Historical Timeline

1832

Artist George Catlin birthed the idea of a government policy to preserve Indigenous tribes, wildlife, and the wilderness from America's expansion.

1894

The passing of the Lacey Act occurred banned all hunting within park boundaries, including Indigenous hunting which violated the treaty with the Native Americans.

1916

President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service as a federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks & monuments.

1872

Yellowstone became the first national park.

1914

Stephen Mather reached out to the Secretary of Interior regarding the poor conditions of the parks during his visit to the Sierra Nevada. Two years late, congress passed the "Organic Act" which gave the green light to form the National Park Service. Executive Order No. 6166 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt which enabled the transfer of 56 national monuments and military sites under the NPS.

Prior to becoming a national park, Yellowstone was the home of numerous Indigenous tribes such as the Shoshone, Bannock and Crow. They used the land as a source for medicinal and edible plants, spirit ceremonies, game, and other purposes.

1933

1942

The Great Depression affected the lives of many people. Theodore Roosevelt took it upon himself to employ people to work the Civilian Conservation Corps.

1970

The General Authorities Act declared that the National Park Service is to now include natural, historic, and recreation areas in every region.

TODAY

NPS rebrands to become more inclusive in their efforts to protect and connect urban communities to nature and history.

1945

The Federal Register mandated full desegregation of all facilities in the National Parks.

2016

President Barack Obama designated Stonewall National Monument, the first national monument that honors the history of LGBTQ+ Americans.

OUR FUTURE

02

17 Where We Stand 18 Our Keywords 23 Target Audience 32 Brand Personality

The 2nd National Park Service Director, Horace Albright once said, “do not let the Service become just

another executive government bureau; keep it

youthful, vigorous, clean and strong.” With his words in mind, the future of the NPS will reflect the idea of protecting our natural and cultural resources through exploration, happiness, and community.