On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act into law, a bold step towards growing and protecting the world’s largest park system. The act created the National Park Service, a new federal bureau responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments managed by the Department of the Interior at that time, as well as those yet to be established. Today, the NPS manages over 400 protected reservations in all 50 states and welcomes approximately 300 million visitors annually, employing around 20,000 people.
The United States established the world’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park, under President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration on March 1, 1872, with the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act. Yosemite, Mount Rainier, and Crater Lake national parks quickly followed suit as the nation sought to protect its vast wilderness and historic sites. Despite the designation of several national parks and monuments by 1916, these areas functioned with little oversight, leading to issues such as poaching and exploitation of natural resources.
The Organic Act aimed to address these problems by providing greater management to the national park system. It gave the National Park Service a dual mission of conserving park resources and ensuring their use and enjoyment in a way that leaves them unimpaired for future generations. The U.S. National Park system currently covers approximately 133,000 square miles, equivalent to the size of Germany and larger than countries like Poland, Italy, or the United Kingdom. America’s national parks combined are larger than 170 nations worldwide.
Former NPS deputy director Stephen Martin highlighted the significance of the Organic Act as one of the country’s most important directives for protecting natural and cultural heritage. The National Park System, established by the Organic Act, is often referred to as ‘the best idea America ever had’ and described by President Bush as ‘America’s gift to the world.’ The act aimed to bring greater oversight and management to national parks to ensure their long-term preservation.
National Geographic reported in 2015 that prior to the Organic Act, national parks were vulnerable to exploitation by opportunists seeking to profit from the parks’ natural resources. Poachers targeted wildlife, and projects like the flooding of Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley for a reservoir showcased the lack of proper management. The Organic Act sought to rectify these issues and set the stage for the comprehensive conservation efforts of the National Park Service.
In conclusion, the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916 was a crucial milestone in the history of conservation in the United States. It established the National Park Service and set a precedent for the protection and preservation of the country’s natural and cultural treasures. Today, the NPS oversees a vast system of national parks and monuments, welcoming millions of visitors each year and ensuring that these iconic landscapes remain unimpaired for future generations to enjoy.
