions in environmental history. Asking why these structures were originally built and tracing their presence to the present day, considering which are still standing and which have been actively or passively destroyed provides insight into human definitions of nature and wilderness. Connecting this history to more specific issues of wildfire management, conservation and preservation, policy decisions, and historical as well as cultural resource management provides a compelling narrative of how humans see themselves in the world we inhabit. Studying the changes over time regarding the presence and use of fire lookouts in Glacier National Park provides an opportunity to recognize short and long-term consequences to policy decisions, all of which having transformative impacts on land set aside for projection through active management. Studying these lookouts as living representations of the long-term consequences of historical decisions regarding the environment takes them from simply being historical artifacts. In the process we can recognize where past decisions regarding national park policies, wildfire management, and evolving attitudes towards outdoor recreation have utility for responsible stewardship going forward. Incorporating a broad scope of sources, from reports written by Park Superintendents to journals kept by the fire lookouts themselves will reveal the many layers of history connected to these lookouts. Moreover, tracing the firsthand experiences had by the people staffing lookouts and those visiting them against the guiding principles and decisions articulated through official documents such as the annual reports will allow for a complete analysis of where we as humans see our role with respect to wildfire. Asking how and why these lookouts were built then reviewing what the primary sources say in response against the current state and use of these structures will allow history to inform decisions made regarding wildfire management, outdoor recreation, and land use and protection, among others.
What Do You See: The Fire Lookouts of Glacier National Park
UC North Ballroom
The fire lookouts of Glacier National Park represent a valuable reference point for understanding the ways in which humans shape and are shaped by the physical world we inhabit. The construction and use of these lookouts raises key questions in environmental history. Asking why these structures were originally built and tracing their presence to the present day, considering which are still standing and which have been actively or passively destroyed provides insight into human definitions of nature and wilderness.
Connecting this history to more specific issues of wildfire management, conservation and preservation, policy decisions, and historical as well as cultural resource management provides a compelling narrative of how humans see themselves in the world we inhabit. Studying the changes over time regarding the presence and use of fire lookouts in Glacier National Park provides an opportunity to recognize short and long-term consequences to policy decisions, all of which having transformative impacts on land set aside for projection through active management.
Studying these lookouts as living representations of the long-term consequences of historical decisions regarding the environment takes them from simply being historical artifacts. In the process we can recognize where past decisions regarding national park policies, wildfire management, and evolving attitudes towards outdoor recreation have utility for responsible stewardship going forward. Incorporating a broad scope of sources, from reports written by Park Superintendents to journals kept by the fire lookouts themselves will reveal the many layers of history connected to these lookouts. Moreover, tracing the firsthand experiences had by the people staffing lookouts and those visiting them against the guiding principles and decisions articulated through official documents such as the annual reports will allow for a complete analysis of where we as humans see our role with respect to wildfire. Asking how and why these lookouts were built then reviewing what the primary sources say in response against the current state and use of these structures will allow history to inform decisions made regarding wildfire management, outdoor recreation, and land use and protection, among others.