Many Americans don't realize that they are co-owners to some of the most incredible landscape on the planet, our National Parks. That's right, co-owners! On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a bill to establish the Yellowstone area as our first national park, thus starting the tradition down through history, of a new social concept to preserve similar areas across this great land.
President Teddy Roosevelt, during his presidency, actively pursued the proliferation of this new social concept by establishing the United States Forestry Service, 5 new national parks, 51 wildlife refuges, 150 national forests and 18 national monuments. To his credit, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park located in North Dakota, received national park status November 10, 1978.
America's national parks have always been open to all people without discrimination epitomizing democracy at work and offering all an equal share in the wealth and beauty of the land.
Today the National Park Service, the care-takers of our investment, tend 391 areas that cover over 84 million acres in almost every state. The largest park is the Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Arkansas, with over 13 million acres and the smallest is the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Monument in Pennsylvania with only 0.02 acres. The most popular national park destination is Glacier National Park located in Montana, and the favorite park for viewing wildlife is the Channel Islands in California.
The governmental support of these wondrous treasures of the American public falls under the Department of the Interior which provides the annual budget to the National Park Service. When you consider the size and scope of the parks and the fact that there are over 272,623,980 visitors a year, you can see why adequate funding is of paramount importance.
The National Park Foundation is the charitable partner of America's national parks. It works to connect the American people and the parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness. The National Parks Conservation Association advocates for the national parks and the National Park Service. The NPCA works on the ground in and around national parks, conducting research, and working with the National Park Service staff, community leaders, park advocates, and state and federal legislators to ensure that our parks are well funded, managed and protected. Both non-partisan organizations are private, non-profit organizations that have contributed mightily to the well-being and support of our national parks and welcome new members and donations.
An awesome and inspiring six-part series for PBS, titled The National Parks: America's Best Idea, a film by Ken Burns, will debut on September 27, 2009. This production was filmed over a more than six year period amid the back drop of some of the most breath-taking scenery ever captured on film, and chronicles the legacy of the American people who committed themselves to preserving these great park lands. It might surprise you as to who those people are. The series is a modern day reminder to us that we too must rise to responsible stewardship of the park lands and see that they are preserved and cared for so that future generations can enjoy them too.
To take advantage of reviewing the marvelous lands that you as an American own visit the National Parks.Org website and request or download your 2009 Owner's Guide filled with detailed maps, information and travel tips and plan to visit your American investment. Or visit the National Park Service website and purchase your annual "Parks Pass" for all federal recreation lands and national parks.
It is your property, it is your legacy, and it is your responsibility to protect for future generations. Come and take possession and share it with others. You can participate in a very active way to make this country a better place for all.
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