National Park System
History and Management
The world’s first national park — Yellowstone — was created in 1872, at which time Congress set aside more than two million acres as "a public park or pleasuringground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." The legislation assigned the new park to the control of the Secretary of the Interior, who would be responsible for issuing regulations to provide for the "preservation, from injury or spoilation, of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition." Other park management functions were to include the development of visitor accommodations, the…
