Mossberg, BarbaraKauffman, CraigCrider, KayLaws, Ryan2022-07-122022-07-122022https://hdl.handle.net/1794/27361The Hetch Hetchy Valley, located within Yosemite National Park, was dammed in 1913, even after fierce opposition by the public. The damming of Hetch Hetchy illustrates how the National Parks Service model of conservation falls short in protecting ecosystem areas and preventing development within. Rather than significant development being restricted in Hetch Hetchy, the American public, including the Indigenous groups who once called the valley home, were shut out so that major development could occur. These actions contradict the mission of the National Parks Service and the purpose of setting aside lands with a National Parks status. Using the models of collaborative governance, earth jurisprudence, and environmental justice, this paper explores the ways these models can be applied to resolve the issues within Hetch Hetchy, including the lack of access by the American public, shutting out of Indigenous groups, and the major environmental damages occurring through the presence of the dam. The use of collaborative governance encourages collaborative problem solving among the involved stakeholders, while environmental justice and earth jurisprudence demands respect and consideration for the environment and those that are typically not included in discussions of government management. Through this exploration, a new and restored Hetch Hetchy is imagined and the contributions that such an exercise would make for the American public and democracy are discussed.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0national parksenvironmental justiceearth jurisprudencecollaborative governancerights of natureThesis/Dissertation0000-0003-1946-8626