Pleasure of Preserving Nature

America's National Park system features living examples of some of the best things this nation has to offer — spectacular natural landscapes and places that reflect U.S' diverse culture and heritage. National parks are regarded as areas of great natural beauty that offer opportunities for hiking, camping, boating, and other outdoor recreational activities. In actuality, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act in August of 1916, the original intent was "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment and will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

The National Park System today comprises 390 areas covering more than 83 million acres in 49 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands. Even with the rich historical interpretation provided by National Park Service, statistics still show that the most visited parks are usually those that include great scenery and/or provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. In 1998, the five most popular destinations included the Blue Ridge Parkway, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area. Only one of the top 20 most visited sites was a national historical park or national historic site.

Preserving

National Park Service archeologists, architects, curators, historians, and other cultural resource professionals work in America’s nearly 400 national parks to preserve, protect, and share the history of this land and its people. This includes:

• 27,000 significant structures in national parks

• 66,000 archeological sites in national parks

• 115 million objects in park museum collections

Beyond the parks, the National Park Service is part of a national preservation partnership working with American Indian tribes, states, local governments, nonprofit organizations, historic property owners, and others who believe in the importance of our shared heritage – and its preservation. This includes:

• $1.2 billion in preservation grants

• 80,000 listings in the National Register of Historic Places

• 2,400 National Historic Landmarks

• $30 billion in historic rehabilitation tax credit projects

• 27 National Heritage Areas

The National Park Service also develops standards and guidelines for historic rehabilitation projects, offers “how to” advice for hands-on preservationists, and helps find new owners for historic lighthouses.