The U.S. National Park Service oversees all of the various lands that have been set aside by the government to preserve the natural beauty and environment. The concept of national parks in the United States began in the early 1800s with a variety of poets and painters pushing for the maintenance of the American West. These ideas were paramount in establishing the concepts of conservationism and animal rights.
Yellowstone National Park was established as the first federally protected land in 1872. The land was declared a national park in 1891 by President Benjamin Harrison in an effort to create a tourist attraction in Montana along the Northern Pacific Railroad.
The effort to secure various lands in the late 1800s and early 1900s was spearheaded by Theodore Roosevelt due to his understanding of the importance of native lands. He stumped across the country for this cause both before and during his presidency. In 1903, he designated Pelican Island in Florida as a national wildlife refuge.
The “Organic Act” was signed on August 25, 1916. Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service to safeguard the various monuments and national parks throughout the country. This was set up as a division of the Department of the Interior.
Added to the National Parks system in 1933 were those places that had previously been maintained by the War Department. These sites included battlefields and various monuments of historical and cultural significance.
As of 2009, a total of 391 sites has been established as part of the National Park Service. However, only 58 of these locations are actually considered to be full-fledged national parks with wildlife and natural reserves. The remainder are locations with memorials and monuments.
