Laws & Policies

Federal Laws
The National Park Service is an agency of the Department of Interior, part of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government. Laws created by Congress establish the highest order of legal authority over national parks. Many laws, including the Organic Act of 1916 that created the National Park Service, affect all areas managed by the agency.

National parks are created by acts of Congress, unlike national monuments, which can be created by presidential proclamation. The legislation creating Great Basin National Park is known as the Great Basin National Park Act of 1986.

National Park Service Policies
Service-wide policy for the National Park Service is developed by the Office of Policy with public input and in accordance with applicable laws. Policies that dictate many of the overall directions and procedures used by all parks are found in the 2006 National Park Service Management Policies.

Park Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36, provides a complete listing of rules and regulations applicable to all NPS areas.

The Superintendent's Compendium provides park-specific regulations inacted under the authority of the superintendent.

Other regulations, such as Nevada State Law, may apply in cases where no federal law exists. Traffic laws, for instance, are governed by the state, not the federal government. All Nevada traffic laws apply within Great Basin National Park.