The National Park Service (NPS) encompasses 401 national parks, community and technical assistance programs, and plays host to 275 million visitors every year. But beyond the numbers, national parks reflect American values and our shared history. NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis presents a 'field guide' to the national parks and their role in American life.
Jarvis began his career with the NPS in 1976 as a seasonal interpreter in Washington, D.C. Over 38 years with the NPS, his jobs have included ranger, resource management specialist, park biologist, and superintendent of parks such as Craters of the Moon, North Cascades, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Mount Rainier. Jarvis was confirmed as the 18th Director of the National Park Service in 2009. Today, he manages the agency whose duty it is to preserve America's most treasured landscapes.
The NPS currently has more than 22,000 employees, a $3 billion budget, and 401 national parks that attract more than 275 million visitors each year who generate $30 billion across the nation. Jarvis will discuss his rise to the top of the agency and what it's like to head such a massive national organization.