Abstract

The National Park Service is the primary federal agency responsible for the preservation and interpretation of America's cultural, natural, and scenic resources. While the NPS has been involved with underwater and maritime archaeological projects since the 1930's, a comprehensive maritime archaeological program has been in place only since 1980. T'his paper discusses NPS work in the field since 1980, including work in and outside of National Parks. The NPS role in drafting guidelines for state management of historic shipwrecks as required by recent Federal legislation, a Nationwide inventory of historic maritime resources, and a new NPS policy urging international cooperation in shipwreck preservation and research will be emphasized.