What Is the Definition of a National Park?
What is the definition of a national park? A national park is a section of land that has been acquired by the United States government as a means of preservation for both land and the animals that are indigenous to the area the park encompasses. National parks are protected land. They cannot be developed. They are public space, which is there for the use and enjoyment of everyone. So, what's the definition of a national park exactly?
The definition of a national park refers to any plot of land that the government has purchased, set aside and uses for the purpose of conservation and recreation.
A national park, in addition to allowing for conservation of land and space, is also a means for the government to ensure that public land is developed for uses such as recreation and the preserving of American culture. The United States has over 50 areas within the country that are designated as national park systems, protected from over-development by federal statutes regarding land use.
National Park Facts
Part of knowing the definition of a national park is involves knowing about some of the national parks which exist. The listing of parks in America is an extensive one, with 27 of the states having recognized national parks within them.
The largest National Park system in America is most commonly believed to be Yellowstone National Park, which encompasses over two million acres. However, this park system is dwarfed by the seven national park systems that supersede Yellowstone in terms of total area. In fact, the smallest of the seven larger parks within this system is over a million acres greater in size.
What’s even more interesting to some is the fact that six of the seven national park systems that are exponentially larger than Yellowstone are all located within the state of Alaska.
The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is over 13.1 million acres, topping the list of all 58 national parks in terms of overall size and area, followed by the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, which is over 8.4 million acres in area. The smallest national park system in America is still a respectable size in terms of surface area. Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Park, in Pennsylvania, spans just over 2000 acres.
Government Budgeting for National Parks
The United States National Park System employs over 20,000 people on a paid professional basis, and also employs over 145,000 volunteers. The national budget that is allotted every year for the maintenance requirements and employee wages of the parks depends both on the requests made by the National Parks Board and on the previous year’s budget and expenditures. For the year 2010, the allotted budget for all national park systems surpassed 3.1 billion dollars.
The national park system also generates revenue for the United States government every year through the issuance of park passes, camping and hiking permits, and daily admittance passes for park usage. Often times the permits purchased in states containing a national park, such as hunting and fishing licenses, are used to generate income to be used for the costs associated with the national park systems.