America's National Parks Are Being Stolen

America’s national parks are one of the country’s most beautiful assets. From Yellowstone Park in Wyoming to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, these land areas are maintained and protected by the government as federal land. But what most people do not know is that 33 million acres of US land, including 22 of our 63 national parks, are owned by foreign investors.

A majority of Americans, including myself, until a few days ago, were completely unaware of this foreign infringement. It is widely unknown that over 33% of America’s national parks are owned by foreign investors, giving them the power to infringe on our American soil with their agendas and use these beautiful areas for their financial gain. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has deemed 14 of these parks as World Heritage Sites, claiming that it will ensure that these sites “sustain their outstanding universal value.” But why should our right to the ownership and control over our own country’s soil be sold off to the highest bidder? 

The more land the American government sells off to various buyers from other countries, the less say we as citizens will have over what happens on our soil. In an article written by Texe Marrs, an exclusive intelligence examiner, he defines selling national parks as the “unconstitutional giving away of American sovereignty over its lands and natural resources,” and he is right. America, sometimes referred to as the “land of the sovereign,” fails to deserve that title if it is continuously being sold off piece by piece by our nation’s leaders, who were designated to defend our sovereignty and independence, not chisel away at it. 

Our parks, monuments, and preserves are being bought and traded right out from under us. UNESCO claims it is buying our land to ensure the up-keep of these parks with its ownership, but we as a country are fully capable of doing that ourselves. Sure, our government hasn’t always prioritized environmental management and safety much as it should have. Still, it doesn’t justify selling our land to foreign investors because our leaders are too lazy to maintain it ourselves. As stated by the Canada Free Press, there is no need for an “international treaty to do what the United States has already done for itself.” America is one of the richest nations in the world, not just monetarily but in independence and patriotism. The richness is depleted with every acre cast to foreign investors in exchange for money or some other gain.. What is the value of these vast and beautiful parks to us if we do not even own them? 

Though this buying and trading of our land may be packaged and advertised as an investment in the future, it is not what it seems to be. Decisions regarding lands and properties have always been dependent on the landowner; this should not be expected to change once someone else buys our parks and preserves. Having our national parks put on the World Heritage List might seem like an honor, but it only ensures that American citizens lose most, if not all, control over the soil we promised to protect. The Washington Examiner proclaims this heritage title as the promise that once UNESCO owns the land, “international law takes over and future land-use decisions must abide by the tenets of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.” It is preferable to believe that our government leaders have good intentions by selling our land, and UNESCO by buying it, but we must realize that if our land is so valuable, why are we giving it away?

American land is being traded off and bought out by foreign investors globally, and most Americans are unaware of it. We must fight as individuals and as a country to protect and preserve the value and ownership of our soil and keep other powers from taking it away from us. Environmental changes are crucial for the parks, but we cannot enact those changes if we no longer have rights to the land. If we continue to sell off our soil one piece at a time, we will cease to be the United States.

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