News Release

Push the Envelope with New NPS Postage Stamps

U.S. Postal Service

News Release Date: June 2, 2016

Contact: Kathy Kupper, National Park Service, 202-208-6843

Contact: Mark Saunders, U.S. Postal Service, 202-268-6524

NEW YORK CITY —The National Park Service received a stamp of approval today from the U.S. Postal Service with the public launch of 16 National Park Forever stamps that commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service. First-day-of-issue ceremonies took place at the World Stamp Show in New York City and at 13 of the National Park Service sites depicted on the pane of stamps.

"This beautiful stamp series showcases the variety of national parks available for all to enjoy," said National Park Service Deputy Director Peggy O'Dell. "From a small oasis in the nation's capital to the wild splendor of Alaska, with beaches and historic sites and natural wonders in between, the stamps represent parks of all shapes and sizes.We hope the stamps encourage everyone to Find Your Park during the centennial."

"The National Park Service exemplifies our collective desire to preserve our connection to the land, nature and our heritage, and to maintain what we find beautiful in our world for the benefit of future generations," said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan in dedicating the stamps. "And the U.S. Postal Service is honored to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service through the issuance of 16 stamps commemorating America's National Park System."

The pane includes 16 different stamps, each with a view of the national park or an associated plant, animal, object, or structure. Small type on the margin of each stamp indicates its location. The image at the center of the sheet is a detail of the 1-cent Yosemite stamp which was issued in 1934.

The 16 National Park Service sites featured on Forever Stamps are Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore, Bandelier National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Everglades National Park, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Grand Canyon National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Haleakalā National Park, Kenilworth Park &Aquatic Gardens, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Each site held a first-day stamp dedication ceremony today, except for Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park will hold a ceremony on June 4, and Arches and Acadia national parks.

Since these are Forever stamps, they will always be equal in value to the First-Class Mail one-ounce price. First-day-of-issue postmarks and related philatelic products will continue to be available for 60 days. More information is available at usps.com/shop.

National parks have been honored previously on numerous U.S. postage stamps. Ten stamps were issued in 1934 to promote "National Park Year," one stamp was issued in 1966 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service, and eight stamps were issued in 1972 to celebrate the centennial of Yellowstone, the world's first national park. Other stamps have featured individuals, organizations, and places associated with parks, and photographs of several parks appeared on recent Scenic American Landscapes stamps for use on international mail.

In 2009, the U.S. Postal Service worked closely with the National Park Service to publish The Grandest Things: Our National Parks in Words, Images, and Stamps, a richly illustrated 116-page hardcover book that explores how the National Park System began, the changes it has endured and the astounding array of sites it includes. The Grandest Things included eight Scenic American Landscapes stamps and the 8-cent National Park Centennial stamp from 1972 featuring Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park. The back of the book features spaces to collect park-related stamps, as well as blank spaces for future issuances.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act that integrated all existing parks and monuments into a single federal system with its own administration, a common mission, and a director to serve as a permanent advocate in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service mission is "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."

Today the grand and scenic parks of the American West remain iconic and important sites, but the definition of a park has expanded. The National Park Service now cares for historical parks and sites, national monuments, battlefields and military parks, recreation areas, seashores, parkways, lakeshores and more. Each year, more than 300 million people visit national parks, where they find parks that tell stories of the American experience, protect and preserve beautiful places and irreplaceable natural wonders, and provide opportunities for adventure, relaxation and fun.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 411 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com .

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 411 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.