Visitor & Resource Protection

“To 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.” —National Park Service Organic Act, 16 U.S.C.1

This statement in the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, continues today as our vision statement. Protecting our visitors and our cultural and natural resources are the heart of the National Park Service. This is the mission of the NPS Visitor and Resource Protection (VRP) program at Grand Canyon National Park.

Our staff continue to perform a multitude of varied functions including enforcing laws that protect people and the parks, administering the fee program, protecting and preserving the resources, fire management, structural fire prevention and response, providing search and rescue, providing emergency medical response and care, managing large-scale incidents, field training our newest park rangers, responding to and managing developing emergencies, actively participating in the park’s aviation program, patrolling and protecting the river, and providing a level of on-the-ground customer service that has long been the tradition of park rangers.

Grand Canyon National Park has one of the most complex, challenging and innovative protection programs in the National Park Service.