The National Park Service has a new Director - Jonathan B. Jarvis

September 25, 7:27 PM
NPS Photo of the new Director of the National Park Service

Jonathan B. Jarvis, a 30-year veteran of the National Park Service, was confirmed last night by the U.S. Senate as the 18th director of the National Park Service.

"I am relieved that the wait is over and excited to get to work," Jarvis said after the vote."America's National Park System is a gift from past generations to this and succeeding generations," said Jarvis.  "I look forward to working with Secretary Salazar, the Congress, our partners, and the extraordinary employees of the National Park Service as we prepare for the next century of stewardship and excellent visitor experiences."

 

Here's what Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Interior had to say of the confirmation.

"This is a great day for the National Park Service and for the American public," Secretary Salazar said.  "Jon Jarvis is a career professional who has consistently stood up for protection of national parks.  He brings great wisdom and three decades of experience to the job."

 

Currently as regional director of the Pacific West Region, Jarvis is currently responsible for the 54 units of the National Park System in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands of Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. He oversees 3,000 employees with a $350 million annual budget.

Prior to becoming regional director in 2002, Jarvis spent three years as the superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park in Ashford, Washington, where he managed the 235,000 acre National Park with a staff of 300 and a $14 million budget.

"President Obama has made a commitment to bring new life into our National Park System, and Jon Jarvis has proven he is the right person to make sure that happens," Salazar said.

In the 1990s, Jarvis served as superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska.

A trained biologist, he also served as Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources at North Cascades National Park where he was the chief biologist of the 684,000 acre complex of two recreation areas and one national park. Jarvis is currently the co-leader of the Children in Nature taskforce with the National Association of State Park Directors. He is proud of his work with the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor in an effort to provide a quality visitor experience to the USS Arizona Memorial and associated states.

A native of Virginia, Jarvis has a B.S. in biology from the College of William and Mary and completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program in 2001.