The National Park Service and Its Legacy

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The National Park Service and Its Legacy

Since 1916 the national park service has been vigorously protecting and conserving America's parks, monuments and historical properties. The national parks provide the public with a place to enjoy nature and take in the scenery. They are known for their nice picnic areas and wildlife conservation efforts as well as a fun filled place to enjoy your family on a Saturday afternoon or spend the entire summer! With a focus on conserving scenery, historic properties, objects and wildlife while simultaneously educating and entertaining the public, the national park service is a prominent part of the American landscape. With millions of visitors to its 391 units annually, the park service is a thriving organization.

Created by congress in 1916, the national park service is part of the United States Department of the Interior. It is a cabinet office of the executive branch of government and is run by a secretary that is elected by the president. With an annual budget of over 2 billion dollars and over 100,000 employees and volunteers combined nationwide, the national park service has grown considerably from its humble beginnings.

Many people credit artist George Catlin with the concept of a governmental organization that protects wildlife and wilderness. In his writings he expressed concern over westward expansion and its long-term effects on theses natural wonders. He out right expressed the idea of creating an agency or policy that would protect wildlife and wilderness. By the mid to late 1800s both Yellowstone and Yosemite were protected under preservation laws and the national park service followed shortly after.

Many things lead up to the creation of the national park service. Potential for tourism prompted many investors to jump on board and lobby for its creation--more importantly, conservationist lobbying for preservation of natural resources and wildlife. After much debate on August 25th 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the legislation creating the national park service.

Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the service and the world. Prior to the formation of the national park service, Yellowstone was managed privately with varying degrees of success. Yosemite, originally preserved as a state park then later joining national ranks, was quick to follow. Some other parks that prompted the formation of the national park service along with Yellowstone and Yosemite were Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, and Glacier. Although many of the national parks were originally in the western part of the country, there was Acadia National Park in Maine.

With the assistance of philanthropist such as John Rockefeller Jr. and the gradual acquisition of land by eastern states, in 1926 Shenandoah, Great Smokey Mountains, and Mammoth cave were all added to the national park service. Later, the eastern states became larger part of the service because of the numerous historic sites the region had to offer. With battlefields, war memorials, monuments and the capitol, the eastern part of the country had much to preserve and contribute to the park service.

The national park service has flourished and continued to expand over the last several decades. Many presidents found it an important part of American heritage and enacted additional laws to expand and protect the service. With it living history and educational opportunities the legacy of the national park service is the same now as it was in the beginning. "Conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." For decades the national park services mission has been realized and there impact on America and the world will continue for decades to come.