Notice of New Policy Interpreting the National Park Service (NPS) Organic Act

Résumé

The Director of the NPS has approved "Director's Order #55: Interpreting the National Park Service Organic Act." This Director's Order adopts section 1.4 of NPS "Management Policies" in advance of adopting the entire 10-chapter volume. We have done this so that all NPS employees will have access to our official interpretation of the 1916 NPS Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1) and the 1978 amendment to the National Park System General Authorities Act of 1970 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1). These statutes, taken together, are the primary source of guidance for managing the national parks. All NPS personnel must conduct their work activities and make decisions affecting the national park system in conformance with the interpretation in this Director's Order.