Lassen Volcanic National Park Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Lassen Volcanic National Park News Release

August 14, 2006 For Immediate Release Mary G. Martin (530) 595-4444, ext. 5101

Lassen Volcanic National Park Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Lassen Volcanic National Park will be 90 on August 9 of this year. The park was established in 1916 just one week prior to the establishment of our nation’s National Park Service. “If you haven’t had a chance to visit Lassen this summer, or have never had the chance to even just drive through on the Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway I would encourage you to come see what makes this landscape so special that it became a national park,” stated Park Superintendent, Mary G. Martin.

In 1912 and again in 1913 Congressman John E. Raker introduced the Peter Lassen National Park bill, however neither bill passed. Those early bills were nearly identical to the one that passed in 1916 except for the name of the park. The eruptions of Lassen Peak that first began in 1914 and B. F. Loomis’ historic photos helped to get the necessary attention from Congress and the American public to create Lassen Volcanic National Park.

After ninety years of national park status Lassen Volcanic National Park has now begun on its official Administrative History. Through a two-year contract with the National Park Service researcher Ted Catton will document the park’s history since it was established.

Another major milestone for this park is that in June of this year a contract for the construction of the park’s first year-round, official visitor center was awarded. This is a design-build contract, so final designs will be completed this fall/winter and construction will begin in the spring…as soon as the snow allows.

The park has gone through many changes through the years, but the one thing that is constant is how visitors are taken in by its beauty and their interest of its natural wonders of geologic landscape filled with a diversity of flora and fauna.

For more information, please contact the park at (530) 595-4444 or for TDD at (530)595-3480, Monday through Friday, except holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/lavo. -NPS-