we are back tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. enjoy the rest of your thursday. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> congress continues its summer recess. here is what some of the members are doing during the break. texas senator john cornyn is traveling in afghanistan. he tweeted out these pictures this morning, with the 10th mountain division. he is traveling to several bases in afghanistan. kentucky senator rand paul joined the farm bureau ham breakfast this morning.

perdue was david doing a radio interview. live original the house on c-span and the senate on c-span 2. the national park service is celebrating its 100 anniversary today. we will take you to the national archives for a discussion on how the service has evolved. that is the :00 on c-span. presidential candidate hillary clinton talks about her plans for the economy in reno, nevada. we will get your reaction with phone calls and tweets. coverage ofhave candidates for various teamsters leadership positions. nearly 1.5 million members will vote by mail this fall. >> 100 years ago, president

woodrow wilson signed the bill creating the national park service. today we look back on the past century of these caretakers of america's natural and historic treasures. 7:00 p.m. eastern, we are live from the national park service's most visited historic home, arlington house, the robert e lee memorial at arlington national cemetery. we will talk to the former national park service director and the former arlington house manager who will oversee the restoration of the mansion, headquarters, and grounds. today, the 100th anniversary of the national park service from arlington house at 7:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span3. >> the annual arizona state university global silicon valley summit things together entrepreneurs, business leaders,

policymakers, and philanthropists to explore education issues in the future of learning. the heads of three media organizations talk about improving learning and knowledge through their platforms, especially during the presidential campaign. it is about a half-hour. >> we are here today to talk about lifelong learning. most of this conference is talking about k-12 higher education. there is a whole piece of the industry that really lives more in the consumer world websites or media and the news media that is actually providing a very critical role in learning. it is often not included in the conversation. we are very thrilled to be here hosting the conversation about the summit. i would encourage you to join us for the conversation. the growth mindset is pervading everything happening these days. i have heard it mentioned 50 times. it is the reason we started this. today, we are going to talk with

lisa and mike about the news media and the role that the news media plays in education and learning throughout life. and out on the patio, we are out on the patio reporting conversations and being recorded -- recording conversations and being recorded with people talking about learning and their own curious journeys. we encourage you to join us for those things. today, we will be discussing news to knowledge and the role the news media play. we have lisa miller, the ceo of public radio international. i am a huge public radio junkie. as i'm sure many people in this room are. thank you, give a round of applause. [applause] public radio is carrying the torch for many people in the role of lifelong learning. it provides an awful lot of the wedged learning that happens throughout the day. another organization that plays

a big part of that role is my from -- mike from flipboard. if you think about it, it is about using learning throughout the day. let's start by explain what they think their organization is responsible for. what role they do actually play in learning and how important is that to your everyday work? mike: it's great to be here. the themes people have been talking about resonate with me personally. when i was in high school there was no hope that i was going to college. i was not a good student at all. i was the oldest of six kids. my dad was dying of cancer. my mom was distracted with keeping track of running a small business that my dad and my mom had built over the years. i was struggling as a result.

i could've gone either way in high school. i could have ended up outside of the pyramid. it was a tough time. the only thing that i was interested in was the fact we had a computer lab. it was the first time i've ever seen a computer. i going into the computer lab, you couldn't take any computer -- i remember going into the computer lab, you couldn't take any computer courses until you were a senior so i was a freshman who was a long way off. i had no idea what i was doing. i typed, can you talk? i hit enter and it said "syntax error." so i said, how do you use these things? there was a magazine for computers. back in 1981, this magazine was written all about these computers and would feature programs that people would submit and could see the source code.

there would be articles about how the program was created. i became a huge, avid reader of these magazines. another magazine was called "creative computing magazine." i would read these and learn about programming. i learned about what it was like to be an entrepreneur. a lot of these things we started to see with steve jobs and bill gates, entrepreneurial things were happening in silicon valley. i started to get inspired to program. i learned how to program. taught myself. got inspired about building a business. started thinking about making my own video game i could submit to one of these writings after a few years of working at it. i was finally able to get a video game published for about $50. >> that was pretty good for the time. >> exactly. i went from there. my whole future was shaped by what i read, the stories that i

read. these magazines taught me and inspired me and made me the person i am today. what i'm doing with flipboard is about creating an environment where those kinds of stories can be discovered by people who they -- will read them and change their life. that is why building it. we built it over six years. about 85 million people use it. they use it to collect great stories and package the stories about things they are passionate about. you follow your interest on this. it is a wonderful experience. it is modeled after a magazine. it is beautiful. you can use it on an iphone or tablet. it feels like a magazine. it is made for you, curated by

people who share your passion and enthusiasm. that is what we are building. it is all about lifelong learning. it is about inspiring people with these great stories. it's been an amazing journey. >> alisa, do you have a story to share with us? the passion you found for this medium you are working in? alisa: there are some similarities in our stories. oftentimes it is the seed when we are young. i have always been interested in media and technology and storytelling. i learned how to read my first word from watching "sesame street." it was the word "it." i remember that moment of the storytelling and having that interaction in my life. how important that was to me.

when an apple 2e computer showed up in my house, i was curious about it. i was trying to make the light move across the screen. i taught myself a little bit of programming. i was a girl interested in stem before we knew what that was. i didn't know people who programmed. i did not know people who did that. i thought people who were engineers worked on cars. i had no idea there was this whole other world out there. fast-forward, 20 years later, i became the head of digital products for "sesame street." it was interesting coming full circle for me. i was enthralled about working with elmo. i thought he was fantastic.

one day, i got a call about a job in public radio international. i had been involved with journalism and storytelling prior to graduate school. i said, this is my dream. i traded in a fuzzy puppet for carl kasell. [laughter] alisa: but it's kind of all the same thing. it is about how do we have people who are compelling and -- in storytelling and engage them in interesting conversation. we are in exciting times. also scary times when it comes to media and technology. whether we are educating or building my knowledge or not. there's some very interesting data on that. at pri, the way we approach these issues is to think about knowledge and where can we fulfill unmet needs. how can we make a difference? the three areas we focus on, we focus on the fact that there is massive spreads of misinformation in society right now.

it is not just about informing and putting it out there. it is understanding there are forces pushing information out that is incorrect. in fact, the world economic forum does an agenda surveyed year where leaders, the massive -- agenda surveyed each year of in 2014 thes and massive spread of misinformation was one of the top 10 challenges facing the world. when we think about our work, the other nine problems like global warming and how we deal with income inequality and all kinds of issues, if you don't have the information, you don't have the fact from number 10, it can affect the other nine. the second piece we look at is how we can bring more voices into the conversation that aren't there today. there are six corporations that control 90% of the news product in the united states. in terms of what people see and hear and read.

we need to have antidotes to that. we need to use technology to help be a counterbalance to that. finally, there's widespread apathy from disenfranchisement. people don't feel there is opportunity for them to be part of the solution. we are looking at how media and knowledge can play a part in how people can change their lives and feel more connected with their communities and build knowledge at the same time. justin: we will get to the responsibility part in a second. it is interesting that you both tell the story of computers as you're curious moment. momentalso my curious when i was in the sixth. and they ran out of mass curriculum and if you took the pretest of the book, six great -- sixth grade was the last year

of elementary school. you tested out and you were done. they would send you to the library. i was sent to the library on the third day of school and there was nothing to do for all of math class. i assume you guys are working on that problem. that doesn't happen anymore, i hope. that was in wichita, kansas. we had a computer. really a touching moment. i remember clearly trying to figure out what the heck this computer thing was. we used logo to program. i'm wondering if there's something there about, as we are entering the technology age and we are trying to take it into the classroom that maybe some of the best way to have serious moments are outside the classroom. that feeling of pioneering discovery may be has to happen on your own. maybe without the formal confines. i want to talk about the responsibility that we feel. flipboard is doing

curation and editorial and every day you are making decisions and a group of people who are not what the government making the decisions. you are nonprofit and have regulations, and you also do editorial and curating. and other organizations basically doing not any of that or purposely pushing one side of the agenda. talk about the response, what do feel theo you responsibility is to make sure the job is thing done the right way and how does that tie into the organization? alisa: we are a small organization with fairly large footprint. pri is 100 people. we reach about 20 million people each month with our content across radio and digital platforms. in addition to covering the news cycle itself, which is something we do across all of our programming and in digital product, we look at these places where there is unmet content needs.

and if there's a problem, we try to figure out why is that happening and if it is the systemic and if there is a solution. for one example, there is an observation of a study that comes out each year that is anded "who makes the news," it looks at how women are portrayed in media. specifically news media. one of the findings is that women are seen only 24% of the time featured in any point of the news. >> 24% of the time. a majority of that portrayal tends to be stereotypical. objectification and stereotypical roles. this is across the entire world. 24% is an average across the entire world. interestingly, the u.s. is the third worst in terms of stereotypical portrayals behind the middle east and africa.

so we noted this. it is not purposeful, but you could look at it and say it is actually mass deception. we don't have an accurate picture of the world because women are literally not present. we all know that women are at 50% of the population and doing all kinds of things. we make decisions to make sure that women are a part of every kind of story. 56% of pri started to future -- stories feature women. which is what you would expect in terms of where we are with the population. it is about choices regarding composition and also where we can go deeper because specific topics are important that may or may not be covered as much in the news cycle because maybe it

is harder from a p and l standpoint. peer profit standpoint, to make the justification of why you y area.vest in x or because we are a social enterprise and we have earned revenue as well as contributed income, we can make different decisions. we have the luxury of choice. where we try to dive deeper. how can we not only through our own work but set an example of growth and show case studies when you actually don't ignore women, you actually grow like crazy. if you don't want to do it because it is the right thing to do, maybe because you will experience growth when you do it. that is a way we try to make decisions in our work. one of the things we're doing in the next number is will be releasing this.

partse been inspired by of what silicon valley is doing in trying to address some of these issues. what happens if we just as we have numbers in aggregate but not down to an individual organizational of. not only inputs of who is creating it at the outputs of what is being created. we have been thinking a lot about how we can set up environments like that which can create incentives for others to do the same thing. i don't know if you are familiar with the bechdel test. woman, is is this bechdel -- i don't actually know her first name, but anyway, it is the test of where she will see a movie -- will not see a movie if two women are talking and the only topic they talk about is a man, she won't see the movie. 70% of movies and she can see because in them they are the only way women are portrayed in movies.

, its not just about women is about various groups are majority particularly when you look at millennials and how they are not being reflected. about trying to create signals of transparency. so when people are consuming your content they know what they're getting in aggregate. i'm very interested in that. there was a lot of opaqueness in the way the news media is covered. it's always happening, a data problem. how you can actually show, create seals of approval so that people know that's what i might be getting there or not getting there from this particular source. justin: so, mike, can you share about how flipboard thinks about this problem and how much of a responsibility you feel you have for facilitating this learning in a fair and balanced way. mike: now increasingly people get their news from social media channels.

and so they get in other words from a lot of their friends posted on facebook and things like that. the challenge with that is that the type of things that tend to get shared are the kinds of thing that is end up being more linkbait. you get completely random content. facebook is like a slot machine for content. you pull a lever and you never know what you're going to get. you get some linkbait, selfies, diet ads. it's a challenging environment for news. what we wanted to try to do was create a an experience geared more around you follow your interests. yes, you can have your friends involved but you follow your interests. second, rather than just having approaches where quantity is valued over quality, we have had people involved people are picking the news so that we have really high quality stories from the world's best sources packaged together. and not just the stories that are the best title or headline. we're looking for a high quality content.

that's a big responsibility we have to our audience is to really provide high quality well balanced news that is something that's truly informative as opposed to just something that is the most popular. justin: if you had to guess what percentage of content on flipboard would count as sort of this knowledge of valuable information as opposed to fluffier stuff would you have some way? mike: yeah. i would say that our audience by and large really they come to flipboard to get that high quality content. it's easy to find the link-based stuff. flipboard is where you go to dive deep on gun control or climate change or things that you love like mountain biking or sailing. anything in between. going to a place that is about the things you're passionate about that has the best content

thoughtfully packaged for that thing is something that is why people use flipboard. justin: does that mean flipboard has a place in the classroom? is there a way to take the model and incorporate it into real classroom learning? mike: absolutely. in fact, that's a big reason why i was excited to be part of this discussion today, because teachers use flipboard to package the best stories for their students, for the curriculum that they're building. for example, for history if you want to find the best resources the best stories across the entire internet, package them together in a way that's easy to reach for students who live on their smartphone. and they can all read those stories together in the form of a magazine. it's super easy to do on their smartphone. then what's really cool is you can go a step further and you can do something like integrate current events where not only the teacher but also all of the

students can co-contribute stories to a magazine, for example, about economics. and so you can get great stories that the teacher has put in as well as the students are contributing -- you know, here's a really great current event article about something that's going on in economics right now. perhaps having to do with future of oil and oil price prices and how they affect the economy. so that kind of packaging is truly awesome. and what's really great is how teachers use flipboard. if you go to flip.edu on flipboard you can see ways the teachers are using to educate themselves and other teachers. so fellow history teachers can share all the best content and links and stories that they have found over the years to teach their students. teachers can share best practices technology breakthroughs, new ways to get to kids on smart phones through these magazines

that they can curate and read and follow on flipboard. so it's really actually taken off tremendously. hundreds of thousands of teachers using flipboard to reach kids when they're on their smart phones. and the kind of environment that they're used to spending time in. alisa, what about public radio? is there a place for audio and radio in the classroom in some kind of more formal setting? alisa: yes. so obviously public broadcasting more broadly, pdf learning which provides curriculum and content. justin: mostly video-based. alisa: mostly video-based. with public radio, because our content tends to be a bit more adult, it's really looking at high school and primarily college. so we find that our audio content is being used a lot in schools. we get lots of solicitations, people who are wanting more of this and how to have kind of

lists of what should i understand about iran? what's the history of the region? various things. just similar to what mike was talking about. and we have also done things in terms of having our audio content and transcripts available through various system that is are in libraries around the country. so we have looked at it from various forms. in public media there tends to be a stronger connection in kind of a formal teaching standpoint when it comes through pre-k through 12. but in public media we do know that a lot of teachers are using our content professors in a university setting and in post secondary education in part because it is relevant. it's content that is based upon what is happening in the news or powerful storytelling as a peg to understand the underlying economic forces.

or the underlying science behind climate change. or how this particular law can affect this group of people in this kind of way. it creates that real connection to media feed which is one of the most powerful teaching tools. justin: it seems like the election cycle we're going through is an obvious example of that where almost all of the information you're getting is from the news media. i imagine that your news rooms have been blowing up with interesting discussions about that topic. can you maybe just chime in a little bit about what is your perspective on the current election? are you doing special things or trying to make sure that the information is being presented in a certain way during this crazy time? mike: i think now is an incredibly important time to make sure that we can bring perspective to what is being said in the election. it is just such extremism right now and polarization. and the problem is that that's the stuff that gets picked up.

those are the headlines that people click on. so that just gets propagated. -- we really think it's important to create an environment that balances that out. and wement to show the different positions side by side with each other from the left from and from the right, etc. and trying to create that broader perspective. the challenging part is that if you let numbers or ratings drive what news programming you do, you're going to end up in a situation where you're going to just add more fuel to the crazy things that are being said right now in the election. and i don't think that's good for anybody. so i think figuring out a way where -- i do think a lot of people luckily want the truth. they want to understand what's the real deal. creating an environment that gets to that is absolutely crucial. justin: what about pri?

alisa: the same. i think trying to show -- one of the things we're focused on is facts. because there's a lot -- justin: but that's so boring. alisa: crazy. but really trying to get an an underlying powerful story and relating it to a fact. because the fact is that there is a lot in our discourse right now that isn't actually based on facts in terms of reality. and so the challenge is in a world where there's so much hyperbole and so many fireworks is how to cut through. and our approach has been to try not to be covering what everyone else is covering and and cover it from the side so that we really look at the first and second generation americans and their experience. and what are the facts about economic development. and what are the facts about climate change. and how through storytelling we can make that connection. we have also really focused in,

addition to what is happening in the broader sense of the millenials, and what is the millenial perspective and millennial bloc in millennial voting bloc in this election. as an important arbiter of what the future could hold it is one of the most economically challenged generations in many -- i think ever, actually, in terms of the disparity. and so what does that mean in terms of the kind of decisions that are made and why are they attracted in one form or another to certain candidates in an environment like that, i think is a really important conversation for us to have. and finally this interesting thing about millenials being very interested in what happens in the world but almost a disconnection between action and voting. justin: that seems so boring compared to images of trump's wife or talking about the food fights happening in the election. how do you resist the candy that's all over the place that

seems to be just more and more coverage and then there's coverage about it and then it's on your social feeds and then coverage about the coverage. how do you resist that urge? mike: i think that's the key thing is you have to know what you are and why people come to you. i think people come to pri, they come to flipboard because they know they're going to get the real deal. that's what they're looking for. and the good news is that there's plenty of people who want that. as long as you don't give into that temptation of catering to the link bait and trying to drive clicks, then i think you can create an environment that people are going to love. the key also is to create a monetization model that sustains that. so high quality premium advertising. not a bunch of diet ads but high quality advertising full page ads in our case from rolex or brightling or gucci. things that are aspirational, they're beautiful. and they're much more valuable. we have a lot fewer advertisers

on flipboard. it's really more about class than math and that ends up being more valuable and creates a much more sustainable environment for this to thrive. justin: alisa, you can close this out. to me it seems like you have to resist -- you told me earlier there's a candy in a candy store and it's impossible at some point to keep the kids from going for the candy. how do you keep from putting -- like you have a business model you have to live up to, you have to try to be profitable and build an audience. how do you resist that tempttation to put out candy? and what can we do to help keep the media from dangling this candy that's so bad for us? alisa: well, i would say first of all come using curation

platforms for in your own experience is super important because it's important to have multiple sources and perspectives. flipboard does that. understand that through your social media feeds you're not always getting that in part because of the way the algorithm works. so not understanding what you're not seeing as a part of what you're consuming. i use facebook, i use twitter, i use all the social feeds as well. but i also have -- there's a certain point where you have to say to yourself am i actually seeing the full picture here as a port of that loop. interesting book by eli praiser about the filter bubble. and it's really about this idea of how we have to take personal responsibility for the mix of content that we create. and then obviously at pri, we work to try to be interesting and engaging. we're not trying to be broccoli. you know. with cheddar cheese on top or something. so it's really about trying to fight that fight. and the fact of the matter is is you can be interested in kim

kardashian and you might also be highly interested in how you're going to get a great job and be able to support your family. you can be in those two worlds at the same time. at least that's what we found as people consume our content and as we grow particularly digitally as well as what we see in the public radio audience. justin: well, thank you both for joining us. thank you all for hanging out with us. [applause] >> the national park service is celebrating its 100th anniversary today and we will take you live to the national archives in washington for a

discussion of how the park service has evolved. att is at noon eastern could 3:00, hillary clinton at a campaign rally in reno, nevada. we will follow it with your phone calls and tweets. at 6:30 eastern, live coverage as candidates for teamsters leadership positions. 1.5 million members will vote by mail this fall. >> 100 years ago, president woodrow wilson signed a bill creating the national park service. today we look back on the past century of these caretakers of america's natural and historic treasures. at 7:00 p.m. eastern, we are live from the national park service's most visited historic quote, arlington house, the robert e lee memorial at arlington national cemetery.

join us with your phone calls as we talk to the former national the service director and former arlington house site manager who will oversee the upcoming year-long restoration of the mission, quarters, and grounds. anniversary of the national park service, live from arlington house at 7:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span3. arend members of congress marking the 100th anniversary of the national park service fight tweeting -- by tweeting out pictures of parks in their states and districts. this from senator mike rounds. representative doug lamborn pointing out that admission is free at all national parks through sunday. bendxas, a shot of big national park in west texas.

even nasa is marking the centennial. mount saint helens in washington state as seen from space. a discussion on today's anniversary. this is from today's "washington journal." host: good morning. a live look at the lincoln memorial and the mall in washington, d.c. with the washington monument in the foreground and the u.s. capitol on this thursday, august 25. today marking a centennial anniversary. it was on this date 100 years ago president woodrow wilson signing a bill that created the national park service. today an estimated 20,000 employees, more than 200,000 volunteers, staffing america's 413 national parks, memorials, battlefields and historic sites. and last year alone, nearly 310 million american visitors touring these iconic sites so as the summer travel season begins to wind down and on this anniversary we'll be devoting the next 90 minutes learning

about your park service experiences and we want to hear from you. our phone lines are open at 202-748-8000 for those in the central and eastern time zones 202-748-8001. what had been your experience at national parks across the country, including a new one designated this week in the state of maine. you can also send us a tweet at spambingswj or join us on facebook.com/c-span. good thursday. thanks very much for being with us. if you pick up today's "wall street journal" or "washington post," two editorials commemorating the national park service including this from terry anderson. happy 100th birthday national parks and jonathan janis writing these lands are your lands, america. read them online at wsj.com. some background on the national park service. it was signed into law on this

date by president woodrow wilson in 191. congress established yellowstone national park back in 1872 as the world's first national park. 1916, the date president wilson signed the law creating the national park service and the system began to include areas of historical significance back in 1933 designated by president franklin d. roosevelt. and earlier this summer, president obama commemorating this centennial anniversary. president obama: we have to have the foresight and faith in the future to do what it takes to protect our parks and to protect this planet for generations to come. and that's especially true for our leaders in washington. it's what lincoln did when he set aside this ground for all posterity. that's what roosevelt did when he inspired the national park system. that's what our generation has to do. we have to sum up that same vision for the future. we made good strides and we're reducing carbon pollution and

preserving landscapes. we're rallying the world to tackle climate change together but we've got to do a lot more. and on this issue, on like a lot of issues, there's such a thing as being too late. the good news is i know we can rise to the challenge. over the last seven years we've proved it and if we keep at it, we're not just going to safeguard this place, we're going to protect our communities from rising fees and stronger storms and brutal droughts. but we're also going to protect our children's lungs from breathing dirty air and protect vulnerable people from displacement. we'll protect our national security because we won't be seeing refugees displaced because of conflict and scarcity. and we'll build on that legacy of all those who came before us, who stood in these parks a century ago and talked about an america that lasts through the ages. host: in june the president commemorating what is a summer of celebration for america's

national park service. again, we want to hear from you. when you send us a tweet, if you have a photograph, if you've visited one of the national parks or historic sites, you can do so. tweet your photos at c-spanwj and show them on the air as we commemorate the national park service centennial. let me read what terry anderson writes in the op-ed at washington journal, a fellow at the institute, called happy 100th birthday national parks and writes the following, few federal agencies command more widespread support than the national park service. a 2015 gallup poll found 73% of americans were satisfied with the government's handling of national parks despite their overall dissatisfaction with the federal government. there are now 84 million acres in the national park system, including 59 national parks, 20 of which were added after 1980 and 353 national monuments, battlefields and historic sites. every year congress creates more marks, often referred to as park barrel politics.

but loved as they are, the national park systems and monuments are not being treated well. adding more makes matters worse. there is already a backlog of maintenance projects including deteriorating roads, buildings and sewage systems that will cost $12 billion to fix. this morning from terry anderson and his op-ed in "the wall street journal." e're joined in washington with noel straub and covering for green wire and thanks for being with us on the washington journal. guest: thanks for having me. pleasure to be here. host: let me begin with the disrepair in america's national parks. what needs to be done that isn't? guest: as you heard, there's a $12 billion backlog with the national parks. there's a whole host of projects all across the country that need to be done. it's an astonishing task they have to accomplish. the park service in addition to the normal monuments you would think of also has more than 5,000 miles of roads under its

care, 1,000 bridges. it's got pipelines bringing water into the parks that are often failing. so they have a lot of infrastructure that they need and it's easier to get donations to repair the washington monument or lincoln memorial and the well known parks and harder to get money for the basic things like keeping the water flowing into parks or keeping their roads paved. host: the washington monument having its own problems with the elevator which is now shut dunn because of disrepair and was recently renovated but still a lot of issues for those who want to travel to the very top of that iconic, historical ite. guest: it's going to be shut for nine months to fix the elevators. they've been closing it on and off for a day or two here or there and it's scary for visitors who get stuck at the top and have to walk down or

get stuck partway up and they decided they need to take it out of service for a good nine months and go ahead and redo the elevators. host: that are the problems with the washington monument elevator and why wasn't it fixed right the first time? guest: some of the problems started with the earthquake which was five years ago. there was quite a bit of damage to the washington monument. some of the blocks at the top came loose and that sort of thing. but they've been having problems for years. and they've tried to do more temporary fixes to try to get it up to speed so people could use it but haven't done a full shut it down, repair the whole thing so that seems to be what needs to happen now. host: you put together a series commemorating the 100th anniversary of the national park service. take us through from 1872 when yellowstone national park became the world's first national park to 1916, the law that president woodrow wilson signed. guest: yeah, we actually have

14 articles in our series on the national park service, the last one coming out today, is a look at how the park service was created, so it's right on topic for today's anniversary. but yes, the first park, as you mentioned, the world's first park was created and then 35 other parks and monuments were created, but they were being overseen by the interior department but not a specific agency within the interior department, just the larger department. and eventually, you know, lawmakers realized they probably needed its own agency so that there is unified management over all of these 35 parks that existed. so there's a lot of congressional wrangling as you can expect. it took about six years from the time that the first bill was proposed to when it actually passed. there were fights over jurisdiction and whether the forest service should get some of the sites or whether the park service should get them. there also is wrangling over

whether there should be grazing allowed in parks, livestock grazing. so they deliberately -- the way they ended up passing the bill is they deliberately kept it a little vague and had an overarching mission statement but didn't have too many specifics so there wasn't too much people could object to, so they ended up passing the bill in 1916 and the park service went on from there. host: let me go back to the bill signing ceremony and what congress and the president hope to achieve, the fundamental service of the national park service, to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. and since 1980, we've really seen a huge growth in the number of designated areas of national parks and u.p.i. pointing out that president obama has designated more areas of national parks than any of its predecessors.

guest: he has. yesterday there were 412 park units and then yesterday there were 413. president obama has created a dozen parks in his tenure. president bush, the younger, created one. president clinton created three. so as you can see, president obama has created more and there's been some controversy over whether additional park units should be created. both the president and congress can designate parks. congress by passing a law and the president by using the antiquities act which is a 1906 law that lets him bypass congress and do it on his own. but some people think given the $12 billion maintenance backlog and all the -- what the park service already has to take care of, it's not a good idea to give them additional parks to add to their growing list. host: we move into late august and the 25th of the month, the

100th anniversary of the national park service. we want to hear from those who live in the eastern time zones nd for those out west, 202-748-8001. your thoughts on the national park service or send us a tweet. there's this from dean who says walking down from the top of the washington monument is awesome. you get to see all of the artwork. let me go back to your earlier point about the new park that was designated just yesterday in the state of maine but not without controversy. what's this area about and why are some questioning the president's motives, including the governor? guest: the co-founder of burt's bees, roseanne quimbley, wanted to give 80,000 acres in the maine north woods which contains a lot of beautiful woods and streams and she wanted to donate it to make it

a national park. there were opposition in maine and people were worried about restrictions as far as access, hunting, getting into the park, and they also, you know, wanted -- people were worried about the government taking more land. so yes, there was quite a bit of opposition. the park service leaders held several public hearings up there which were pretty controversial, got a lot of good comments on both sides. and the co-founder of burt's bees had been pushing for congress to make it a national park but the legislation stalled in congress so she then turned her attention instead of pushing it through congress to get president obama to create it through as a national monument and what he did yesterday. host: from "the washington post," these lands are your lands, america. and this tweet from jan who says everyone should see the ken burns series about the national parks. he is a national treasure.

and we'll be joined by noelle straub and her work is available online at eenews.net. first we want to hear from you. michael from new kensington, pennsylvania. good morning. caller: yes, steve. thank for you taking my call and c-span as usual. it's a great program. i have done a good deal of traveling throughout the park system, death valley and the grand canyon are my favorites. but i do think you bring up good points with the maine acquisition. there's way too much parkland -- too much land under federal jurisdiction and i think the atistic was 75% of nevada or something was federal lands. i think that's outrageous.

there was even a controversy when clinton was president, they took all this land in utah nd just for the escalate mountains and one of the mountains, the main purpose -- i think it was nevada. the main purpose was to keep them from the yuca mountain that was going to be used for a nuclear storage facility, to keep it out of the hands of the public -- of the private industries could not be used for that purpose. and i think that they could sell some of these federal lands. roles ep adding to the and can't roles and can't maintain them, as

your guests pointed out, they keep it limited to the public in certain areas. host: thanks for the call. you're seeing some of the iconic scenes of just a few of the national parks as we devote the first 90 minutes of our program on this send tennial -- centennial anniversary of the national parks system. there's a tweet with a photograph of yellowstone national park and this from kybel who has a question, is the most visited national park still the great smokey mountains in tennessee? i know it has been for years. you know the answer for that temperature guest: yes, it is still great smokey mountain national park. host: you have been there? guest: no, it's high on my list and would like to make it soon. host: we'll go to allen who joins us from brooklyn, new york. caller: great topic. i noticed when you had the language of the act on the screen it said specifically to leave it unimpaired for future generations. when they passed the laws as when they pass laws about landmark preservation or species preservation, the

intention is that we can look at the specific objects we're going to present from specific hark we can see and as president obama emphasized in his talk there are other ways we can lose these pressure -- treasures even if they're not attacked or taken directly and that's through climate change. i don't know if the people who started the park system can imagine that kind of threat but their obligations to be adult enough to realize that kind of threat and protect our parks and landmarks and our species from loss to future generations given that they're under the effect of climate change. this campaign has been marked by an infantile focus on distractions from things that allow us to act as adults. and we can't protect our parks from climate change unless we're did dult enough -- adult enough to realize we're responsible for our actions and responsible for the cause and effect knowledge of scientific

truths about how climate is being harmed. and also we finally have to recognize the future has the property interest in the atmosphere and we cannot take it from them without violating the conti substitution spirit. we don't own it but are holding it in trust. host: thank you for the call in brooklyn, new york. we have an email from the great smokey mountains and this one with this photograph which is a spectacular place in tennessee. another tweet, i've been to many national parks, i believe one should tour the u.s. rather than europe for bragging reasons. and "the washington post" has this piece, national park service turns 100 and some sites are showing their age. the story available online at "washington post."com saying yellowstone national park interior secretary saly jewel is expected to kick off a commemoration of the 100th anniversary. on c-span 3 america history tv we'll have our own celebration

and take you to arlington house at the robert e. lee memorial at arlington national cemetery across the potomac in northern virginia and our live coverage at 7:00 plm eastern time live on c-span 3, part of american history tv and check it out online at c-span.org. to howard. good morning. >> i don't know if your book touched on the homeless population in the national arks because -- hello? obviously the homeless -- and almost homeless people who can't survive, they can't pay their rent, they're literally starving in order to pay rent. and the park service has a

crackdown on anyone camping for an extensive length of time in the park. i thought as a citizen i had a right to camp indefinitely in the national park and seems and that this service paid for by taxpayer money won't allow camping. i remember going to boy scout national park living in their cars in bad economic times in a national park and didn't seem to be a problem. what's going on? do you have any idea? host: let me turn back to noellestraub. she's the editor of natural resources issues and put together a series available online at eenews.net. what about the homeless and people who want to camp out in national parks around the country? guest: each park has its own set of regulations and rules where it will allow camping and

where it won't. i'm not sure whether there is extended camping allowed or what the time restrictions are. it would be -- the park service mission is to protect and take care of the parks as well as allow them to be enjoyed by the public. they do need rules and regulations that would govern where and when people are allowed to camp. it can't be a free-for-all because the park service needs a little bit of management and guidance in there. there were articling saying it was a national forest more than the national park which is are dealing with the homeless problems. there are more people camping out in forests than actual parks. host: a related story available at nytimes.com with the headline focused on the homeless who want to visit national parks and camp out as they find refuge in the forest, the anger is palpable in nearby towns. let's go to derek, annapolis,

maryland. caller: thank you for taking the call. host: have you visited the national historic sites? caller: i have and enjoyed many parks throughout my visit and can't say enough about the services provided there. i think the ranger staffs i've encountered at each park have been absolutely phenomenal with their wealth of history and excitement about and passion for the lands they are taking care of. i wanted to touch base on climate change and do agree with his point there. my question is, is there a movement coming from obama and maybe even other administration officials to get that groundswell population back, to have that ccc and wpa kind of atmosphere to help restore some of the parks that we have? again, thanks for the call. host: thank you. we appreciate it. let's go to cecil joining us from pittsburgh.

good morning. >> i'm really thankful for c-span and i have to admit the first entrance into a park was grand canyon, but yellowstone was impressive because of the geyser. and i think we ought to preserve these parks. i had an easy time getting in and think you ought to know, i've been trying other times and i really admire the parks and the project that franklin delano roosevelt put people to work in because of this, we had a depression -- were coming out of the depression but everything but slowly entered slowly got de and us out but the parks are beneficial to this country. and really enjoyed it going across route 66.

host: thank you for the call. we appreciate it. victor sending this fweeth, my best visits are yellowstone and the grand canyon. we'll be back. send us a photograph and we'll show your photos as we continue to look at the 100th anniversary of the national park service and we welcome our listeners on c-span radio. join in on the conversation, the eastern 000 on half of the country and 202- 748-8001. before his death, kennedy toured parks and here are some of the highlights. president kennedy: this country has become rich because nature was good to us and because the people who came from europe predominantly are also among

the most vigorous. the basic resources were used skillfully and economically and because of the wise work done by theodore roosevelt and others, significant progress was made in conserving these resources. we made the proper position today in how we should use our our and air and land and ocean and unless we make the com probable efforts, an effort theodore roosevelt and others made years ago we're going to waste it. today the conservation moments are to embrace discipline well known in the past. it must marshal our vast technological resources and be part of our resource supply. it must concern itself with nuclear energy as well as agriculture with the physics and chemistry, as well as

t.b.a. with the economic and engineering factors of open pace, we save our scenic treasures. our task now is to increase our understanding of our environment, to appoint but enjoy it without defacing it, use its bounty without detracting permanently from its value. and above all, maintain a living balance between man's actions and nature's reactions. for this nation's great resources is a lasting and productive ingenuity can make it. our national asset belongs to all of us. children born in the west will grow up in the east and the east will grow up in the west and define by contraiting our energy on natural resources on conserving them and not merely saving them but by developing and improving them, the united states will be richer and

stronger. we can fulfill our responsibilities to ourselves and those that depend upon us. host: from september 24 to september 28, 1963, you're watching and listening to president john f. kennedy as he traveled to a number of national park services and site as and in fact was an 11-state tour and those were the highlights traveling from utah, california, utah and nevada. at 7:00 plm eastern time we'll look at the 100th anniversary of the park service and hope you tune in live on c-span 3 and every weekend we focus on american history tv. the national park service by the numbers, 307 million visitors in 2015 and counting. a budget of over $2.6 billion. 20,000 permanent employees as well as temporary and vonal workers and 246,000 volunteers

that donate 6.7 million hours annually according to the national park service. ore details available at nps.goff. we're joined by a listener in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. good morning. you with us? pam is next in florida. good morning. caller: good morning. host: you're on the air. go ahead, please. caller: i wanted to say i've been to several parks and love them. i can see what happens, though. you have to draw the line somewhere because there's so many people that love to get out and camp and get out and see nature. i've been to the red woods and sequoia. i've been to the oceans. i've been up in washington. i just love going there and that's all i have to say.

host: thank you for the call. let's go to noelle straub. she works for e and e green wire and someone saying we need more dollars to maintain them. how much more money does the park service need and want and what are its priorities? guest: the park service asked for $3.1 billion for fiscal 2017 so for next year. congress is still working on its appropriations bills so the house and senate are still working out how much money they'll actually give the park service. right now it looks like they'll probably give the park service $2.9 billion which is slightly less than the park service asked for. but on a separate track, both democrats and republicans have introduced separate bills in honor of the park service centennial that would provide additional funding to the park service. the democrats introduced the version that the obama administration would like which

is -- which would provide the park service $1.5 billion over three years and would be a funding boost for the park service. republicans have said that that figure is not very realistic and introduced their own bill that would give the park service quite a bit less guaranteed funding but would change how some endowments work with the national park foundation, which is the charitable organization linked to the park service and change how money could be spent out of the endowment and make more funding available. they have different takes on that. the one thing both bills do agree on, senior citizens can for $10 buy a lifetime pass for all the national parks and both the republicans and democrats would like to change that to $80 for a lifetime pass and would also bring in a little more revenue for the park service. host: as part of your special report you take a look at hampton, virginia, at fort monroe and i want to focus on this for a moment because it's

an area some question its historical significance and also struggling to maintain a lot of visitors. what are some of the challenges with the lesser known historic sites, monuments inside the national park service? guest: president obama, the first park he declared, it was a military base and it was changed through brac with the military realignment commission and handed it over to the park service. it is the fort where the very first slave ship bringing slaves to the english colonies,ening learn at the time, colonies came through and then in the civil war slaves fled to fort monroe and sought refuge and was given shelter by the northern side. so it did play a big role in the history of slavery. . and the park service hasn't

gotten all its signage up and it isn't clear when you go to visit but it's actually national park property there. you still work on getting signs up and the word out that this is somewhere to go and visit, so it takes a lot of effort to -- effort to get the word out there that the parks are out there this you can visit. host: we'll be joined in 15 minutes on the mall here in washington, d.c. which is operated by the national park service, and we're looking at the centennial on this date as in woodrow wilson signed into law the creation of the national park service and we're taking your tweets. we're asking for photographs. this is from one of our viewers, steve, who says rats, no available photos but i like yosemite, glacier, acadia, grand canyon. do you have a favorite? guest: mine i think would be a little bit different. when i first got out of college

i worked for a national park, worked for homestead national monument of america which is in beatrice, nebraska, 45 minutes south of lincoln, and it's one of the very first homesteading sites in the country. so they had the cabin there where the homesteader lives and they have a hundred acres of tall grass prairie and was there summer into fall so the tall grass really by the end is six or seven feet tall and was taller than i was and can you go out and stand in the middle of the prairie and be completely surrounded by this amazing natural beauty. so i have to say i am partial to that park. host: keep the tweets coming in. we love them. this from steve harrison with a photograph in independence, missouri. harry truman's iconic home, the national park service also manages places like harry truman's house which is a must-see place if you're in independence, missouri. and deedee fredericks who tweets quite often said money to rebuild the world, no money

to rebuild our parks. from johnson, south carolina, good morning. your thoughts on this centennial of the national park service? caller: i think it's an amazing thing that we have, the park service, and the natural forest service because it gives us a chance both to see our heritage and our history in the smaller parks and just to connect with nature. i spent many years happily riding my horse in the smokey mountains. they were kind enough to provide us with access and trails even though, of course the horses do have a larger impact on the trails than human footprints but it's a wonderful thing. passport golden age that gives me camping anywhere i want to go that honors that. i can remember 30 years ago in the smokey mountains, there was the effect of acid rain in the

higher elevations. and it just pointed out to me that we need to have conservation in place and not just pretend like this will always be with us. travis smiley interviewed betty reed hoskins who works for, i'm sorry if it's the national forest service or the park service, and she is a national treasure. i urge people to engage with the officials of the parks and the volunteers to learn more about the area and just find out what motivates them to become either a volunteer or an employee. i worked with the forest service many times to help put in new trails in different areas. it's a great experience for anyone and i urge everyone to get out and enjoy it. host: thank you very much for the call, connie. jan has this, my sister and her

husband visiting all of them as a bucket list item. tell us your thoughts of the national park service and share your tweet with us at c-spanwj. let me go back to two photographs from 1903. this is president teddy roosevelt and conservationist john pure at 234r5eusher -- flasher point in yosemite. and many would have thought it was teddy roosevelt who created the national park service but came during the woodrow wilson things. -- wilson administration. you know why? guest: it took a while to push the bill through and there were 35 parks in existence by the time the agency was created so it wasn't that they weren't creating parks, they definitely were creating parks and teddy roosevelt was very in favor of that. they just didn't create the agency to oversee them until the woodrow wilson administration. host: we want to share with you some exclusive photographs, exclusive because shawn duty of

our staff just returned from yosemite national park and you'll see these only on c-span because our c-span employee took them. let me share those with you. john, good job. we go to neva joining us from oregon. good morning. caller: thank you. thank you for carrying my call. my question to you is who owns the mineral rights under the ground? because right now in burns, regon, we have hillary clinton and sold 18 million pounds to yellow cake to russia and iran and there was a newspaper in oregon and reported on january 8, 2012, would you please tell me who and why they can do something like that? host: thanks. i don't have the answer to that. let me turn back to noelle and see if you can answer that issue of the mineral rights. you know the answer? guest: sometimes there's a situation called split estate where one person owns the mineral rights below the ground

and somebody else owns the surface rights above the ground and is actually a fairly common practice especially in the western united states where they split the two ownerships and can lead to conflict, naturally, as somebody above the beyond and someone else owning below the ground might have different intentions on with a they want to do with the lan. host: when you think of the national parks, there's seashores and parkways to reserves that make up the national park system, 413 in all. talk about some of the lesser known national park service designations. guest: we did one story looking at parks that are less visited than other parks. we sent a reporter to thomas stone historic site in rural, maryland. he was a signer of the declaration of independence. but even in his own park they admit that he wasn't too charismatic and didn't speak up much in congress. so nobody really knows too much

about him. so this is a park that was created in 1978 when congress passed what was known as the park barrel bill where it's the biggest park bill that ever passed congress and affected a hundred parks and conservation projects across the country and created 11 new parks including this one in maryland. so sometimes the parks that were created were pet projects of local politicians, and the park service didn't always want those sites to join the park service. this one in particular, the park service didn't want. but once congress tells them, you know, this is going to be a park, they take it on and do the best they can with it and include it in the system. host: victor has this tweet, the grand canyon is worth several visits. it's almost spiritual if if not least a out of body experience. we're joined by a listener in maine. maine is the most recent designation as a national park

service site. good morning. caller: good morning. yeah, it's very hot weather up here today, as it is everywhere but i would like to say that my favorite national park is j.f.k.'s birthplace. john f. kennedy's birthplace in brookline, massachusetts. you can go in and look at the room where he was born, where his kitchen, everything where the family lived. and it's a very moving experience. and i do commend the new national park in maine. i wish all of maine was a national park. and i need to stress to everyone that the national park service must begin to curtail and stop the massive amount of hunting of our wildlife animals and birds. times have changed, it's year

2016 and with the almost constant forest fires going on, we must protect and preserve the birds, bears, deer and fish. just don't gaga at the beautiful scene you encounter, look in and see weas happening. we're losing so much wildlife to hunting and to the wildfires. and money and effort has to be put in by the national park service, volunteers, everyone, to take this new problem and stop it and make national parks with a they're supposed to be, and e for our wildlife nature to be preserved so we can enjoy it. host: thank you for the call. jody has this point, there's a national forest a few miles from my home so i feel like i live in one. let's go to debbie joining us from naples, florida. good morning. caller: good morning, sir, how

are you? host: fine, thank you. caller: we went this vacation with the kids, we live in naples, florida, and we traveled to jackson hole, wyoming, and then we went to yellowstone and it was just beautiful. from there we had, you know, a whole day in yellowstone and it was just the most wonderful thing you can see. ou know, the kids go to play in the mountain because my daughter never seen the snow so we had a very nice time. so from there we went to another park, the rocky mountains. and it was just beautiful, too. so we had a very nice time in vacationing in those parks. i think it should be preserved and, you know, we all should give a little bit of our money

get that place maintained and for the future generations. host: debbie, thank you for the call. marie is joining us next from reston, virginia. good morning. welcome to the conversation. caller: yes. good morning. it's a wonderful show. and years ago i saw a program about the national parks and so forth, and they interviewed a native american that his tribe lived out there in the yellowstone auerbach in the 19th century, and they -- the natives that lived out there got pushed off of their land and this happens in many, many areas in this country where they have national parks, this native man said it's wonderful the white man loves the trees and nature and animals but what about the humans, the indians that live there, the indigenous people? didn't they have a right to

live there in the beauty there? they loved it there and why they lived there throughout the centuries. my point being that i think it uld be nice if the land in the park possibly a 1/3 of it might be made available to people from tribal descent, native american tribal descent in the various states they're from, which we live in all states. and it would be a wonderful thing. and also, i don't think any of the parks should be spoiled by mining and so forth. let them stay in their beautiful natural state. what does your guest have to say with regards to that? host: if you want more information on the park service, it's nps.gov. the iconic hat worn by the park

ranger with confetti celebrating 100 years. let me go back to virginia and really take it one step further, whether or not there's anything future presidents can do that would rescind an order that would create a national park put in place? guest: i don't believe the president can unmake a park. they can make parks but don't think they can unmake them. congress would have more control over that and often passes bills that change the boundary of parks and may add or subtract certain amount of land from parks. the congress can do that. but i don't think any parks are going to be -- once they are a park, they're pretty much always a park. host: let me go back to the issue of drilling rights and issues in some of these national parks and maybe not necessarily yosemite or grand canyon but areas that are designated wilderness area that might have potential for energy resources down the road. hat are the guidelines if any?

guest: certain parks had is ing going on and cypress where there has been controversy in the park for oil and gas deposits. there's a limited number of parks that do have development going on inside their borders. host: a few more calls. i have one final question for you before we wrap it up. michael has been waiting from hyattesville, maryland. good morning. caller: thank you, c-span. good morning. i love the parks and i love wildlife and i love animals and everything. but let me ask, i want to know one thing. where are you getting $2.9 billion to take care of the park or take care of these parks when you have people out here starving? i'm sitting in my car right now looking at these homeless people sleeping in the park, in

the park they're sleeping, these homeless people but yet you say you have -- congress is going to give them $2. billion to run these parks and all that. well, i'm going to say why don't you take the state prisoners over there and let them take care of the park and congress give the $2.9 billion to these people that are sleeping in the homeless park right here? why, what's wrong? the human race don't have a right no more? host: michael from maryland. we'll go next to dottie joining us from port angeles, washington. good morning, dottie. caller: good morning and thanks for taking my call and i live on the northern border of the national park and was raised in this area. it's really beautiful. i invite everyone to come and visit us. but my question is, the mineral rights question, that wasn't eally answered like who does own them?

there is maybe a difference between the surface and underneath, but does the united states own those or does a previous owner where the national park was established, does the family, person still own them? what is the split? host: dottie, thanks for the call. let me go back one more time to noelle straub who has been with us 45 minutes. a lot of interest in mineral rights and ownership. can you illuminate further on that? guest: in the parks it's on a case by case basis. i can't say the federal government owns all surface rights and other people own -- you have to look at it at each park. there's a different owner for where they are split, there's different owners for the mineral rights but you have to look at it on a case by case basis to see who owns which areas where. and i just wanted to make one point to the previous caller who talked about the park

service budget. congressional funding for the park service is .07% of the overall federal budget. so i just wanted to put in perspective, $2.9 billion seems like a ton of money but in relation to the overall federal government spending, it's .07%. so just to put that in perspective, there are other programs that deal with poverty and other issues that are also very important. host: and your centennial series available online at eenews.net. what one thing surprised you the most? guest: i guess it would be some of the parks that are the least visited. you always think of -- when you think of parks, you think of yellowstone or yosemite and some of the very well known parks and you know, when we looked into the least visited parks there are some that only get a couple hundred visitors per year. and some of those, granted, are

in alaska where it's difficult to get to and that sort of makes sense but there are historic sites that don't have a lot of visitors and that kind of surprised me. e straub.oell the full series is available online. thanks for being with us. guest: thanks for having me. i appreciate it. host: c-span's john mccartle has moved outside the studio and one of the iconic sites in washington, d.c. along the mall with a member of the national park service staff. john, good morning. john: good morning. we're out here with the deputy director of the national park service, mike reynolds is our guest. we're at one of the most highly visited national park sites. this is the national mall. a term that's been thrown out this morning is happy birthday to the park service so happy birthday. mike: thank you everybody. john: talk about what's happening here specifically on the national mall today? mike: the national mall is often what we call america's front yard and it's the place

all americans can come see their heritage. so today we're going to celebrate with over 1, 600 people will join us just over here to do what's call a living arrowhead. you ever seen marching band do their symbols on the field, we'll do something that will match the arrowhead on my sleeve here which is symbolic of all of america's heritage the national park service has. we have ranger palooza for the kids to try on uniforms and understand what it might be like to be a park ranger, celebrate heritage. we have one of the more important things today is a naturalization ceremony and at least 40 to 50 people will be sworn in which we do all over the united states. there will be 450 people sworn in today. john: the naturalization ceremonies have been happening all year during the centennial year. why is that such an important part of the park service of the centennial? mike: not only must it be terribly exciting for people to become american citizens and be their dream but can do it in a place that represents the heritage, the history and resources of the country they've decided to love and embrace.

so imagine being sworn in below mount rushmore, here at the washington monument or the lincoln memorial and what it might mean about freedom and what their lives are ahead. john: 413 national park sites around the country. do you have a favorite? mike: my favorite was the last one i was in. john: which one was that? mike: the national mall today and i look forward to seeing our 413th which was named yesterday by president obama. john: what is that? mike: katadin woods and waters in maine. we're looking forward to being good partners with that state and those communities. john: 100 years since woodrow wilson started the national park service. what are the big threats to get you to the next 100 years? mike: climate change is a very large threat. we have a very large science teamworking on that with partners in the science community and we're very concerned with how to deal with species at risk, for example, and landscapes and maintaining places, even historic areas. we have certain weathering that

goes on now even in the monuments in washington we're studying. so climate change, staying relevant to our constituents, to the american people, making sure we tell the stories, a full diverse story of the american experience. those would be a couple things i would be worried about. john: when you talk about climate change are there parks that you think might not be around in a hundred years? mike: i think the parks will be around and will be different. we may have in glacier national park fewer glaciers. we're trying to figure out how to change that process, mitigate those processes. we may have to show stories and show parks in a different way ahead. i hope not. john: when you talk about staying relevant, who is your average visitor to a national park right now? mike: we tend to have a lot of the boomer generation that grew up in station wagens that faced backwards and families had two weeks or more and could travel the country. we still have many of those people and families but are trying to appeal to the newer generation. we have an awful lot of the

millenial generation and we have a very diverse country and it's growing in that diversity and want to make sure everyone knows and understands with a their heritage is in the 413 units. john: what's the pitch to the millenials. mike: come out. and you can me your interest and there's a national park. come out and experience it. john: several of our callers are concerned whether the park service has enough funding and whether it's properly taken care of by congress. what are your funding challenges, do you have enough to keep the parks going? mike: we do. congress has been helping us as of late and had modest growth and reaching out to new generations and dealing with our infrastructure. we're 100 years old and have things to refurbish but we're on the trend. we think it's going the right way but want to make sure the american people very much support that. john: you're here with us on the mall. where is director john jarvis? mike: in yellowstone national

park and there will be a few people at the roosevelt arch where theodore roosevelt celebrated years ago, along with a lot of other people. john: director jarvis had an editorial in today's "washington post" and mentioned a lot of those that work in the park service end up staying for life. why is that? mike: it becomes for many a job that's a lifestyle as well as a life. i think maybe military families can understand that. you often live and work together in places and you are transferred and moved around so you develop sort of a family across this but you also become very dedicated to the resources. we have very passionate people and look forward passionate peo and look forward to improving their lives, too, in this next century of service. john: how long have you been in the service? mike: 30 years. john: what are some of the parks you worked? mike: yosemite, olympic national park, fire island national seashore to my friend in new york which is right off the long island barrier islands and i've been a fortunate person to have this chance.

john: mike rind is the deputy director of operations. appreciate you taking the time this morning. back to you, steve. host: john, thank you, on the mall in washington, d.c. this tweet from jim with reference to those station wagons that face backwards. yep, that was me. we all remember if you're old enough the space station wagons that face backwards. we're talking about the 100th anniversary of the national park service. we'd love to hear from you. at 7:00 eastern time tonight we'll devote 0 minutes to the anniversary, part of c-span 3's american history tv and be live in northern virginia at arlington house and the robert e. lee memorial. we hope you tune in. hn mccartle was mentioning mr. jarvis's contribution to the park service and he has an op-ed entitled "these lands are your lands, new york." and he concludes, it is pretty hard not to feel a wash of pride for our country when you stand at the rim of the grand

canyon national park and the alpine glow of the grand teton national park on the steps of the lincoln memorial or the ood stained field of gettysburg national military park. these are our american cathedrals. enjoy them and refresh your memory of what it means to be an mesh from jonathan jarvis, director of the national park service. 202-748-8000, if you live in the eastern half of the country and those in the mountain an pacific time zones, 202-748-8001 and for those listening on c-span radio, join in on the conversation. stephanie is joining us from mammoth cave, kentucky. good morning. caller: hi. host: good morning, stephanie. caller: i live at mammoth cave and that's my actual zip code. i under out here at sequoia and you apparently have to pay to even just get on to the park is

what i'm understanding. at mammoth cave, you can drive all over the park, walk all over the park. you only have to pay if you take a tour. so on this weekend, is that free to take any of the tours? do you know? host: stephanie, i don't, i'm sorry to say. our guest is no longer with us. we'll look into that and if we have an answer we sure will. what do you like about where you live and for those who haven't been here, tell us a little bit about it. caller: oh, goodness. the county has a lake and a cave so we have pretty few residents and we have zero stoplights. so one of the few counties with no stoplights. we have two caution lights. host: you recommend we come and visit? caller: oh, certainly. and the last that i heard a few years ago is they've mapped mammoth cave to 400 miles.

so it's the longest cave. host: thank you, stephanie. we showed you a moment ago the statue of liberty which is of course part of the national park service as well. and a must-see visit in the greater new york city area. frank is joining us, houston, texas. good morning. frank: good morning. the lady asked me which was my favorite park. yellowstone national park is my favorite but my home state of national padres island is my second. i make two visits per year, one from texas, padres island and one to yellowstone national park. yellowstone national park in the wintertime is completely overrun with snowmobiles. it's really gotten out of control. a lot of people are making a lot of profit. you go into the nearest town and it is just discovered with snowmobiles to be rented. host: thanks for the call. cape lookout national seashore in north carolina is part of

the national park service. this is what it looks like as we listen to barbara joining us from marlton, new jersey. caller: hello. host: go ahead, please. caller: when i was working, i'm retired now, when i was working, every day my friends and i would go right across the street from where we worked to independence hall. and we'd have lunch right on the grounds. and once in a while we'd go inside. it was very easy to do. that was when the liberty bell was very close by and since then has been reliked but was wonderful working right across the street from the national monument, independence hall. host: we were there for the democratic national convention. matter of fact, the backdrop of the washington journal was independence hall and it's amazing how much is around there not only independence hall but the quaker meeting house and other locations that are within a short walking distance of that location. >> people from all over the world would show up in the park. as tourists. and we'd make friends >> people from all of the world

would show up in the park. we would make friends with them. they would have many questions. very positive. is a beautiful park. great to work next to it. i loved it. pay has this tweet -- olympic national park is one of my favorites. mount rainier national park is located in washington state. we will show you that. caller: hi. my favorite is grand teton national park. it is the all caps of the united states. most gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful place. and there is a big financial thing going on right now where we have the world leaders there. it is the most magical, wonderful, beautiful place that you can go. many people forget that it is down from yellowstone. there are fires there right now. i went to encourage young people and educators to get people to

go and work there in the summer. now the parks at concessions are hiring people from poland and russia instead of colleges and universities here. want to gos need to to the national parks because it is the best experience you could have in your life. i have friends from working in the 80's -- in the 1980's who are my very best friends, it was a wonderful experience we had in grantee to national park. it was magical and it still is our lovely home. we had a wonderful experience and i encourage everyone to go do that. you meet people from everywhere. i had a lady who was a rod way choreographer. people who were amazing who we got to work with in a national park. he met people from everywhere bank urged everyone to get their

and do the trips. it is one of the best things you can do. host: your enthusiasm is coming through in your voice. caller: i love it, i love it. how many children do you have? caller: none. i am single. i have nieces and nephews and all of my buddies should do that. thank you for joining the conversation. we appreciate it. this is the badlands national park in south dakota as we listen to beverly. caller: good morning. we live in texas and our land that we live on orders a national preserve. there are so many wonderful programs and activities to get our young people involved.

i want to commend my seven-year-old granddaughter. she has received all of her jr. ranger granddaughter -- her junior ranger badges. i know it was a great experience that she will never forget. caller before -- our young people really need to get involved with promoting all of these parks. thank you for the call. we go to tom in chicago. caller: good morning. how are you? thank you guys for everything. without you guys, i don't know what america would do. sporting --you for thank you for supporting c-span. the 100th anniversary of the national parks, one of my guys they went to college with was in vietnam and he went to

the same high school i did. him andund up meeting he became one of my best friends and he became a national park service ranger. he was in many parks. the indiana sand dunes. the smokey mountains, the parkway all the way to lakengton, d.c., crater and he finished his career at the grantee 10. i got to see many parks and all of the back country which was phenomenal. i just am letting everyone know that we have to back the national parks. they need more money and we have to keep them up or else it will be a sin that they will deteriorates. thank you for c-span. thank you. back to america's

front lawn, the national lawn. we are joined by bruce mcpherson. he is part of an exclusive club. all 412 units of the national park service. how does one do it? guest: it takes a lot of time, enthusiasm and ambition. host: how many years did it take to do for hundred 12? guest: 30 years. do it in time for the park service centennial. host: and you have one more you need to visit after a new designation this week. guest: yes, a new park designated in maine. now we are up to 413. host: are you going to go? guest: i'm going to have to. host: there are a club of folks who do this.

talk about being part of the club. guest: it is called the national park travelers club. we have thousand members from all of the country. our goal is to visit as many parks as we can and tell the public about the parks. we collect passport stamps as a record along the way. there have been so many. people ask, what is your favorite? the park southwest and in alaska but there are lots of small parks that people need to see. the small parks you have never heard of. bute are 59 national parks a whole lot of other units that are historical, battlefields, seashores and lake shores. host: and parks as far away as america samoa. yes, that was probably the most expensive trip. there is a national park of america samoa. you have to be ready to invest some time into that.

host: is this something you do with family? yes, my wife goes with me. we have a good time visiting the parks. they haven't been to all of them but my wife got me started on this adventure so i have to give a shout out to her. wearing the centennial t-shirt today you will be part of this demonstration that is happening to celebrate the hundredth birthday? do a giant we will arrowhead today. they are looking for 1000 people to hold up various umbrellas to make the symbol of the national park service. host: the deputy director was talking to you and heard you had said it412 units and was an important thing to do and to write it down for the next generation. what would you say to the next generation? guest: the national parks are the national treasure. we need to get out and see them.

the next generation needs to be the stewards of our national parks. our kids and grandkids need to feel to see the treasures. get out of the house and see what our country has to offer. host: thank you so much for your time. back to you. host: good for you for finding someone who has visited all 412 and now he has to travel to maine which has the 413th designation as a national park. is in commemoration of what we are focusing on on thursday. 100th anniversary on this date when president woodrow wilson signed into law the creation of the national park service. here is this tweet from edwin who says, my family and i have visited almost every national park. every summer to get to three of them. tim is joining us from massachusetts. good morning. caller: good morning. 400 13 but it to

is my life mission to go to as many as i can. i have been to a great many of them. i am a disabled veteran and i was at the dedication of the disabled life memorial when they dedicated it and i got to stay up on the day they dedicated it. host: they're interesting. thank you very much for the call, we appreciate it. you have been to washington, it is one of the most often asked question. you can look at the washington monument. midway on your screen you see two different types of stone because construction came to a and resumed after but a different quarry was used. there was still a distinct difference between the lower portion and a proportion.

paul is joining us this morning from san diego. caller: good morning. i want to urge anybody out there with kids, young kids or teenagers. are planning a trip to mexico, put it off for a while and go to the national parks. we went to mount washington and mount vernon and monticello -- when i was 13, i took a road trip with my uncle for an entire whenr, two days after school let out in the summer until the week before it started in the fall and we went by car

and south dakota, montana, wyoming and idaho and little bit corn, the badlands, mount rushmore, yellowstone, it was just magnificent. and i remember it like it was yesterday. now but i5-year-old remember the meals i had there. i've never we got chased by a bear in yellowstone. we saw bison and mountain sheep and it was just wonderful. more kids need to be taken to those places. host: thank you for the call. parks ine national alaska, the alliance national park and reserve, one of 413 national parks and designated areas and battlefields and iconic strikes -- iconic sites that make up the national park

service. wendy has this tweet -- i support all the national parks except those which commemorate rings like robert e lee and others that are proslavery, including washington's birthplace. cnn has taken a look at the national park service. the story is available online. the entire that country of switzerland would fit inside the u.s. largest national park. alaska. and it would take 2400 of the smallest of the headliner national parks to fill the biggest parks pristine mountainous terrain. elsewhere in alaska, climbing the tallest peaks, 2-4 weeks round-trip. the lowest and driest spot, travelers are advised to be prepared to survive. the longest cave system is not completely explored.

america samoa, guam, puerto rico, u.s. virgin islands -- you can reach the details online at cnn.com. caller: good morning. i have been to a lot of national parks and i really enjoy them. the question i have -- a lot of people know about this and i'm why diding it myself, the united states get over to the united nations some of our national parks? host: we believe that there and go to stuart from virginia. welcome to the conversation. stuart and ime is

am in virginia. battlefield parks, civil war -- i myself live on land -- i have my own museum here in petersburg, for genia -- petersburg, virginia. our land, this is an awesome place. host: we took a look at the anniversary of the end of the -- tick of the field c-span.org.time at it was called the organic act which established the national park service signed into law by president woodrow wilson on this

date in 1916. it goes as follows -- the fundamental purpose of the national park service is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects at a wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means to be left there to enjoy by future generations. john? host: ellen is with us with her daughter here on the national mall. they are from arlington, for genia. how many have you been to as a family? guest: maybe a dozen or so. hard to keep track because you forget the national mall is a national park. our most recent one was the belmont house on the other side of the capital to learn more about women's suffrage and the right to vote.

that was just last week and that is how we found out about the event here today. host: i don't know if our viewers can see but she is wearing her yellowstone national park t-shirt. did you go to yellowstone? guest: i did. i liked seeing geysers and the bison. it was fun. host: do you think camping is something you want to keep doing? guest: yes. host: why did you bring your daughter to the celebration today? we are big supporters of the national park service and the idea of being here once in a 100 year event seemed like something fun to do today before she has to get back to school, a big sendoff for the summer vacation. host: a big push is to appeal to of next generation, the lot the baby boomer generation, they're working to get younger

millennials out. what do you think the best way to get that generation involved is? well, i think for the millennials, some sort of social media push? once you're there, the parks sell themselves. when we were in yellowstone, you are just looking from horizon to horizon. -- it is see wires just the sense of the great outdoors and the idea that these really are the crown jewels of the united states. it isnique landscapes and all inexpensive. i think it is one of the biggest bank for the buck vacations you can take. and there is a really wide variety. if you're interested in history there are locations. if you're interested in nature and wilderness, there are places

you can go to. they really have something for everyone. host: we are asking viewers what their favorite park is -- do you have a favorite park as a family? guest: we go to as a deacon because thathore is nearby. and some of the other coastal communities. it is gorgeous to be a will to see the uninterrupted ocean and the seascapes and the dunes. and you don't have hotels right up against the beach that you can just look around. and boogie board. did your family grow up going to parks? guest: we did, somewhat. i went to the grand canyon with my parents and my family. my sister and i explored out

west. we went up to rushmore and the badlands and arches. we went on to the grand canyon also and yellowstone. that was the first time, with my sister. was a lot of fun going with my daughter and seeing it fresh through her eyes. host: before we go, is there a place in the country that you want to go to? i want to go to paris, france. [laughter] no, not really. comesthat's all right, it like mom has a few ideas in mind. back to you. wholethat would be a different question if paris became part of the national park system across the country. we have 10 more minutes in our focus on the national park service and we would love to have you join in on the conversation.

we are live tonight, 7:00 eastern time on c-span3's american history tv. we are at arlington house, commemorating the centennial of the national park service. jonathan jarvis, i want to share you more of what he wrote -- we must recommit to national parks, america's cathedrals. he writes the following -- in 1956 when planning for our 50th anniversary, the park service invite it veterans to come and see what they fought for. the service invited them to see the usa in your chevrolet. veterans came out with their children in the back seats of their station wagons and from those experiences group a groundswell of some word for historicion and preservation. those children today are the baby boomers. , weour 100th anniversary invited everyone to find your park, to foster the creation of a new generation of park

visitors, supporters and advocates reflecting the diversity of our nation. david is joining us from wisconsin. caller: good morning. inc. you for having me. thank you for c-span. what a great service to the american people. the truth as it happens, right out front. host: we love our viewers and listeners. thank you. had a great experience, my wife and i, at sunset crater in arizona. i'm interested in planetary geology and this is volcanic traps that spewed from san franciscan creek and its evolution. it was terrific to see the landscape. it was so alien -- you get a feel for what is out there. in the solar system. here it is, right on earth. butk landscape, black lava green trees growing out of it.

alien but familiar. a beautiful chance for education and my brilliant wife said for $10, you can join for life and i said, what a deal. so we did. we visited our son in waco, texas and we happen to come across another great park. it is one that president obama, in his wisdom, recently had dedicated. i think it is called woolly mammoth park? something like that? and at there with our son couple of boys had gone for a walk and found a mammoth bone and that led to one thing and another and there is a great trap, geologically, where this heard of mammoths, they were trapped in a mode flood. and left their fossilized fossils for us to view.

and it was just incredible. that was a two-acre site and it was a terrific experience. and a brand-new one. and baylor university stepped up and bought more land. so the park originally had two acres baylor university stepped up and now they have 175 acres of land to continue their scientific exploits and sharing with the public. just fantastic. and i totally agree about recommitting financially to our national parks. the way, we are looking at the badlands national park in south dakota and we have been shown you some of the iconic locations including yellowstone and mount rainier. the licking memorial, ellis island and yosemite national park. 413 parks andhe sites that make up the national park service. united press international he