100th Anniversary of the National Parks Service

“I think a more general challenge that face all our public lands are efforts we’ve seen… to turn them over to private interests.”-Scott Braden, Wilderness Advocate with Conservation Colorado.

The  National Park Service celebrates its 100 year anniversary on August 25th. Public lands advocates are using the centenary celebrations as an opportunity to celebrate the parks. It is also a chance to draw attention to the challenges facing the parks and highlight solutions to ensure they’ll be here for another 100 years.

Scott Braden, wilderness and public lands advocate with the group Conservation Colorado, talks with Maeve Conran about ongoing efforts to protect the National Parks and the preserve them for future generations.

There are four national parks in Colorado and eight additional sites like national monuments and national historic sites that are also managed by the National Park Service. It is estimated that more than 7 million visitors enjoy the state’s national parks every year with the majority of those visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, which is the third most visited national park in the United States.

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service, entrance fees are waived for all National Parks from August 25th through August 28th.