Foreword
The national park is a distinctly American invention. Congress created the world’s first national park — Yellowstone — in 1872, setting aside more than 2 million acres in the territories of Montana and Wyoming as a "public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." The Secretary of the Interior was assigned responsibility for preservation of the park, visitor accommodations, road and trail construction, and protection of park wildlife. Today, more than 100 years later, the National Park System has grown to encompass more than 340 units and 80.7 million acres. In addition to national parks, these…
