This summer, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan helped the National Park Service celebrate its 100th anniversary with the dedication of the pane of 16 National Parks Forever stamps. The first-day-of-issue ceremony took place in New York City at the World Stamp Show-NY 2016– which is the world’s largest stamp show and is only held once a decade in the United States.

“The men and women of the National Park Service preserve public treasures that extend beyond the stunning vistas and habitat for wildlife that we associate with our National Parks. They provide public places for recreation, they manage museums and historical estates, and they maintain our most famous monuments,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan, in dedicating the stamps. “The National Park Service exemplifies our collective desire to preserve our connection to the land, nature and our heritage, and to maintain what we find beautiful in our world for the benefit of future generations. And the US Postal Service is honored to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service through the issuance of 16 stamps commemorating America’s National Park System.”

“This beautiful stamp series showcases the variety of national parks available for all to enjoy,” said National Park Service Deputy Director Peggy O’Dell, who joined Brennan in the dedication ceremony. “From a small oasis in the nation’s capital to the wild splendor of Alaska, with beaches and historic sites and natural wonders in between, the stamps represent parks of all shapes and sizes. We hope the stamps encourage everyone to Find Your Park during the centennial.”

The 16 National Park Service sites featured on these Forever Stamps include Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore, Bandelier National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Everglades National Park, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Grand Canyon National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Haleakalā National Park, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and Yellowstone National Park.

The National Parks Stamp Pane
This sheet includes 16 different stamps, all of them showing views of national parks or plants, animals, artwork, objects, and structures found in or associated with a national park. Small type on the margin of each stamp indicates its location.
First row, left to right: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska (Tom Bean, photographer); Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (Matt Dieterich, photographer); “Scenery in the Grand Tetons” (Albert Bierstadt, artist; painting at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Vermont); Bass Harbor Head Light at Acadia National Park, Maine (David Muench, photographer).
Second row, left to right: “The Grand Canyon of Arizona, from Hermit Rim Road” (Thomas Moran, artist; chromolithograph-on-canvas at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona); Assateague Island National Seashore, Virginia and Maryland (Tim Fitzharris, photographer).
Third row, left to right: Balclutha, a ship at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, California (Tim Campbell, photographer); Arches National Park, Utah (Tom Till, photographer); Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota (QT Luong, photographer); Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Washington, D.C. (Cindy Dyer, photographer).
Fourth row, left to right: Administration Building at Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico (Helmuth Naumer, Sr., artist); Everglades National Park, Florida (Paul Marcellini, photographer).
Fifth row, left to right: Haleakalā National Park, Hawai‘i (Kevin Ebi, photographer); Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (Art Wolfe, photographer); Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico (Richard McGuire, photographer); Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and Mississippi (John Funderburk, photographer).

The image at the center of the sheet is a detail of the 1-cent Yosemite stamp issued in 1934, rendered here in light brown.

More detail:

Acadia:
The stamp image depicting the Bass Harbor Head Light was photographed by David Muench. People have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history. Awed by its beauty and
diversity, early 20th century visionaries donated the land that became Acadia National Park. The park is home to many plants and animals, and the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Today visitors come to Acadia to hike granite peaks, bike historic carriage roads, or relax and enjoy the scenery. 

Assateague:
Photograph by Tim Fitzharris of Fayetteville, AR, was used to create the image. 
This barrier island is a tale of constant movement and change. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Bands of wild horses freely roam among plants and native animals that have adapted to a life of sand, salt and wind.

Carlsbad Caverns:
The stamp image is a photograph by Richard McGuire of the interior of the caverns.
High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cacti and desert wildlife are all treasures above and below the Chihuahuan Desert ground. Carlsbad Cavern is one of more than 300 limestone caves in a fossil reef laid down by an inland sea 240 million to 280 million years ago.

Glacier Bay Park:
The stamp image is a photograph by Tom Bean of Flagstaff, AZ.
Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate forests, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site — one of the world’s largest international protected areas. From sea to summit, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration.

Haleakalā National Park:
The photograph featured is the work of Kevin Ebi, of the Seattle, WA area.
Haleakalā National Park vibrates with stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture and protects the bond between the land and its people. The park also cares for endangered species, some of which exist nowhere else. Come visit this special place — renew your spirit amid stark volcanic landscapes and subtropical rain forest with an unforgettable hike through the backcountry.

Mount Rainier:
The stamp image is the creation of Matt Dieterich of Pittsburgh, PA.
Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous United States, spawning six major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems.

Learn more:

https://www.usps.com/stamps/national-parks.htm

https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

#NPSStamps, #FindYourPark, #NPS100

All photos © 2016 USPS, used with permission

Administration Building, Frijoles Canyon Helmuth Naumer Sr. Bandelier National Monument, BAND 1409.
The Grand Canyon of Arizona, from Hermit Rim Road [detail] Thomas Moran Grand Canyon National Park, GRCA 134696.
Scenery in the Grand Tetons [detail] Albert Bierstadt, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, MABI 2843.
Balclutha, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. 
Yosemite National Park (illustration); U.S. 1¢ postage [detail] 1934.