National Parks System
National Park Service Arrowhead
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Guidon of the National Park Service
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | August 25, 1916 |
| Jurisdiction | United States federal government |
| Headquarters | 1849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240 |
| Employees | 15,828 permanent, 1,256 term, 2,984 seasonal (2007) |
| Annual budget | $2.924 billion (2009) |
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| Parent agency | Department of the Interior |
| Website | www.NPS.gov |
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. It was created on August 25, 1916, by Congress through the National Park Service Organic Act and is an agency of the United States Department of the Interior. The NPS is charged with a dual role of preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management, while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment.
As of 2017[update], the NPS employs approximately 27,000 employees who oversee 417 units, of which 60 are designated national parks.
National parks and national monuments in the United States were originally individually managed under the auspices of the Department of the Interior. The movement for an independent agency to oversee these federal lands was spearheaded by business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather, as well as J. Horace McFarland. With the help of journalist Robert Sterling Yard, Mather ran a publicity campaign for the Department of the Interior. They wrote numerous articles that praised the scenic and historic qualities of the parks and their possibilities for educational, inspirational, and recreational benefits. This campaign resulted in the creation of a National Park Service. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that mandated the agency "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife 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." Mather became the first director of the newly formed NPS.
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