The elements on the logo represent the major facets of the national park system. The Sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values. The bison is also the symbol of the Department of the Interior.
The logo became the official logo on July 20, 1951, replacing the previous emblem of a Sequoia cone, and has been used ever since. The design was slightly updated in 2001, and a few different renderings are used today. For more information, see here and here.
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Extracted from PDF file available here (direct PDF URL here).
Public domain from a copyright standpoint, but other restrictions apply. First, the logo is a registered trademark. Also, the logo cannot be used in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 701, 18 U.S.C. § 712, and 36 C.F.R. Part 11. Also see the NPS usage policy. Uses require written permission from the Director of the National Park Service (Reg. No 3,175,869; Nov. 28, 2006).
This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia. The use of such symbols is restricted in many countries. These restrictions are independent of the copyright status.
This work includes material that may be protected as a trademark in some jurisdictions. If you want to use it, you have to ensure that you have the legal right to do so and that you do not infringe any trademark rights. See our general disclaimer. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required.See Commons:Licensing.
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