WASHINGTON, DC — The National Park Service celebrated its 108th anniversary on Saturday.

According to the Library of Congress, Yellowstone was the first national park to be designated in 1872. The new concept emerged from the conservation movements of the 19th century.

However, a separate service to manage the national parks was not immediately created.

According to the Library of Congress, during the first 44 years of Yellowstone’s history, the parks were administered by various federal agencies. Four other national parks were designated before the National Park Service was established.

President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act on August 25, 1916, establishing the organization. According to the NPS website, the service was designed to protect the land and wildlife within the park boundaries.

In 1933, by presidential decree, 56 national monuments and military sites were transferred to the administration of the organization. Previously, these sites had been administered by the Forest Service and the Ministry of War.

The National Park Service now

Today, the NPS manages 431 sites. According to the NPS website, they are all commonly referred to as parks, but there are “at least” 19 naming conventions. In total, the NPS manages over 85 million acres of land.

It employs 20,000 people.

Of the 431 locations, 63 are national parks. Five of them are in Utah: Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion and Bryce Canyon.

The Beehive State is also home to several national monuments and historic trails.

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