Frequently Asked Questions About The National Park
Service
Who is the Director of The National Park Service?
Mary A. Bomar
Learn More about Past
Directors of the National Park Service
What government agency oversees the National Park Service?
The National Park Service is a bureau of the Department of the Interior. Directly
overseeing its operation is the Department's Assistant Secretary for
Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
How Old is the System?
The National Park Service was created by an Act signed by
President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, l9l6. Yellowstone National Park
was established by an Act signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March
l, l872, as the Nation's first national park.
View the National Park System
Timeline.
How many areas are there in the National Park system?
The National Park System comprises 390 areas covering more
than 84 million acres in every state (except Delaware), the District of
Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military
parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores,
recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. Learn More
about National Park Designations.
How many employees are in the National Park Service?
- Permanent, Temporary, and Seasonal - Approximately 20,000
diverse professionals
- Volunteers in Parks - 140,000
How many people visit the National Parks?
Total recreation visitors to the National Parks in 2005: 273,488,751
What is the National Park Service Budget?
FY 2006 Enacted - $2.256 billion
FY 2007 Request - $2.156 billion
How do I make reservations for camping/lodging in the
National Parks?
For campground reservations go here. Not all parks
participate in this service, many campgrounds are first come, first
served. For more information on specific camping and lodging services
offered at the park(s) of your interest, please check their homepage by
using our "Visit Your Parks" feature.
What are concessions?
There are approximately 600 NPS concessionaires at over 120 different
park units that vary in size from small, family-owned businesses to
national/international corporations. Concessionaires provide park
visitors with lodging, transportation, food services, shops, and other
services.
What is the largest/smallest National Park?
Largest - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
and Preserve, AK - l3.2 million
Smallest - Thaddeus Kosciuszko National
Memorial, PA - 0.02
- Current information on acreage is also available!
What is the origin of the National Park Service Arrowhead?
The
arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service
emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The Sequoia
tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and
water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead
represents historical and archeological values. It was registered Feb.
9, 1965, by the U.S. Patent Office as the official emblem of the NPS.
Further information on the Arrowhead, including definitions, uses,
powers to revoke uses, and penalties for wrongful use can be found in
Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations 11.1-4.
|
