#TBT: Franklin D. Roosevelt Revitalizes America's National Parks

 

     Influenced by cousin Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt was an early leader in the modern conservation movement. Aside from planting 500,000 trees in his home state, he also secured the passage of eight conservation bills as a New York state senator. In the White House, he did not forget this. 

     On April 5th, 1933, he signed an executive order establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of his First New Deal to end the Great Depression. In doing so, he put millions of young men to work creating trails, building bridges, and performing necessary maintenance in America's national parks. During his presidency, total park attendance nearly quadrupled. 

     Aside from this, he also expanded the Park Service's mission to include national military parks, national cemeteries, and national memorials. He created some of America's most recognizable landmarks, including Camp David and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.