National Park Service facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Park Service

National Park Service arrowhead insignia
Guidon of the National Park Service
Agency overview
Formed	August 25, 1916; 108 years ago (1916-08-25)
Jurisdiction	United States government
Headquarters	Main Interior Building 1849 C Street NW Washington, D.C. 20240, U.S.
Employees	About 20,000 (2022) (279,000 volunteers in 2019)
Annual budget	$3.265 billion (FY2022)
Agency executive	Charles Sams, Director of the National Park Service
Parent department	Department of the Interior
Map

The National Park Service (NPS) is a special agency of the U.S. government. It works under the U.S. Department of the Interior. The NPS takes care of all national parks, most national monuments, and many other natural, historical, and fun places across the country.

The United States Congress created the NPS on August 25, 1916. Its main office is in Washington, D.C.. The NPS has about 20,000 employees and over 279,000 volunteers. They manage more than 85 million acres (about 344,000 square kilometers) of land. This land is spread across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and U.S. territories. The main job of the NPS is to protect these amazing places and their history. They also make sure people can visit and enjoy them, while keeping them safe for future generations.

History of the National Park Service

In 1916, a book about nine major parks was made to get people interested. Each brochure had a map showing the parks and main train connections.

In 1934, a series of ten postage stamps was released to celebrate the changes and growth of the National Park Service.

NPS Preliminary Survey team in the Great Smoky Mountains, 1931

The idea for national parks started a long time ago. In 1832, artist George Catlin suggested creating a "Nation's Park" to protect nature, wildlife, and Native American cultures. This idea helped lead to the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. Since there was no state government to manage it at the time, the federal government (the U.S. Army) took care of it. Even the famous African American Buffalo Soldier units helped protect it.

A businessman and conservationist named Stephen Mather really pushed for a special agency to manage these federal lands. With help from journalist Robert Sterling Yard, Mather started a campaign. They wrote many articles about how beautiful and important the parks were. They also showed how parks could be great for learning, inspiration, and fun.

This campaign worked! On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act. This law created the NPS. It said the agency must "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife 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." Stephen Mather became the first director of the new NPS.

Later, in 1933, President Herbert Hoover signed a law that let the president move national monuments between government departments. President Franklin D. Roosevelt used this power. He moved many historic sites, including American Civil War battlefields, from the War Department to the NPS. He also moved national monuments from the Department of Agriculture and parks around Washington, D.C., to the NPS. This greatly expanded the NPS's responsibilities.

After World War II, more and more people visited the parks. The NPS struggled to keep up. In 1951, Conrad Wirth became the NPS director. He started a big project called Mission 66 in 1952. This was a ten-year plan to improve and expand park facilities. It was meant to get the parks ready for the Park Service's 50th anniversary. New parks were added, and old ones were improved.

By 1966, when the Park Service turned 50, the focus changed. It wasn't just about saving beautiful places. It was also about making parks easy for everyone to visit. Director George Hartzog started creating National Lakeshores and National Recreation Areas.

How the NPS Protects Resources

The NPS has special rules and plans to protect the natural and historical places it manages.

The Leopold Report (1963)

In 1963, a report called "Wildlife Management in the National Parks" was written. It was led by A. Starker Leopold. This report was short, but it was very important. It gave ideas for how to manage park ecosystems. An ecosystem is a community of living things and their environment.

The Leopold Report was the first clear plan for managing both park visitors and nature. It talked about problems like too many elk in Yellowstone National Park. It also warned that stopping all natural fires in places like Sequoia National Park was hurting the giant redwood trees. The report said the goal should be to keep the parks looking like they did when the first European visitors saw them. This idea helped guide how parks were managed for many years.

Revisiting Leopold (2012)

In 2012, the NPS director, Jonathan Jarvis, asked a group of experts to look at the Leopold Report again. They wanted to see how to update it for new challenges, like climate change. Their report, "Revisiting Leopold: Resource Stewardship in the National Parks," said that parks should "manage for change while confronting uncertainty."

It also said that new science and technology could help the NPS. This knowledge would help the NPS make smart decisions about managing park resources.

Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework (2021)

The "Revisiting Leopold" report mentioned climate change, but it didn't give specific ways to deal with it. So, in 2021, a new report introduced the "Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD)" framework. This framework helps park managers make decisions when ecosystems are changing fast due to things like climate change.

The RAD framework gives three main options:

• Resist: Try to keep the ecosystem the way it is, or restore it to how it used to be.
• Accept: Let the ecosystem change naturally, without trying to stop it.
• Direct: Actively guide the ecosystem to become a new, desired type of environment.

For example, the famous Joshua Tree National Park uses this framework to decide how to protect its unique trees as the climate changes.

The National Park System

Grand Canyon National Park, south rim of canyon.

The National Park System includes all the places managed by the National Park Service. These places have many different names, but they are all considered a "national treasure" of the United States. Some famous national parks are even called "crown jewels" because they are so special.

The system covers about 85.1 million acres (about 344,000 square kilometers). The largest park is Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska. It's huge, covering over 13 million acres (53,000 square kilometers)! The smallest unit is Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Pennsylvania, which is tiny, only 0.02 acres (80 square meters).

The NPS also helps manage other areas that are not directly part of the system. These are called "affiliated areas."

What the Parks Have

The National Park System is home to many important things:

• Land Area: Over 84 million acres (340,000 square kilometers) of land.
• Water Area: Over 4.5 million acres (18,000 square kilometers) of oceans, lakes, and rivers.
• Rivers and Streams: More than 85,000 miles (137,000 kilometers) of rivers.
• Archeological Sites: Over 68,000 places with historical artifacts.
• Shoreline: More than 43,000 miles (69,000 kilometers) of coastline.
• Historic Structures: Over 27,000 old buildings and structures.
• Museum Collections: More than 121 million items in museum collections.
• Buildings: Over 21,000 buildings.
• Trails: Over 12,000 miles (19,000 kilometers) of trails.
• Roads: Over 8,500 miles (13,700 kilometers) of roads.

How a Park Becomes a Park

Most NPS units are created by a law passed by Congress and signed by the president. However, the Antiquities Act allows the president to create national monuments by executive order. No matter how they are created, all parks must be important to the nation.

To become a park, a place usually needs to meet four standards:

• It's a great example of a certain type of natural or historical place.
• It's very important for showing or explaining the nation's heritage.
• It offers amazing chances for fun, public enjoyment, or scientific study.
• It's still mostly natural, accurate, and unspoiled.

Before a new park is created, the NPS often studies the area to see if it meets these standards.

Different Kinds of Parks

The NPS uses over 20 different names for the places it manages. Here are some of the main ones:

• National Parks are large areas that protect important natural beauty and wildlife.
• National Monuments usually protect one special cultural or natural feature. Devils Tower National Monument was the first one in 1906.
• National Preserves protect resources and are similar to national parks, but they might allow some activities like hunting or fishing.
• National Reserves are like preserves, but they can be managed by state or local governments.
• National Historic Sites protect important historical places that are not too complex.
• National Historical Parks are larger areas that focus on more complex historical topics.
• National Military Parks, Battlefield Parks, Battlefield Sites, and Battlefields protect areas related to military history, especially Revolutionary War and Civil War battles.
• National Memorials honor a person or event. They might not be at the exact historical spot. The Washington Monument is an example.
• National Seashores and National Lakeshores protect coastlines and offer water-based fun.
• National Rivers and Wild and Scenic Riverways protect free-flowing rivers. They can't be changed by dams or other projects.
• National Recreation Areas are often around large lakes created by dams. Some are also in cities, offering fun and nature close to people.
• The National Trails System includes long-distance paths across America. National Scenic Trails go through beautiful areas, like the Appalachian Trail. National Historic Trails follow routes of important historical events, like the Trail of Tears.

Special Designations

• Wilderness areas are very wild and untouched lands within the National Park System. They are protected to stay that way.
• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are parts of oceans or lakes that are protected to save marine life and habitats. The NPS has 19 park units with MPA designations.

Visiting the Parks

The National Park System is very popular! In 2023, over 325 million people visited the parks. The number of visitors has grown a lot over the years.

The 10 most-visited parks get about 30% of all visitors. The top 10% of parks (about 43 parks) get over 64% of all visits. This means the other 380+ parks share the remaining visitors.

Entrance Fees

Many national parks do not charge an entrance fee. They are supported by tax money. However, some of the most popular parks do charge a fee. These fees can be per vehicle or per person. Most passes are good for 7 days.

The America the Beautiful Pass is a special pass that lets the holder and up to 3 other adults enter many parks for free. Kids aged 15 and younger are usually free. You can also buy annual passes for a single park if you visit it often.

Overnight Stays

Many visitors like to stay overnight in the national parks. In 2015, over 15 million people spent a night in a park. Most of them were tent campers. Others stayed in lodges, RVs, or went backcountry camping.

How the NPS is Funded

In 2019, the NPS had a budget of about $4 billion. A big law called the Great American Outdoors Act was signed in 2020. This law helps reduce the amount of money needed for park repairs and improvements.

The NPS budget has two main parts: "discretionary" and "mandatory" spending. Discretionary spending is money that Congress decides how to spend each year.

Discretionary Spending

This money covers the daily operations of the national parks. It also pays for special projects. For example, in 2010, the NPS focused on things like:

• Stewardship and Education: Taking care of resources and teaching the public.
• Professional Excellence: Making sure staff are well-trained.
• Youth Programs: Involving young people in park work.
• Climate Change Impacts: Dealing with how climate change affects parks.

The money for park operations is divided into six main areas:

Resource Stewardship

These funds pay for people and projects that restore, protect, and maintain natural and cultural resources. This includes biologists, archeologists, and specialists who fix old buildings.

Visitor Services

This money is used for public programs and education. Park rangers give talks and lead walks. Media specialists create exhibits, brochures, and websites to help visitors learn.

Park Protection

This covers staff who help visitors in emergencies (like accidents or lost people). It also pays for protecting the park's resources from damage. This includes law enforcement rangers, park police, and lifeguards.

Facility Maintenance and Operations

This is the cost of keeping park buildings, roads, and trails in good shape. It includes equipment for clearing roads, repairs, and construction. Staff include electricians, plumbers, and trail crews.

Park Support

This staff handles the daily needs of the parks. They include human resources, accounting, and technology specialists.

External Administrative Costs

These are payments to outside groups that help the NPS operate. This includes rent for office space and postage.

Land and Water Conservation Fund

This fund helps the NPS buy important lands to protect existing public areas. It also gives money to states and local areas to preserve Civil War battlefields and other lands.

Historic Preservation Fund

This fund helps protect historical places across the United States. Money comes from oil and gas revenues, not taxes. It gives grants to states, tribes, local governments, and non-profits to help preserve historic sites.

Economic Benefits

National parks are good for the economy! For every $1 spent on the NPS, the American public gets $4 back in economic value. In 2011, national parks created $30.1 billion in economic activity and supported 252,000 jobs across the country.

Park Services by Private Companies

The NPS works with private businesses to offer services like hotels, restaurants, and shops in the parks. These are called "concessions." They help more people enjoy the parks. You can find lodging at places like the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite National Park.

Some big companies that run concessions include:

• Delaware North Corporation at Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park.
• Forever Resorts at Big Bend National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and many others.
• Xanterra Parks & Resorts at Bryce Canyon National Park, Crater Lake National Park, and more.

Lawsuit with Delaware North

In 2015, a company called Delaware North sued the NPS. They had been running services at Yosemite National Park. When their contract ended, they claimed ownership of the names of famous places in the park, like "Ahwahnee Hotel." They wanted a lot of money for these names.

The NPS thought this was unfair. Instead of paying, they decided to change the names of these places in 2016. For example, the Ahwahnee Hotel became "The Majestic Yosemite Hotel." Many people were upset about this. In 2019, the problem was solved, and the original names were brought back.

How the NPS is Organized

The main office of the NPS is in the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C.. This central office has different departments that handle things like business, human resources, technology, cultural resources, and visitor protection.

There are also regional offices in cities like Anchorage, Atlanta, Lakewood, CO (Denver), Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

The head of the NPS is the NPS Director. The president chooses this person, and the United States Senate must approve them. The Director works with other senior leaders and seven regional directors. This group is called the "National Leadership Council."

Staff and Volunteers

This image shows different jobs in the NPS, like a lifeguard, a Civil War reenactor, a firefighter, a mounted patrol officer, a researcher, a ranger with visitors, a laborer, a climber/rescuer, and a youth with a ranger.

Stephen Mather (center) and his staff, 1927 or 1928

Chuck Sams, current NPS Director (2021–present)

In the past, park rangers did many different jobs. They cleaned, fought fires, managed traffic, gave tours, rescued people, and investigated crimes. Today, the NPS has many kinds of workers:

• National Park Service Rangers:
  • Interpreters: They teach visitors about the park's nature and history.
  • Law Enforcement Rangers: They are federal officers who enforce laws and keep visitors safe.
• Park Management: Superintendents and their deputies lead each park.
• United States Park Police: A special police force that works in major NPS areas, especially in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.
• Emergency Management: People who help with medical emergencies, search and rescue. This includes lifeguards.
• Dispatchers: They handle calls and send help.
• Maintenance: These workers keep buildings, roads, and trails in good condition. They include carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and equipment operators.
• Park Planning: Architects, engineers, and landscape architects design park facilities.
• Resource Management: Scientists like archeologists, biologists, and geologists study and protect park resources.
• History Staff: Curators, historians, and preservation specialists care for historical items and sites.
• Fire Management: Firefighters and specialists who manage natural fires and fight wildfires.
• Public Affairs: People who share information about the parks with the public.
• Administration: Staff who handle human resources, finances, and technology.

NPS employees work in many different places, from big cities like New York City to very remote areas in Alaska.

Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP)

The NPS has a great program called Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP). It started in 1969. This program allows people to help out in national parks. Volunteers come from all backgrounds and do many different jobs. They might help with trail maintenance, visitor services, or educational programs. In 2012, over 221,000 volunteers gave about 6.4 million hours of their time to the parks!

Artist-In-Residence

Some parks have an "Artist-In-Residence" program. This allows artists (like painters, photographers, writers, or musicians) to live and work in a park for a period of time. It's a unique way to experience and create art inspired by the parks.

United States Park Rangers

National Park Service rangers are uniformed employees who protect and preserve national park areas. They help visitors understand the parks and make sure rules are followed.

Law enforcement rangers are federal officers. They have the power to enforce federal and state laws within NPS sites. They get special training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

United States Park Police

The United States Park Police (USPP) is the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agency in the U.S. They act like a regular police force in NPS areas, especially in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City. They also protect famous monuments.

Youth Programs

The NPS works with many programs for young people:

• The Student Conservation Association (SCA) started in 1957. It helps young people get involved in conservation. SCA volunteers work on internships and projects, learning about resource management and historic preservation.
• The Corps Network represents groups like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from the 1930s. These groups built park facilities. Today, Corpsmembers (ages 16-25) help restore and protect parks.
• The Youth Conservation Corps (ages 15-18) brings young people to parks to restore natural and historical places. They get paid for their work.
• The Public Land Corps (ages 16-25) offers jobs helping to restore and protect national parks. Participants learn about environmental issues.

Special Divisions and Programs

The NPS has many special divisions that focus on different areas.

Centers

The NPS runs several centers:

• Archaeology Centers: These centers in places like Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Lincoln, Nebraska, focus on archaeological research and preserving historical objects.
• Training Centers: These centers, like the Stephen Mather Training Center, teach NPS staff how to do their jobs well.
• Submerged Resources Center: This center studies and protects underwater historical sites in the parks.
• National Center for Preservation Technology and Training: This center does research and training in preserving old buildings, landscapes, and artifacts.

Preservation Programs

Photograph of El Santuario Del Señor Esquipula, Chimayo, New Mexico

LaSalle Street Bridge, Chicago, Illinois

The NPS has programs to document and preserve important historical sites:

• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS): Started in 1933, this program documents important historic buildings with drawings, photos, and written histories. Many buildings they documented no longer exist.
• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER): This program, started in 1969, documents important industrial and engineering sites, like old bridges or factories.
• Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS): Created in 2000, this program documents important historic landscapes, like gardens or parks.

Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program

The NPS-RTCA program helps local communities plan projects to protect nature and create outdoor recreation areas. This program works outside the national park boundaries. One well-known project is Rails to Trails, which turns old railroad tracks into hiking and biking trails.

Japanese American Confinement Sites

The NPS helps manage sites where Americans of Japanese descent were forced to live during World War II. The Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program provides money to help preserve these important historical places.

National Trails System

The National Trails System is a joint effort by the NPS and other agencies. It creates long-distance trails across America. This includes National Scenic Trails (like the Appalachian Trail) and National Historic Trails (like the Santa Fe Trail).

National Heritage Areas

National Heritage Areas are special places that combine natural, cultural, and historical resources. They are not directly managed by the NPS, but the NPS provides advice and help to local groups that take care of them.

Park Initiatives

"The national parks preserve all life", poster for National Park Service, 1940

The NPS has many initiatives to protect parks and educate the public:

• 24-hr all Taxa BioBlitz: This is a project with the National Geographic Society. Scientists and volunteers try to find and identify as many species (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) as possible in a park within 24 hours. This helps people learn about biodiversity.
• Biological Diversity: The NPS works to protect the huge variety of life in the parks, which is important because biodiversity is decreasing globally.
• Climate Change: The NPS is working to understand and respond to the effects of climate change on parks, like rising temperatures and melting ice.
• South Florida Restoration Initiative: This project works with other groups to restore the unique ecosystem of South Florida, which includes the Everglades.
• Vanishing Treasures Initiative: This program helps repair and preserve old historical sites and structures, especially in the American Southwest.
• Wetlands: The NPS protects wetlands (like marshes and swamps) because they are important habitats for wildlife, help clean water, and reduce flood damage.
• Wildland Fire: The NPS manages fires in parks. Some ecosystems need fire to stay healthy, but the NPS also works to keep visitors safe from wildfires.

Green Park Plan

In 2010, the NPS released its Climate Change Response Strategy, followed by the Green Parks Plan in 2012.

Climate Friendly Parks Program

This program helps parks reduce their impact on the environment. It works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Parks in this program try to:

• Reduce greenhouse gases by using less energy and water.
• Use sustainable materials for buildings.
• Develop alternative transportation, like electric buses, to reduce pollution from cars.
• Teach visitors about climate change and how parks are affected.

This program helps parks use clean energy, reduce waste, and make smart transportation choices.

In the past, some parks tried to ban disposable plastic water bottles to reduce waste and carbon emissions. However, this ban was stopped in 2017.

Cashless Payments

To save money on handling cash, some national parks have started using only cashless payments (like credit cards). In 2023, 22 parks were cashless. Some people have raised concerns about this, saying that parks should always accept cash because it is legal money.

Related Laws

Many laws help the National Park Service do its job. Some important ones include:

• Antiquities Act of 1906: Allows the president to create national monuments.
• National Park Service Organic Act of 1916: Created the National Park Service.
• Historic Sites Act of 1935: Helps preserve historic sites.
• Wilderness Act of 1964: Protects wild, untouched areas.
• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA): Guides historic preservation in the U.S.
• National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 (NEPA): Requires environmental reviews for federal projects.
• Endangered Species Act of 1973: Protects endangered plants and animals.
• Great American Outdoors Act of 2020: Provides funding for park maintenance.

See also

In Spanish: Servicio de Parques Nacionales para niños

People

• Ansel Franklin Hall, first Chief Naturalist of the NPS
• Stephen Mather, first Director of the NPS
• Harry Yount, seen as the first park ranger

Related Organizations

• National Park Foundation: A charity that supports national parks.
• National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): A group that works to protect and improve national parks.

Other Links

• Land and Water Conservation Fund: A fund that helps protect land and water.
• National Park Service uniforms: The uniforms worn by NPS employees.
• US Parks Police: The police force for some national park areas.