Office of international affairs
Office of International Affairs - Program Topics
In a 1916 letter from Interior Secretary Franklin K. Lane to first NPS Director Stephan Mather, the Service was directed to maintain contacts with national park authorities in other nations and to stay informed on their developments in order to identify areas for improvements in the U.S. National Park System.
Since that time, the National Park Service International Program has continued to promote and facilitate collaboration in perserving and understanding natural and cultural heritage throughout the world.
Sharing expertise with visiting park and conservation professionals, in addition to the National Park Service’s overseas technical missions, demonstrates the full-range commitment of the Park Service in its contributions to global environmental conservation.
We encourage you to click on the various sections in the panels below to learn more about the different program areas the NPS Office of International Affairs is involved in.
- Technical Assistance / Around the World
- Sister Parks
- World Heritage in the U.S.
- International Volunteers
- International Visitors
| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE | ||||||
The National Park Service is involved in a variety of international activities. The Service provides Technical Assistance and Exchange to a variety of nations around the world.
Sharing expertise with visiting park and conservation professionals, in addition to the National Park Service’s overseas technical missions, demonstrates the full-range commitment of the Park Service in its contributions to global environmental conservation. |
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| SISTER PARKS | ||||||
Several NPS sites have established "sister park" relationships in the last few years with national parks in other countries. These partnerships increase information sharing and direct park-to-park contacts to address many of the common issues mentioned above, primarily through improved telecommunications technologies.
To read more about the NPS Sister Parks Program, click here. |
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| WORLD HERITAGE | ||||||
The United States established Yellowstone as a national park in 1872 and initiated the worldwide movement to protect such areas as national treasures. One hundred years later, during the Nixon administration, the United States proposed the World Heritage Convention to the international community and was the first nation to ratify it. The World Heritage Convention, the most widely accepted international conservation treaty in human history, is the American national park idea being carried out worldwide. |
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| INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS | ||||||
| Every year, more than one hundred individuals from all over the world volunteer in America's National Parks. The International Volunteers-in-Parks Program (IVIP) benefits both the individual volunteer and the National Park Service. Click here to learn more. |  |
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| INTERNATIONAL VISITORS | ||||||
Park and protected area professionals from around the globe and other foreign dignitaries frequently travel to the United States to learn more about the National Park Service (NPS) and how it manages the National Park System. The Office of International Affairs frequently hosts International Visitors to Washington and to a great many units of the NPS. |
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