The declaration that all people are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights remains the crown jewel of American ingenuity. One of the best manifestations of this idea is our national park system — 84 million acres of natural beauty that everyone has the freedom to experience.Over the past week, filmmaker Ken Burns' documentary, “America's Best Idea,” celebrated the democratic creation of national parks, the magnificence of their natural splendor and the innovative pioneers who preserved public land for future use. As the six-part PBS series concluded Friday, National Park Service leaders asked a simple question: What happens next?Park Service officials, entrusted with preserving Wyoming's beloved Yellowstone National Park and more than 390 other sites across America, proposed the following ideas: Volunteer, donate and visit.Volunteer: Each year, around 170,000 Americans volunteer at various park projects throughout the nation. Opportunities exist at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park and others in the region. More information is available at www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.Donate: America's national parks are sustained through tax dollars as well as private donations. Without initial funding of the Park Service a century ago, America's treasured reserves easily could have become private estates or amusement parks. To donate, visit www.nps.gov/getinvolved/donate.htm.Visit: The documentary's vignettes of Yellowstone's roaming, wild animals and its wonderland of gurgling geysers undoubtedly inspired thousands of viewers to see America's first national park — some, perhaps, for the first time. Filmmaker Burns hopes his documentary spurs floods at the gates of national parks, and it likely will.Yellowstone welcomed record numbers of visitors over the summer with nearly 2.3 million entering its gates. Next year may see more.But while visitors from around the nation flock to Yellowstone, those of us who live at the park's threshold often fail to take full advantage of its proximity and allure. It's within our reach, and thanks to American ingenuity, it belongs to all of us.

The declaration that all people are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights remains the crown jewel of American ingenuity. One of the best manifestations of this idea is our national park system — 84 million acres of natural beauty that everyone has the freedom to experience.

Over the past week, filmmaker Ken Burns' documentary, “America's Best Idea,” celebrated the democratic creation of national parks, the magnificence of their natural splendor and the innovative pioneers who preserved public land for future use.

As the six-part PBS series concluded Friday, National Park Service leaders asked a simple question: What happens next?

Park Service officials, entrusted with preserving Wyoming's beloved Yellowstone National Park and more than 390 other sites across America, proposed the following ideas: Volunteer, donate and visit.

Volunteer: Each year, around 170,000 Americans volunteer at various park projects throughout the nation.

Opportunities exist at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park and others in the region. More information is available at www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.

Donate: America's national parks are sustained through tax dollars as well as private donations. Without initial funding of the Park Service a century ago, America's treasured reserves easily could have become private estates or amusement parks. To donate, visit www.nps.gov/getinvolved/donate.htm.

Visit: The documentary's vignettes of Yellowstone's roaming, wild animals and its wonderland of gurgling geysers undoubtedly inspired thousands of viewers to see America's first national park — some, perhaps, for the first time.

Filmmaker Burns hopes his documentary spurs floods at the gates of national parks, and it likely will.

Yellowstone welcomed record numbers of visitors over the summer with nearly 2.3 million entering its gates. Next year may see more.

But while visitors from around the nation flock to Yellowstone, those of us who live at the park's threshold often fail to take full advantage of its proximity and allure. It's within our reach, and thanks to American ingenuity, it belongs to all of us.