Parks Flashcards
First national park
Yellowstone, 1872
National Park Service
created in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act of 1916 (an Organic Act is an act that establishes a territory or an agency to manage federal lands).
John Muir
was an early advocate for the creation of a national park system. He wrote extensively for popular publications, bringing national attention to sites that would ultimately become national parks, including Glacier Bay and Mount Rainier. He also championed protecting the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon.
Antiquities Act
Signed by Theodore Roosevelt Created 18 national monuments, including the Grand Canyon.
FDR contribution to parks
Civilian Conservation Corps, which was set up during the depression. Expansion of the park system under FDR, including the addition of civil war battlefields and the Lincoln Memorial into the care of the National Park system. Helped create Olympic and Kings Canyon National Parks, and directed funds to purchase land to create the Smoky Mountains National Park (the first time federal funds were used to purchase park land)
Neighborhood Parks
They are ideally within walking and bicycling distance of most residents and are small in size, typically five or fewer acres.
Community Parks
serve a one to five-mile area and are typically 20 to 100 acres in size providing a mix of amenities to serve an entire community.
ParkScore
rating system for the 100 largest U.S. cities, developed by the Trust for Public Land. The four characteristics that are analyzed for a ParkScore are: acreage, investment, amenities, and access
Conservation Easements
are legal agreements between a property owner and a land trust (or other organization) in which the property owner agrees to place restrictions on the use of the property to protect natural resources
The Antiquities Act of 1906
- Established that archeological sites on public lands are public resources
- obligated federal agencies to preserve sites for future generations.
- authorizes the President to protect landmarks, structures,etc by designating them as National Monuments.
- 2016, President Obama designated the Mojave Trails National Monument, which contains 1.6 million acres of ancient lava flows and sand dunes.
The Organics Act of 1916
established the National Park Service to manage national parks and national monuments.
The Historic Sites Act of 1935
sought to organize federally owned parks, monuments and historic sites under the National Park Service. It also declared a national policy to preserve historic sites, buildings, and objects of national importance for public use.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
created the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Act defined wilderness as “an area of undeveloped Federal land retailing its primeval character and influence without permanent improvements or human habitation.” According to the National Park Service, as of 2016, there are more than 106 million acres of federal public lands designated as wilderness.
The National Wild and Scenic River Act of 1968
seeks to preserve rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of current and future generations. Rivers are designated by Congress.
As of 2018, the National System protected 12,754 miles on 209 rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico.
Safe Routes to Parks
Over the long term, with increased safety and accessibility, Safe Routes to Parks seeks to increase park usage and improve health for people of all ages, races, abilities, and income levels.
Safe Routes to Parks are approximately ten-minute walks or bike rides to parks that are:
• Conveniently located within approximately one half mile (10 minute walk) from where people live
• Accessible via multiple modes of transportation for people of all ages and abilities
