In this bonus episode of The Wild Idea, we sit down with Jon Jarvis, the 18th Director of the National Park Service, for a wide-ranging and urgent conversation about the future of America’s public lands. Drawing on his 40-year career in the Park Service—from backcountry Alaska to the corridors of D.C.—Jarvis offers a sobering look at current threats, including budget slashing, forced retirements, and what he calls a calculated push to privatize the parks.

We talk about:

• The economic and cultural value of “lesser-known” park units
• What’s really behind the claim that some parks don’t meet the “standard”
• The difference between partnerships that support public lands and those that exploit them
• The psychological toll on Park Service employees in the current political climate
• A wilderness story from Wrangell–St. Elias you won’t forget (hint: bear scat and chest-deep swamp)

This is one of those conversations that blends hard data with deep care. Whether you’re a lifelong advocate or just someone who loves national parks, Jarvis’s insights will leave you thinking hard about what’s worth protecting—and how.

Books, resources, and other notes from today’s episode:

Jon’s books: 

• National Parks Forever: Fifty Years of Fighting and a Case for Independence
• The Future of Conservation in America: A Chart for Rough Water
• Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
• The Guardian Op-Ed by Jon Jarvis & Fran Ulmer
• Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
• Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity – UC Berkeley

Jon Jarvis served for 40 years with the National Park Service (NPS) as ranger, biologist, and superintendent in national parks across the country. He was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate as the 18th Director of the NPS, serving from 2009 to 2017.

During his tenure, he led the National Park Service and its 400 parks through its Centennial, added 22 new parks, achieved its largest budget in history, launched a climate change strategy for the National Park System, and helped the National Park Foundation raise over $400 million in philanthropic support.

Retiring from the NPS in 2017, he became the Inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity at the University of California, Berkeley. He provides advice and training to national park professionals around the world.

He has co-authored two books published by the University of Chicago Press: The Future of Conservation in America: A Chart for Rough Water and National Parks Forever: Fifty Years of Fighting and a Case for Independence. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and was granted an honorary PhD by the College for his public service.

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