History of National Park Service in Timeline

The National Park Service (NPS) is a U.S. federal agency established on August 25, 1916, by the National Park Service Organic Act. It operates under the Department of the Interior and is responsible for managing national parks, most national monuments, and diverse natural, historical, and recreational sites. Its headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., within the Department of the Interior.

1906: Establishment of Devils Tower National Monument

In 1906, Devils Tower National Monument was established as the first national monument.

August 25, 1916: Creation of the National Park Service

On August 25, 1916, the United States Congress created the National Park Service (NPS) through the National Park Service Organic Act. The NPS is an agency of the United States federal government, within the U.S. Department of the Interior.

March 3, 1933: Signing of the Reorganization Act

On March 3, 1933, President Herbert Hoover signed the Reorganization Act of 1933. The act gave the president the authority to transfer national monuments from one governmental department to another.

1933: Establishment of the Historic American Buildings Survey

In 1933, the NPS established the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) as a make-work program for architects, draftsmen, and photographers left jobless by the Great Depression. The program was tasked with documenting a representative sampling of America's architectural heritage.

1934: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) Chartered

In 1934, the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) was chartered to document historic architecture—primarily houses and public buildings—of national or regional significance.

1937: Creation of Cape Hatteras National Seashore

In 1937, Cape Hatteras National Seashore was created.

1942: Forcible Relocation and Incarceration of Japanese Americans

In 1942, the National Park Service became responsible for the management and upkeep of several sites where Americans of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated and incarcerated during World War II.

1946: End of Japanese American Incarceration

In 1946, the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans ended, and the National Park Service continued managing the sites associated with this period.

1951: Conrad Wirth Becomes NPS Director

In 1951, Conrad Wirth became director of the NPS and began to bring park facilities up to the standards that the public was expecting after World War II.

1952: Mission 66 Begins

In 1952, with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Conrad Wirth began Mission 66, a ten-year effort to upgrade and expand park facilities for the 50th anniversary of the Park Service.

1957: Student Conservation Association Established

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) was established in 1957 and committed to conservation and preservation, with the goal of creating the next generation of conservation leaders.

1963: Publication of "Wildlife Management in the National Parks" Leopold Report

In 1963, the report "Wildlife Management in the National Parks" (Leopold Report) was prepared by an advisory board on Wildlife Management. It set forth ecosystem management recommendations that would guide parks policy.

1964: Establishment of Ozark National Scenic Riverways

In 1964, Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established, protecting free-flowing streams and encouraging recreational pursuits.

1964: Establishment of the National Wilderness Preservation System

In 1964, the Wilderness Act (Public Law 88-577) established the National Wilderness Preservation System, protecting federally managed lands in a pristine condition.

1966: Creation of Indiana Dunes and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores

In 1966, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore were created as the first national lakeshores.

1966: Emphasis shifts to public accessibility

In 1966, as the Park Service turned 50 years old, emphasis began to turn from just saving great and wonderful scenery and unique natural features to making parks accessible to the public. Director George Hartzog began the process with the creation of the National Lakeshores and then National Recreation Areas.

1966: National Historic Preservation Act Enacted

In 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act was established to define the federal vision for historic preservation in the United States.

1968: Creation of the National Trails System

In 1968, the National Trails System was created as a joint mission of the NPS, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service to establish a system of long-distance National Scenic and National Historic Trails, as well as to recognize existing trails in the states as National Recreation Trails.

1969: Formation of HAER Program

In 1969, recognizing the fragility of the national industrial and engineering heritage, the NPS, the Library of Congress, and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) formed the HAER program to document nationally and regionally significant engineering and industrial sites.

1969: Volunteers-In-Parks Program Authorized

In 1969, the Volunteers-In-Parks program was authorized by the Volunteers in the Parks Act of 1969 to allow public service in national parks to enhance and protect them.

1974: Creation of Big Cypress and Big Thicket National Preserves

In 1974, Big Cypress National Preserve and Big Thicket National Preserve were created as the first national preserves, allowing limited resource extraction.

1977: Historic Preservation Fund Established

In 1977, the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) was established to provide financial assistance to states for preservation activities. The HPF is funded by Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease revenues and requires annual appropriation by Congress.

1978: Establishment of New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve

In 1978, New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve was established as the first national reserve, with operational authority placed with a state or local government.

1979: Park visitation grew 64 percent between 1979 and 2015

Park visitation grew 64 percent between 1979 and 2015.

1985: Establishment of The Corps Network

In 1985, The Corps Network, formerly known as the National Association for Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC), was established. It represents 136 Service and Conservation Corps with programs in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

1990: Increase in NPS Volunteers

Since 1990, the number of volunteers in the National Park Service has increased an average of 2% per year.

May 2000: Establishment of Marine Protected Areas

In May 2000, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) began with Executive Order 13158, when official MPAs were established for the first time.

October 2000: Establishment of the Historic American Landscapes Survey

In October 2000, the National Park Service permanently established the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) program for the systematic documentation of historic American landscapes, responding to the growing vitality of landscape history, preservation, and management.

2001: Potential Emissions Reduction with Electric Vehicles

In 2001, it was estimated that replacing traditional vehicles with electric vehicles in national parks would eliminate 25 tons per year of emissions.

2009: Establishment of First National Geologic Trail

In 2009, Congress established the first National Geologic Trail as part of the National Trails System.

September 2010: Release of Climate Change Response Strategy

In September 2010, the NPS released its Climate Change Response Strategy.

2010: Five special initiatives of the National Park Service

During fiscal year 2010, the service was charged with five initiatives: stewardship and education; professional excellence; youth programs; climate change impacts; and budget restructure and realignment.

2010: LWCF began an incremental process to fully fund its programs

In 2010, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) began an incremental process to fully fund its programs at a total cost of $900 million. The Department of the Interior and the United States Forest Service use these funds to purchase critical lands to protect existing public lands.

2010: Estimated Impact of Reducing Bottled Water

In 2010, the NPS estimated that reducing bottled water usage could eliminate 6,000 tons of carbon emissions and 8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.

2010: Initial listing of U.S. Marine Protected Areas

In 2010, the initial listing of U.S. areas was presented, consisting of areas already set aside under other legislation.

2011: Economic Impact of National Parks

In 2011, a Michigan State University report for the NPS found that every $1 invested in the NPS yields $4 in economic value to the American public. Additionally, national parks generated $30.1 billion in economic activity and supported 252,000 jobs nationwide in 2011.

April 2012: Release of Green Parks Plan

In April 2012, the NPS released the Green Parks Plan.

2012: Previous NPS climate change responses and adaptation

In 2012, a statement pertained to NPS climate change responses and adaptation.

2012: Review of Leopold Report

In 2012, the Leopold Report was revisited.

2012: Publication of "Revisiting Leopold: Resource Stewardship in the National Parks"

In 2012, the NPS Advisory Board Science Committee published the report "Revisiting Leopold: Resource Stewardship in the National Parks", recommending parks leadership "manage for change while confronting uncertainty."

2012: NPS Volunteer Contribution

In 2012, the National Park Service reported that over 221,000 volunteers contributed about 6.4 million hours annually.

2012: The Resist–Accept–Guide framework

In 2012, the Resist–Accept–Guide framework was first proposed in the book Beyond Naturalness: Rethinking Park and Wilderness Stewardship in an Era of Rapid Change.

2014: Parks Banning Disposable Water Bottles

By 2014, 23 national parks had banned disposable water bottles in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and electricity consumption.

2014: Previous NPS climate change responses and adaptation

In 2014, a statement pertained to NPS climate change responses and adaptation.

July 2015: Amendment Blocking NPS Water Bottle Ban

In July 2015, Rep. Keith Rothfus added an amendment into Congress's appropriations bill, blocking the NPS from funding or enforcing the program which banned disposable water bottles.

2015: Delaware North Lawsuit Against NPS

In 2015, Delaware North sued the NPS in the United States Court of Federal Claims for breach of contract, claiming the NPS undervalued its trademarks for Yosemite National Park concession facilities names.

2015: Previous NPS climate change responses and adaptation

In 2015, a statement pertained to NPS climate change responses and adaptation.

2015: Over 15 million visitors spent a night in one of the national park units

In 2015, over 15 million visitors spent a night in one of the national park units.

2015: Park visitation grew 64 percent between 1979 and 2015

Park visitation grew 64 percent between 1979 and 2015.

2015: NPS and partners work on RAD tool

Since 2015, the NPS and partners made efforts to hone a tool that could integrate into standard resource-management planning processes and thereby foster strategic thinking and clear communication about how to steward transforming ecosystems.

January 2016: Landmark Renaming Decision

In January 2016, the NPS opted to rename famous landmarks in Yosemite National Park, effective in March, due to a dispute with Delaware North over the valuation of the park's concession names. The Ahwahnee Hotel was slated to become The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Curry Village to Half Dome Village, and Wawona Hotel to Big Trees Lodge.

2016: Early formulation of RAD used the term "accommodate"

In 2016, early formulation of RAD used the term "accommodate" in place of "accept."

August 2017: NPS Discontinues Water Bottle Ban

In August 2017, the NPS discontinued its ban on disposable water bottles.

2017: NPS Visitor Spending Impact

In 2017, a NPS study revealed that 331 million park visitors spent $18.2 billion in local areas around National Parks, supporting 306,000 jobs.

2019: NPS annual budget

In 2019, the NPS had an annual budget of $4.085 billion and an estimated $12 billion maintenance backlog.

2019: Restoration of Yosemite Landmark Names

In 2019, the names of the Yosemite landmarks were restored following the settlement of the dispute with Delaware North.

August 4, 2020: Signing of the Great American Outdoors Act

On August 4, 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law reducing the $12 billion maintenance backlog by $9.5 billion over a 5-year period beginning in FY 2021.

2020: Semiquincentennial Grant Authorized

In 2020, Congress authorized the Semiquincentennial Grant to support the preservation of State-owned sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places that commemorate the founding of the nation, in order to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States.

2020: "Resist-Accept-Direct" framework published in journal Fisheries

In 2020, the "Resist-Accept-Direct" framework was used in a paper published in the journal Fisheries.

2020: Release of 'Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD): A Framework for the 21st-century Natural Resource Manager'

In 2020, the NPS-led report "Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD): A Framework for the 21st-century Natural Resource Manager" was released, addressing the need for climate adaptation.

2021: National Heritage Areas in 2021

As of 2021, there were 55 designated National Heritage Areas, which are a blend of natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources maintained by state/territorial governments or non-profit organizations. The National Park Service provides an advisory role and limited assistance.

2021: COVID-19 impacted park visitation

In 2021, only 380 sites recorded visitors due to COVID-19-related closures.

2021: Great American Outdoors Act reduced maintenance backlog

In 2021, the Great American Outdoors Act began reducing the maintenance backlog.

2021: NPS and partners replace the term "guide" with "direct."

In 2021, the NPS and partners replaced the term "guide" with "direct", explicitly recognized the potential for strong intervention at key points to foster preferred new conditions.

2021: Establishment of 'Resist-Adapt-Direct' climate change adaptation policy

In 2021, the climate change adaptation policy "Resist-Adapt-Direct" was established, replacing the historical baseline that guided ecological restoration in national parks.

January 2022: Publication of "Special Section on the Resist–Accept–Direct Framework" in BioScience

In January 2022, a series of six articles in the journal BioScience were published, grouped in the "Special Section on the Resist–Accept–Direct Framework."

2022: NPS had the largest budget allocation

As of 2022, the NPS had the largest budget allocation of any Department of the Interior bureau or program.

September 2023: Senator Lummis Proposes Protecting Access to Recreation with Cash Act

In September 2023, US Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) proposed the "Protecting Access to Recreation with Cash Act" (PARC), which would require national parks to accept cash as a form of payment for entrance fees, in response to 22 national parks going cashless.

2023: National Park System received over 325 million recreation visits

In 2023, the National Park System received over 325 million recreation visits.

April 2024: Lawsuit Filed Against NPS Cashless Policy

In April 2024, several NPS visitors sued seeking to restore cash as a payment form, noting that cash is legal tender and that the NPS cashless policy results in additional processing fees for visitors and the NPS itself.