In 1872, concerns about the exploitation and destruction of America’s wilderness led Congress to designate Yellowstone as the world’s first national park, preserving its natural wonders and dramatic landscapes for everyone to enjoy.

The idea was a popular one. Today, the country’s national parks, wildlife refuges and federally managed public lands span hundreds of millions of acres that receive nearly one billion recreational visitors each year.

But these iconic landscapes face an uncertain future. The Trump administration is opening them up to logging, mining and drilling operations while rescinding and weakening federal environmental protections. National Park Service funds desperately needed for maintenance projects have been diverted to pay for the president’s projects in Washington, D.C. Park rangers, already facing staff shortages and mental health crises, were ordered to remove signs and exhibits that the administration claims “disparage Americans past or living.” And as policies and industry undermine conservation and education efforts, climate change imperils many of the species that call these parks home.

Nevertheless, public lands still offer stories of hope and resilience. American writer and conservationist Wallace Stegner once called the national parks America’s best idea: profoundly democratic, idealistic and “absolutely American.”

Parks Under Pressure, a project of SHERP 44, documents some of the best and the worst of what is happening inside America’s park lands. Click on the posters below to read more.

Artwork by Sarah Hofmann. [Credit for images used in artwork: Emma Smith | Julie Zenderoudi | Sarah Hofmann  | NPS/Neal Herbert (Public Domain) | NPS (Public Domain) | NPS (Public Domain) | NPS (Wikimedia Commons) | Rico Meiner (Wikimedia Commons) | VSmithUK (Flickr) | Isaac Sanchez (Flickr) ]