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 An
agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Service
is dedicated to preserving our nation's most significant natural and cultural
resources, and to helping people from all over the world enjoy and learn
from them. The Service's fundamental responsibility is the National Park
System. Since creation of the first park in 1872 the National Park System
has grown to include over 350 units and encompass a wild and scenic rivers
system, together with a national system of recreation, scenic, and historic
trails.
The National Park Service (NPS) also operates several programs that help
preserve natural, cultural, and recreational resources outside the system.
Resources may be eligible for special titles or designations while they
continue to be managed by states, local governments, other federal agencies,
or private owners. For instance, cultural resources of state, local, or
national significance may be listed by the National Park Service on the
National Register of Historic Places. In addition, NPS provides technical
assistance to state and local governments in conserving rivers, trails,
natural areas, and cultural resources.
 The
director of the National Park Service delegated the lead responsibility
to the North Atlantic Region for studying Acadian culture in Maine and
developing programming. Headquartered in Boston, the North Atlantic is
one of ten NPS regions in the United States. Two regional NPS units relate
directly to Maine Acadian culture. Acadia National Park encompasses a
site of early Acadian settlement, St. Sauveur (1613), and the name of
the park refers to the early Micmac and European use of "-cadie" or "Acadie"
for the region of coastal Maine where the park is situated (NPS 1955:
III-2). Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, site of the founding
1604 French Acadian settlement, is a second NPS unit in Maine, administered
by Acadia National Park. Due to the island's importance in the histories
of both Canada and the United States, Parks Canada has plans to interpret
St. Croix Island on the New Brunswick side of the St. Croix River. Other
relevant NPS sites in the U.S. include three Acadian cultural centers
in Louisiana at the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
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