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The National Park Service (NPS) was established on Aug. 25, 1916 during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. |
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On March 1, 1872, Congress approved Yellowstone as the nation's (and the world's) first national park. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the law. |
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The NPS now includes 408 sites covering more than 84 million acres. |
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The 408 sites include historical parks or sites, national monuments, national parks, battlefields or military parks, preserves, recreation areas, seashores, parkways, lakeshores and reserves. |
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In 1920, there were 1 million recreational visits to national parks. In 2014, there were 292.8 million visits. |
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The NPS budget for fiscal year 2014 was $2.6 billion. |
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The NPS employs more than 20,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal workers. |
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Volunteers-In-Parks (VIPs) donate about 6.7 million hours annually. |
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National parks contain at least 247 species of threatened or endangered plants and animals. |
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National parks contain more than 167 million museum artifacts, including George Washington's inaugural coat and Carl Sandburg's typewriter. |
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*from www.nps.gov (overview) |
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