Organization of the National Park Service

The National Park Service in the United States is a Bureau of the Department of the Interior with its headquarters located in Washington, D.C. The bureau consist of numerous support offices and seven regional offices, which oversee park operations within their geographic area.

The National Park Service changed its organizational structure in 1995 in response to the changes that had confronted it over the previous decades. The various causes of this change were the National Performance Review, and a legally mandated staffing reduction. The resultant Restructuring Plan for the National Park Service built on earlier efforts within the Service – the 21st Century Task Force Report, the VAIL AGENDA, the NPS STRATEGIC PLAN, and the Recommendations of the Reorganization Work Group.

The plan reduced the number of central offices and by the creation of 16 ecological-cultural-geographical based clusters in seven regions. The first steps were taken in 1995 to begin the change. By 2000, the restructuring plan had been revised four times leaving seven regions, which were substantially smaller than before. Of the 16 ‘eco-clusters’ envisioned in the plan, only those clusters based on older regional offices, i.e., Boston, Seattle, and Santa Fe exist. (See Director Kennedy)

The National Park Service’s main office is located in the Interior Building (Main Interior), a few blocks west of the White House and a Block north of the Mall. The National Park Service is the largest bureau in the Department and has often required additional space. Through the 1960s, numerous offices were located on ‘L’ Street N.W. In 1990, the ‘L’ Street offices moved to 800 N. Capitol, just north of the Government Printing Office and next to the train station.

The National Park Service is administratively divided into seven regions. Each region provides oversight and guidance to the park units within its geographic area.

The Alaska Region consists of 16 parks in Alaska. The region was transferred from the Pacific-West Region.

The Northeast Region consists of 73 parks in thirteen states – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. It was created on October 1, 1995 by the consolidation of the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Regions. Previously a Northeast Region existed (1962–1974) which ceased to exist when the Midwest Region, North Atlantic, and Mid-Atlantic regions were created.
North Atlantic Region The North Atlantic Region consisted of 43 parks in eight states – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. It was established on November 30, 1973 with its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

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