America's National Treasures
In the spring of 1872, President Grant, signed The Act of Dedication, thereby creating Yellowstone National Park. This perversed the northwestern corner of Wyoming around the Yellowstone River from settlement or sale, and dedicated the land as a public park for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Yellowstone was the nation's first national park; but in the years following, the popularity of preservation grew.
In 1916, the National Park Service Organic Act was signed by President Wilson making the National Park Service, or NPS, a Federal gency. The mission of the NPS is, "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife 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."
Since then, the National Park Service has grown to preserve over 85 million acres. The National Park Service is not only what we know as national parks. The NPS maintains 423 properties of 20 different categories; such as the 63 National Parks like Yellowstone, National Seashores like Cape Cod, and National Monuments such as the Statue of Liberty. Although these properties are preserved, they are accessible for public use and enjoyment.
If you would like to learn more please visit the NPS website here.
Come explore America's national treasures by searching for a keyword such as, Acadia or Yellowstone, or search by a state abbreviation such as CA or NC.