Yellowstone was the first designated national park in 1872, in both the America and the world. Several other national parks were designated in following years, most of them in Western territories. These parks were administered by the Department of Interior, while other monuments were established by the War Department and Forest Service of the American Department of Agriculture. There was no single agency that managed these federal parklands. That is, until 1916 when President Wilson signed an act creating the National Parks Service, responsible for protecting 35 distinct national parks. In this "Organic Act" the purpose of the NPS was stated to conserve natural and historical and wildlife within the parks.
An Executive order in 1933, designated more responsibility to the NPS with 56 national monuments and military sites. The executive order is one of the defining moments for the NPS, as it incorporated areas that had not only scenic importance, but also scientific and historical value. The General Authority Act of 1970 reinforced this purpose.
Today, the National Park System comprises more than 400 areas covering more than 54 million acres of land in all 50 states and DC, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands.
Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/history.htm
https://www.loc.gov/collection/national-parks-maps/articles-and-essays/brief-history-of-the-national-parks/
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