National Park Service : Ask Biography

Government Agency

Agency name

National Park Service

Agency overview

Formed

August 25, 1916

Employees

15,828 permanent, 1,256 term, 2,984 seasonal (2007)

Jurisdiction

Federal Government of the United States

Annual budget

$2.924 billion (2009)

Headquarters

1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240

Operational structure

Agency executives

Jonathan Jarvis, Director of The National Park Service

Parent agency

US Department of the Interior

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The National Park Service (NPS) is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. It was created on August 25, 1916, by Congress through the National Park Service Organic Act.

It is an agency of the United States Department of the Interior, a federal executive department whose head, the Secretary of the Interior, is a Cabinet officer nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Most of the direct management of the NPS is delegated by the Secretary to the National Park Service Director, who must also be confirmed by the Senate.

The 21,989 employees of the NPS oversee units, of which 58 are designated national parks.