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As thousands celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park System today, inspirational words will be written about one of America's greatest gifts to the world.

Yet, though it is difficult to imagine a world without a Yellowstone, Yosemite or Grand Canyon or a Utah without Bryce, Zion or Canyonlands, it also must be remembered that many residents and politicians strongly opposed their designation.

Time travel back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, for example, when the debate over the designation of Canyonlands and Arches as National Parks began.

In her excellent book "Blow Sand In His Soul: Bates Wilson the Heart of Canyonlands," Jen Jackson Quintano offered some quotes from Utah leaders opposed to the designation that sound eerily familiar to some of the same words being heard today about the possible designation of the nearby Bears Ears as a national monument.

Then Utah U.S. Senator Wallace Bennett called setting aside Canyonlands "a hasty, impetuous action to lock up the area, a step that the people of Utah and the nation would regret for centuries."

The Deseret News asserted on February 1, 1962, that "there was no other area in the state which had greater potential for mineral production."

George Clyde, then Utah's governor, said the park should be smaller.

"I have an honest conviction that much of the terrain covered in your map is actually a duplication of similar physical features," wrote Clyde.

Quintano's book tells the amazing story of Canyonlands' first superintendent Bates Wilson and his successful quest to get Arches and Canyonlands designated as parks.

Similar arguments have been made by local interests against many if not most of the national parks in the system.

Consider, for example, this New York Times quote from current Maine Gov. Paul LePage on President Barack Obama's designation of Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument just this week:

"It's sad that rich, out-of-state liberals can team up with President Obama to force a national monument on rural Mainers who do not want it," said LePage, who earlier , signed a bill opposing the federal takeover.

So, as the U.S. celebrates its national park centennial today, it should be remembered that the idea of creating new parks almost always generates plenty of opposition and controversy.

Twitter @tribtomwharton