HISTORY IS 



The National Park Service has been established as a bureau 

 of this Department just one year. During this period our 

 efforts have been chiefly directed toward the building of an 

 effective organization while engaged in the performance of 

 duties relating to the administration, protection, and improve- 

 ment of the national parks and monuments, as required by 

 law. This constructive work is now completed. The new 

 Service is fully organized; its personnel has been carefully 

 chosen; it has been conveniently and comfortably situated 

 in the new Interior Department Building; and it has been 

 splendidly equipped for the quick and effective transaction of 

 its business. 



For the information of the public, an outline of the ad- 

 ministrative policy to which the new Service will adhere 

 may now be announced. This policy is based on three broad 

 principles: First, that the national parks must be maintained 

 in absolutely unimpaired form for the use of future genera- 

 tions as well as those of our own time ; second, that they are 

 set apart for the use, observation, health, and pleasure of the 

 people; and third, that the national interest must dictate all 

 decisions affecting public or private enterprise in the parks. 



Every activity of the Service is subordinate to the duties 

 imposed upon it to faithfully preserve .the parks for posterity 

 in essentially their natural state. The commercial use of 

 these reservations, except as specially authorized by law, or 

 such as may be incidental to the accommodation and enter- 

 tainment of visitors, will not be permitted under any cir- 

 cumstances. 



In all of the national parks except Yellowstone you may 

 permit the grazing of cattle Jn isolated regions not, fre- 

 quented by visitors, and where no injury to the natural fea- 

 tures of the parks may result from such use. The grazing of 

 sheep, however, must not be permitted in any national park. 



In leasing lands for the operation of hotels, camps, trans- 

 portation facilities, or other public service under strict Gov^ 

 ernment control, concessioners should be confined to tracts 

 no larger than absolutely necessary for the purposes of their 

 business enterprises. 



You should not permit the leasing of park lands for sum- 

 mer homes. It is conceivable, and even exceedingly prob- 

 able, that within a few years under a policy of permitting the 

 establishment of summer homes in national parks, these res- 



