Wings Over the Woodlands and Wetlands -- The National Park Service, Background Information

Background Information

The National Park Service

Did you know that the National Park Service is more than 80 years old? It was August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service. Although there were national parks before 1916, lots of groups -- including the military and the U.S. Forest Service -- managed them. After 1916, there was only one group that took care of the country's national parkland.

The act that President Wilson signed was called the "Organic Act." This strange-sounding name gave the National Park Service an important mission: to protect national parks, monuments and other areas. This meant protecting the animals, plants and the land itself for all people, forever. It also gave the park service the power to protect areas where important parts of history took place. That's why we have national parks where Civil War battles were once fought and where presidents -- including Theodore Roosevelt -- once lived.

Today, the National Park Service is still working to protect these places. In 1916, there were 40 national parks and monuments. There are now 378 places that are national parks or monuments! These places make up more than 83 million acres in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Yellowstone was our first national park, established by the United States Congress on March 1, 1872. Congress said it wanted to protect Yellowstone's now-famous geysers, mountains and animals "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." When Congress gave control of the park to the Department of the Interior, it started a worldwide national park movement. Other countries followed our example, and today there are more than 1,200 national parks or preserves in more than 100 countries around the world!

The United States is still creating more parks. For the most part, new parks are made by Congress. The president can use his authority to make national monuments -- an area just like a park. But it usually is the Secretary of the Interior who recommends to Congress new areas that should become parks. The American people are part of this process too -- a group of private citizens advises the Secretary of the Interior about these matters.

Background Information The National Park Service
Did you know that the National Park Service is more than 80 years old? It was August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service. Although there were national parks before 1916, lots of groups -- including the military and the U.S. Forest Service -- managed them. After 1916, there was only one group that took care of the country's national parkland. The act that President Wilson signed was called the "Organic Act." This strange-sounding name gave the National Park Service an important mission: to protect national parks, monuments and other areas. This meant protecting the animals, plants and the land itself for all people, forever. It also gave the park service the power to protect areas where important parts of history took place. That's why we have national parks where Civil War battles were once fought and where presidents -- including Theodore Roosevelt -- once lived. Today, the National Park Service is still working to protect these places. In 1916, there were 40 national parks and monuments. There are now 378 places that are national parks or monuments! These places make up more than 83 million acres in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Yellowstone was our first national park, established by the United States Congress on March 1, 1872. Congress said it wanted to protect Yellowstone's now-famous geysers, mountains and animals "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." When Congress gave control of the park to the Department of the Interior, it started a worldwide national park movement. Other countries followed our example, and today there are more than 1,200 national parks or preserves in more than 100 countries around the world! The United States is still creating more parks. For the most part, new parks are made by Congress. The president can use his authority to make national monuments -- an area just like a park. But it usually is the Secretary of the Interior who recommends to Congress new areas that should become parks. The American people are part of this process too -- a group of private citizens advises the Secretary of the Interior about these matters.