From the White House blog:
From our spacious skies and fruited plains to our purple mountain majesties, the United States boasts some of the world’s most breathtaking natural lands. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service to formally protect and preserve these lands so people all over the world could experience America’s historic beauty and heritage for years to come.
Today, the National Park Service manages 401 national parks and memorials, which supported 238,000 jobs and pumped more than $26 billion into local economies last year. In fact, for every $1 we invest in our national parks, our economy sees $10 in return.
Take a glimpse at what the National Park Service has been working to preserve for 98 years, and follow the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Interior on Twitter to see more of what makes America so beautiful.
The NPS is 98 today! Dir. Jarvis & friends celebrate with new Centennial logo -only 2 years to go! #NationalParks pic.twitter.com/pHV2fFw54E
— NationalParkService (@NatlParkService) August 25, 2014