Four great ideas in United States environmental law have caught on in other countries. The National Park idea, first implemented in 1872 with the creation of Yellowstone National Park, reverberated around the globe. New Zealand created the second national park in 1887 when Maori chieftains asked that certain land be protected by the Crown against white colonization and exploitation. In the last century, dozens of countries have created National Parks and reserves, from the summit of Mt. Everest to the depths of the Rift Valley in Kenya. The United Nations has intensified this effort still further by creating and recognizing the notion of World Heritage Areas.
John E. Bonine,
A Voice From the Wilderness, Calling Your Name,
Yale J. on Reg.
Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/yjreg/vol6/iss2/11