An Ode to the National Park Service

The National Park Service is entrusted with administering approximately 84.4 million acres of land throughout 417 national park units in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The mission of the National Park Service is to “… preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” This is accomplished through a deeply committed workforce and partnerships with nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and private industries.

The National Park Service does far more than look after our national parks. Here are their other duties in a nutshell: Caring for the environment, preserving history, revitalizing communities, and inviting stewardship.

Details:

• Saving Species: 

The National Park Service works to sustain and recover over a thousand populations of federally listed threatened and endangered (T&E) species. Their mission is to reduce the risk of extinction of plants and animals in the parks, and to restore species that have occurred in parks historically but have been lost due to human activities.

In order to be proactive in determining the status of rare species, every park provides yearly information on the status of current and historic T&E species, the trend of the population, and the money spent on recovering and monitoring these species.

• Reducing Our Carbon Footprint:

Working with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service has launched the Climate Friendly Parks program and various other initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are also installing electric vehicle charging stations to make electric vehicles a feasible option for travel to national parks. The availability of this option will help reduce air pollution in parks and gateway communities.

• Protecting Ecosystems:

The world’s protected areas, currently covering over 12 percent of land surface in the form of national parks and nature reserves, provide the largest single source of secure ecosystem services alongside their more recognized roles of biodiversity conservation and recreation.

The natural ecosystems in protected areas provide food security, clean water supplies, disaster mitigation, carbon sequestration, and a wealth of cultural and spiritual services.

• Preserving History:

There are currently 28 Preservation Agencies within the National Park Service; they protect everything from historic landmarks to archeology. There are currently over 100 historic parks/sites run by the National Park Service.

• Promoting Health:

Healthy Parks Healthy People is a global movement that harnesses the power of parks and public lands in contributing to a healthy civil society. With this renewed focus on health, the National Park Service hopes to bring about lasting change in Americans’ lifestyle choices and their relationship with nature and the outdoors by connecting people to parks through health promotion, fostering society’s understanding and appreciation for the life-sustaining role of parks, and creating the next generation of park stewards.

• Inspiring New Leaders:

Today, the National Park Service is inspiring the next generation of scientists, thinkers, conservationists, and park lovers. By creating environments that increase the cross-fertilization of ideas, the National Park Service models and promotes skills that foster collaborative, adaptive, and resilient stewardship.

• Connecting With Nature:

The National Park Service has various youth programs with the sole purpose of connecting America's youth with nature. Today's youth are the future administrators of the National Park Service.

What is it like to work for the National Park Service?

"For 12 years, I wore the uniform: I performed law enforcement, fire fighting, and search and rescue at parks like Zion, Yosemite, Cape Hatteras, and the Grand Canyon. I directed traffic around tarantula jams. I pursued bad guys while galloping on horseback. I jumped into rescue helicopters bound for the depths of the Grand Canyon. I won arguments with bears. I dodged lightning bolts. I pissed on wildfires. I slept with rattlesnakes. I also saved endangered turtles, helped hikers get home, and saw a lifetime’s worth of sunsets. It really was the best job in the world."

- Andrea Lankford

I do not own any of the pictures used in this story, but I believe in good faith that it constitutes Fair Use as per 17 U.S.C. § 107.