Sustainability and Tourism at Mesa Verde National Park
Paul Rendes
History 282Z
Dr. Caproni
October 4, 2014
1
Mesa Verde, one of the most iconic sites in the world, ranks among the most popular
tourism destinations annually. Located near the four corners region of the American southwest,
the park has a rich and vibrant heritage to offer to tourists. Specifically, Mesa Verde is
significant for its cultural and natural heritage as it is renowned for its ancient Native American
cliff dwellings embedded within a spectacular desert landscape. Due to its valuable heritage,
Mesa Verde National Park is protected and managed by the National Park Service. In addition, it
is recognized as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, or UNESCO. Moreover, Mesa Verde also has local and personal significance to
Montezuma County, Colorado and the various Native American tribes that reside near the park.
As with any heritage site, there are a number of issues that are prevalent at Mesa Verde.
Sustainability, in this case referring to preserving the natural and built heritage for future
generations, is perhaps the most pressing concern. With heritage tourism in mind, it is important
to analyze how sustainability issues relate to visitors’ experiences. There are a number of
elements that can either enhance or detract from the overall tourist experience. Under the
umbrella of sustainability as it relates to tourism, a number of issues such as wild fires, unstable
roadside slopes, presentation and accessibility of sites, energy development near Mesa Verde,
and increased congestion on the park’s roads are crucial to investigate at Mesa Verde National
Park.
Approximately 1,400 years ago the first Ancestral Puebloans, or Anasazi, settled in Mesa
Verde, ending their nomadic way of life. Around 1300 A.D. though, they abandoned their homes.
Many theories exist as to why they left, with climatic reasons the most agreed upon reason.
Today, their ancestors carry on their legacy. The Ancestral Puebloans are known for their crafts,
pottery, trade, and farming among other skills. They are most famous, however, for their
2
spectacular cliff dwellings. The elaborate structures, initially built in the 1100s A.D., were
constructed out of sandstone and supported a thriving civilization. Built underneath cliffs
provided for strong defense and protected the dwellings from the elements. Likewise, this has
left much of the Ancestral Puebloans’ cultural remnants intact for archaeologists to study.1
In the 1870s, when American explorers such as Ferdinand Hayden and William Jackson
began surveying the west for development, they came across a number of ancient native cliff
dwellings. Even though visitors and scientists discovered most of the dwellings later, the initial
findings were enough to create widespread intrigue and fascination. This is especially evident in
popular literature and at events such as the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. Of the
twenty seven million people the exposition drew, a number came to see Native American
cultural exhibits, with the cliff dwellings the most popular. Visitors were shown photographs,
paintings, and archaeological collections of Mesa Verde. Exploiting the public’s fascination with
Native American culture, exhibitors romanticized and illustrated an inaccurate picture of those
who constructed the cliff dwellings. This is reflected in the criticisms that many anthropologists
directed towards the exhibits.2 Nonetheless, Native American culture is still romanticized today,
contributing to the large number of tourists that visit ancient Indian cultural sites like Mesa
Verde.
As the public began to increasingly become familiar with Mesa Verde, many began to
call for its protection. This stemmed from its historic value in addition to the loss of artifacts due
to looting and vandalism. Those such as Virginia McClurg and the Colorado Cliff Dwellings
Association were instrumental in generating support for the preservation and federal protection
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, “Ancestral Puebloans,” Mesa Verde, accessed October 9,
2014, http://www.nps.gov/meve/forteachers/upload/ancestral_puebloans.pdf.
2
Don D. Fowler, A Laboratory for Anthropology: Science and Romanticism in the American Southwest, 1846-1930
(Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2000), 81-83, 207, 210.
1
3
of Mesa Verde. After Congress rejected a few proposals, Mesa Verde finally became a national
park in 1906 under the American Antiquities Act.3 Since, the National Park Service has been
responsible for issues related to maintaining, preserving, conserving, interpreting, and ensuring
adequate and appropriate public access to the park. Following Mesa Verde’s introduction into the
park system as the first cultural national park, it subsequently became recognized as a World
Heritage site in 1978, the first in the United States. Due to its unique historic and archaeological
value, and enduring cultural and natural heritage, it was deemed worthy of selection by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific Cultural Organization, or UNESCO.4
Wild fires are one of the most significant issues that Mesa Verde park officials have to
frequently confront. According to Joyce Gregory, a journalist, of all the threats that Mesa Verde
faces, fires are the most dangerous to the park’s cultural and natural heritage. About eighty
percent of the park’s natural landscape has burned since it became a national park. The year 2000
in particular was one of the worst wild fire years as the entire park was nearly lost. Although
fires are obviously detrimental, immediate suppression of fires can cause even more harm as
hazardous fuels continue to accumulate underneath the soil, leading to catastrophic fires.
However, it must be pointed out that fires also often allow archaeologists to discover new sites,
resulting in a fuller interpretation to offer to visitors.5
Wild fires clearly have an impact on tourism. As stated previously, 2000 marked one of
the most devastating years for wildfires. Consequently, the park was closed from July 20 to
August 28. As a prime cultural heritage destination for tourists from all over, park officials
wanted to ensure that visitors still came to tour the surrounding communities since the park was
3
Ibid, 306-08.
Mesa Verde National Park, UNESCO, accessed October 9, 2014,
http://www.nps.gov/meve/forteachers/upload/ancestral_puebloans.pdf.
5
Joyce Wyels Gregory, “Mesa Verde Trial by Fire,” Americas 56, no. 4 (2004): 38-39.
4
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closed. Aware of the significant economic impact that the park has on the sustainability of
nearby communities, Mesa Verde worked with visitor bureaus to market and advertise local
tourist attractions. Often, park rangers encouraged visitors in interviews to take part in
stagecoach rides that emulated the 1860s in the nearby town of Durango, or to enjoy recreational
activities on Lake McPhee and the Dolores River. Mesa Verde officials hoped that by
encouraging local tourism while the park was closed, visitors would not feel their trip to the area
was a waste and that they would still be interested in returning to Mesa Verde once it reopened.
It is interesting how Mesa Verde used the wild fires to their advantage by shaping advertisements
around “the power of nature” in an attempt to further the imaginational allure of the park. The
media was allowed into the park in an effort to show that the fires came within feet of the cliff
dwellings, sparing the park’s most valued treasures. Based on the fact that tourists eagerly
returned, it can be said that fires increase the appeal and fascination of Mesa Verde’s natural and
cultural heritage.6
The natural landscape has also been a conservation issue. The first step to encouraging
tourism is building roads that are safe and maintainable. However, the terrain of the park has
continually presented a major issue to road construction. For example, one of the main hazards is
landslides, especially during and after heavy rains. As many of the park’s slopes that are near
roads are devoid of vegetation, the park service has conducted experimental studies in an effort
to ensure safety. Plants native to the park were tested on several slopes with the hope that they
would stabilize the soil. Unfortunately, however, nearly all of the tests failed due to soil
characteristics and overall instability of the landscape. The issue of unstable roadside slopes is
something that park staff will have to continually monitor. Furthermore, it must also be
mentioned that while these experiments were primarily conducted to encourage tourism by
6
Dinah Zieger, “After the burn,” Coloradobiz 28, no. 1 (2001): 20-24.
5
ensuring a positive and safe experience, a lesser motivation was to provide aesthetic views
alongside park roads.7
Another sustainability issue related to tourism is preservation. Ancient sites like Mesa
Verde particularly pose issues that scientists must confront. Not long after Mesa Verde became a
national park, scientists began using Portland cement to preserve the numerous ruins. Portland
cement was used under the idea that it would naturally preserve Mesa Verde for future
generations. However, in the 1980s officials began realizing that the cement actually did the
exact opposite. Instead of preserving the fragile ruins, it was causing them to quickly deteriorate.
It was also at this time that the park service brought attention to the fact that Portland cement
undermined their goal of preserving sites with original materials to make them look as authentic
as possible for tourists. In order to achieve the goals of preservation and authenticity, the park
service began practicing soft capping, a technique that uses organic materials to preserve ancient
ruins. Although this has been successful, some tribes believe that native sites should naturally
decay. While it is true that many tribes understand the reasons for preserving sites, this has been
a point of contention between the government and those tribes who do not agree with the idea of
preservation. It appears that the National Park Service does not make this conflict of interest
known to Mesa Verde tourists. Moreover, it is interesting that the federal government does
indeed honor Native American requests to allow ruins that are not publicly available to wither
away.8 This clearly shows that the park service primarily focuses their preservation efforts on
7
Mark W. Paschke, Claire DeLeo, and Edward F. Redente, “Revegetation of Roadcut Slopes in Mesa Verde
National Park, U.S.A,” Restoration Ecology 8, no. 3 (2000): 276-82.
8
Michael Bawaya, “The Race to Save the Ruins: old restoration practices may have done more harm than good;
now scientists are scrambling to remedy the damage,” National Trust for Historic Preservation. last modified
February 2011,
http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2011/january-february/mesa- verde.html#.VCrdERZB9OU
6
those ruins that are accessible to tourists. Whether or not this is the correct policy to take is
debatable.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect related to tourism sustainability at Mesa Verde
National Park is how the use of technology is completely altering the tourist experience. CyArk,
or the use of high definition documentation, is a revolutionary preservation method that is in its
initial stages. Throughout the world, ancient sites like Mesa Verde are constantly in danger of
destruction, whether it be from natural or human actions. The application of CyArk to historic
sites has great promise and potential. In particular, CyArk, a non profit project, has been utilized
at Mesa Verde with varying degrees of success thus far. John Loomis, a professor at the School
of Art and Design at San Jose State University, is a prominent supporter of using CyArk
technology at cultural heritage sites. Loomis states that from a preservation perspective, CyArk,
which includes but is not limited to surveying, scanning, GIS, and high definition photos, is a
tremendous benefit. The hundreds of sites at Mesa Verde are difficult for the park service to
manage. CyArk helps digitally document these sites before they disappear. Loomis notes that
less than 150 of the 600 plus sites have been properly surveyed. The utilization of CyArk,
however, provides the park service with the opportunity to document many more sites in a much
shorter period of time while also saving money.9
As CyArk preserves heritage sites, tourists are profoundly impacted. At Mesa Verde only
four of the 600 plus prehistoric sites are made available to visitors. This is primarily due to
preservation concerns.10 CyArk, however, makes these previously inaccessible sites virtually
available to the public, meaning visitors can gain a fuller interpretation and more complete
perspective on Mesa Verde without physically damaging fragile sites. This is a revolutionary
John Loomis, “New Technologies Applied to Ancient Sites at Mesa Verde,” CyArk, February 1, 2007,
http://archive.cyark.org/new-technologies-applied-to-ancient-sites-at-mesa-verde-blog.
10
Loomis, “New Technologies Applied to Ancient Sites at Mesa Verde.”
9
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change in the tourism industry. In many ways, virtual access to sites benefits both tourism and
preservation. However, while CyArk does indeed promote preservation goals and provide
tourists with a new method of viewing sites, it also can be detrimental to the tourist experience.
The lack of or elimination of physical visitation can take away from the tourist experience.
Motivation behind tourism is often based on authenticity. Virtual tourism does not nearly offer
visitors the same level of authenticity, connection, or excitement as physical visitation.
In addition, CyArk may cause conflict with some native tribes. As mentioned previously,
some natives do not agree with preservation efforts. Those tribes that disagree with the concept
of preservation also view CyArk as a violation of their cultural values. This was a major issue at
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The Akimel O’odham nation voiced their concerns
when the NPS attempted to utilize CyArk technology to document the “big house”. The tribe
argued that it violated ancestral spirits. Consequently, Casa Grande Ruins ended their virtual
preservation program.11 It is important that Mesa Verde officials effectively communicate with
tribes to avoid any issues. With this said, it has to be understood that it is impossible to achieve
all preservation and tourism goals. While not perfect, CyArk offers the best of both worlds as
preservation goals are met and tourists are given the opportunity to virtually view sites that they
otherwise would not have seen.
Preservation and tourism at Mesa Verde are also jointly impacted by energy development.
Development around the four corners region is nothing new as mining was common as far back
as the 1950s. The region is a prime location for energy development as it contains a number of
valuable resources. As a result, park officials from Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon are concerned
with the impact that air pollutants have on the natural and cultural heritage. In 1987 ICOMOS
issued a report on the impact that nearby power plants have on Mesa Verde, finding that acidic
11
Documentation Classified, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
8
pollutants do indeed erode the ruins at Mesa Verde, albeit at slow pace.12 More recently,
organizations such as the National Parks Conservation Association have continued to bring
attention to the increasing development in the region, noting that seven plants are located near
the park, with the closest just forty six miles away. The power plants emit millions of tons of
carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury, harming the natural and cultural
environment in addition to adversely affecting archaeological research. This is clearly a
significant threat to the preservation of Mesa Verde’s valuable ruins.13 With this said, however, it
is important to point out that some members of native tribes, such as the Navajo, support the
power plants as they positively impact the local economy. According to Tim Vanderpool, an
environmentalist, this has created a major conflict with other natives and park officials who
desire to maintain the prehistoric sites.14
Perhaps those that are impacted the most by the power plants are tourists. Many visitors
are from urban areas and are attracted to Mesa Verde because of the natural scenery it offers.
However, air pollution from nearby power plants often limits visibility. This denigrates the
uniqueness of Mesa Verde. In 2007 Mesa Verde’s chief interpreter Tessy Shirakawa stated that
the park once was able to offer stunning views to tourists, but now that view has been
significantly diminished due to poor air quality. Without the ability to offer a fully authentic,
unique experience to its visitors, park officials fear that tourists will leave disappointed.15 It is
unfortunate that the federal government has failed to properly regulate the area and protect Mesa
Verde’s magnificent natural and cultural heritage.
12
Donald A. Dolske and William T. Petuskey, International Council on Monuments and Sites,
Monitoring Air Pollution Impacts on Anasazi Ruins at Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA. Washington,
DC: 1987.
13
National Parks Conservation Association, “Mesa Verde National Park: Air Quality at risk,” accessed October 18,
2014, http://www.npca.org/protecting-our-parks/air-land-water/clean-air/dark-horizons-map/pdf/MEVE.pdf.
14
Tim Vanderpool, “Threatened Vistas,” National Parks 82, no. 1 (2008): 33.
15
Vanderpool, “Threatened Vistas,” 31-33.
9
One of the most significant issues, if not the most, is the number of tourists that visit
Mesa Verde each year. Over eighty years ago park Superintendent Jesse Nusbaum recognized
how overcrowding at Mesa Verde put enormous stress on the park. In particular, the emergence
of the automobile has increased visitation rates each decade, causing significant congestion on
the park’s roads.16 In fact, as Valerie Gomez notes in her thesis from the University of
Pennsylvania, more money was spent on maintaining roads than on any other aspect within the
park during the initial decades after it was established.17 The issue of traffic continues to be a
point of emphasis at Mesa Verde. For example, in 1999 the University of Denver’s Daniels
School of Business proposed to construct an aerial tramway in the park. They argued that an
aerial tramway would not only significantly reduce wear and tear on the park’s roads, but just as
importantly, it would result in an improved visitor experience, noting that visitors often spend at
least a half hour in traffic. Moreover, they claimed that it would reduce the number of people
walking around the park, thus helping preserve Mesa Verde’s natural heritage. On the other hand,
those such as the NPCA were strongly opposed to the proposal. One of the main arguments
against it was that it did not send the right message to visitors. NPCA representative Mark
Peterson likened an aerial tramway to an amusement park ride. Moreover, the NPCA argued that
it would damage the park’s natural and cultural heritage, noting that birds would be disturbed
and that the tram would only increase the number of people in an already fragile environment. In
the end, the aerial tram was not built, largely due to the concerns of groups like the NPCA.18
More recently, in June 2014 a new tram project was proposed, one that would run from the
Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries, “The Old and the New,” University Press of Colorado,
2002, http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/smith/chap13.htm.
17
Valierie L. Gomez, “Tourism and Preservation in Gateway Communities: A Case Study of the
Towns Surrounding Mesa Verde National Park,” (M.A. thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2005), 21-22, Scholarly
Commons.
18
Katurah Mackay, “Tram Proposed at Mesa Verde,” National Parks 73, no. 5/6 (1999): 20-22.
16
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nearby city of Cortez to the park. The same arguments, both for and against, are similar to the
1999 proposal. However, the lack of funding appears to be the main reason it will not come to
fruition.19
In conclusion, it is clear that there are numerous issues regarding sustainability as it
relates to tourism at Mesa Verde National Park. It is necessary to highlight these various issues
as they are a threat to one of America’s most prominent and historic heritage sites. In particular,
CyArk is especially important to emphasize as it will shape the future not only of Mesa Verde,
but the tourism industry in general. While it is largely a positive invention as it contributes to
preservation goals and allows tourists to view sites that they otherwise would not have, the
traditional tourist experience should still be prioritized. It looks as if Mesa Verde will continue to
shape their tourism program around the four physically accessible sites. As alluded to, perhaps
the most significant issue at Mesa Verde is, and has been, the lack of funding. It is easier said
than done, but Mesa Verde officials need to be persistent in their efforts to secure federal funding
to deal with the various issues such as the lack of staff to manage the park. Likewise, the park
must convince the federal government that increasing development in the region has negative
impacts on the tourist experience and the long term sustainability of the park’s natural and
cultural heritage. Lastly, in order to reduce the congestion at Mesa Verde, perhaps implementing
a tram system throughout the park is the best option. This would significantly reduce the amount
of cars on the limited number of roads. However, funding is yet again the main impediment.
“Mesa Verde: Balancing preservation, visitation,” The Cortez Journal, June 30, 2014,
http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20140630/OPINION01/140639982&source=RSS.
19
11
Bibliography
Bawaya, Michael. “The Race to Save the Ruins: old restoration practices may have done
more harm than good; now scientists are scrambling to remedy the damage.” National
Trust for Historic Preservation. Last modified February 2011.
http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2011/january-february/mesaverde.html#.VCrdERZB9OU
Documentation Classified, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
Dolske, Donald A., William T. Petuskey. International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Monitoring Air Pollution Impacts on Anasazi Ruins at Mesa Verde National Park,
Colorado, USA. Washington, DC: 1987.
Gomez, Valerie L. “Tourism and Preservation in Gateway Communities: A Case Study of the
Towns Surrounding Mesa Verde National Park.” M.A. thesis. University of Pennsylvania,
2005. Scholarly Commons.
Fowler, Don D. A Laboratory for Anthropology: Science and Romanticism in the American
Southwest, 1846-1930. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2000.
Gregory, Joyce Wyels. “Mesa Verde Trial by Fire.” Americas 56, no. 4 (2004): 30-39.
Loomis, John. “New Technologies Applied to Ancient Sites at Mesa Verde.” CyArk. February 1,
2007. http://archive.cyark.org/new-technologies-applied-to-ancient-sites-at-mesa-verdeblog.
Mackay, Katurah. “Tram Proposed at Mesa Verde.” National Parks 73, no. 5/6 (1999): 20-22.
“Mesa Verde: Balancing preservation, visitation.” The Cortez Journal, June 30, 2014.
http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20140630/OPINION01/140639982&source=RSS.
Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries. “The Old and the New.” University Press
of Colorado. 2002. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/smith/chap13.htm.
Mesa Verde National Park. UNESCO. Accessed October 9, 2014.
http://www.nps.gov/meve/forteachers/upload/ancestral_puebloans.pdf.
National Parks Conservation Association. “Mesa Verde National Park: Air Quality at Risk.”
Accessed October 18, 2014. http://www.npca.org/protecting-our-parks/air-landwater/clean-air/dark-horizons-map/pdf/MEVE.pdf
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. “Ancestral Puebloans.” Mesa Verde.
Accessed October 9, 2014.
http://www.nps.gov/meve/forteachers/upload/ancestral_puebloans.pdf.
12
Paschke, Mark W., Claire DeLeo, and Edward F. Redente. “Revegetation of Roadcut Slopes in
Mesa Verde National Park, U.S.A.” Restoration Ecology 8, no. 3 (2000): 276-82.
Vanderpool, Tim. “Threatened Vistas.” National Parks 82, no. 1 (2008): 31-33.
Zieger, Dinah. “After the burn.” Coloradobiz 28, no. 1 (2001): 20-24.