Empowering communities to build verified, living chronicles of their own history.
A documentary chronicle of U.S. national parks, monuments, wilderness areas, and marine sanctuaries—tracking how protected lands evolve through presidential actions, congressional legislation, and court decisions.
The story of American conservation is written in presidential proclamations, congressional acts, court decisions, and administrative rules. It's a story of expansion and contraction, of bipartisan cooperation and partisan conflict, of science and politics colliding over how to steward public lands and waters.
The National Parks & Conservation Record chronicles this history, event by event. We document when parks are established, monuments designated, boundaries expanded or reduced, and protections challenged in court. Every entry is backed by primary sources—Federal Register notices, White House proclamations, court opinions, and contemporaneous reporting.
Our purpose is documentation, not advocacy. We believe an accurate historical record serves everyone: conservationists seeking precedent, researchers studying policy dynamics, journalists covering current debates, and citizens who simply want to know the facts.
From Yellowstone to Bears Ears, from the Channel Islands to the Pacific marine monuments, these protected places may seem timeless—but their boundaries are shaped by decisions made by real people in specific moments. This chronicle captures those moments.
Expansion, reduction, or reconfiguration of protected area boundaries by presidential or congressional action.
Tracks how protected areas grow or shrink over time, revealing conservation policy trends across administrations.
Creation of a new national park, monument, sanctuary, or protected area through presidential proclamation or congressional act.
Documents the establishment of protected status, the foundational event for any conservation area.
Administrative reviews, secretarial recommendations, or executive branch assessments of monument status.
Executive branch reviews often precede boundary changes; documenting recommendations captures policy intent even when not implemented.
Presidential order
Presidential order.
Lawsuits filed, court decisions issued, or legal proceedings affecting the status of protected areas.
Courts play a critical role in determining the legality of monument actions; litigation shapes precedent for future designations.
Bills, resolutions, or laws passed by Congress affecting parks, monuments, or protected areas.
Congressional action provides more durable protection than executive action; documents the legislative history of conservation.
Changes to management rules, permitted activities, or protection levels within existing boundaries.
Documents how protections strengthen or weaken without boundary changes, such as allowing or prohibiting commercial activities.
Establishment, modification, or termination of formal tribal roles in monument or park management.
Documents the evolving relationship between federal land management and tribal sovereignty, a growing area of conservation policy.