National Park Service (NPS)

Created in 1916 by an act of Congress, the National Park Service (NPS) is a federal agency within the Department of the Interior that manages all U.S. national parks, many national monuments, and historic and conservation areas of various designations. The NPS employs over 20,000 people and extends over 84.4 million acres of land in 49 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands.

The stated goal of the NPS 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.” From the outset, the NPS was ...