List of proposed national parks of the United States

Last updated

National parks in the United States are created by United States Congress legislation as per the National Park Service Organic Act. [1] However, most parks are first proposed by members of the public, states, local entities, tribal nations, members of Congress, or even the National Park Service itself. [2]

Contents

Criteria for national parks

For an area to become a unit of the National Park System, it must possess nationally significant natural, cultural, or recreational resources; be a suitable [a] and feasible [b] addition to the system; and require direct management by the National Park Service (NPS) (rather than protection by the private sector or other governmental agencies). [2]

A proposed area is considered nationally significant if it meets all four of the following standards: [2]

  1. It is an outstanding example of a particular type of resource.
  2. It possesses exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the natural or cultural themes of the heritage of the United States.
  3. It offers superlative opportunities for recreation for public use and enjoyment, or for scientific study.
  4. It retains a high degree of integrity as a true, accurate, and relatively unspoiled example of the resource.

Members of the United States Congress can authorize the NPS to conduct a special resource study [3] to gather information surrounding potential inclusions into the National Park System. Each special resource study will examine each of the above four criteria individually. However, units of the System are ultimately created by legislation. Proposed parks which have seen legislation put forth in Congress are shaded in green below. Other proposals, including those by the public in the form of documents or editorials in local media, are also included below.

Proposed U.S. national parks

Proposed Name & AreaPhotoLocationYearNotesExternal information
Adirondack Mountain National Park Mount Marcy viewed from Mount Skylight in summer.png New York1967In 1967 Laurance Rockefeller proposed that a 1,720,000 acre National Park be established in the center of the Adirondack Park. [4] A Report On A Proposed Adirondack Mountain National Park
What Would an Adirondack National Park Look Like?, Adirondack Almanac
Ancient Forest National Park Smith River near Crescent City, CA.jpg California, Oregon2009Inclusion of wilderness and roadless areas of various national forests along coastal California-Oregon border, including Six Rivers National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest, and Trinity National Forest, as a cohesive national park unit. [5] Nativetreesociety.org
Take A Closer Look At Proposed Ancient Forest National Park, National Parks Traveler
Aniakchak National Park & Preserve Aniakchak-caldera alaska.jpg Alaska1979An earlier version of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (S.222), introduced by Sen. John Durkin included making a Aniakchak National Park & Preserve. It was eventually made Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve. [6] S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979
Apostle Islands National Park Big waves on Devils Island shoreline (e99f5cd1-548c-439d-962d-0c03204c2bf8).jpg Wisconsin1930, 2024On May 9th, 1930, HR. 8763 was introduced, which would designate an Apostle Islands National Park. [7]

In 2024, legislation was introduced by U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany to rename the national lakeshore as a national park, with Sand Island as a national preserve. [8]

Wisconsin's Apostle Islands could become America's newest national park, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Atchafalaya National Park Atchafalaya Basin.jpg Louisiana2014Local Sierra Club chapter proposal for inclusion of Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, the Sherburne Complex Wildlife Management Area, and the greater basin as a national park. [9] Group: Create big Atchafalaya national park
Sierra Club pushes for national park status
Bandelier National Park & Preserve Bandelier Cliff Dwelling Features.jpg New Mexico2019Proposal by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich to redesignate Bandelier National Monument as a National Park & Preserve. [10] Heinrich Announces Plan to Establish Bandelier National Park and Preserve
Bering Land Bridge National Park Tor landscape (7692291618).jpg Alaska1979An earlier version of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (S.222), introduced by Sen. John Durkin included making a Bering Land Bridge National Park. It was eventually made Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. [11] S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979
Big Thicket National Park Big Thicket National Preserve, Hickory Creek Unit, Tyler Co. TX.jpg Texas1973On January 11th, 1973, S.314 was introduced by Senator Lloyd Bentsen, which would designate a Big Thicket National Park. [12]

The East Big Thicket Association and a later successor organization lobbied for the creation of the national park for decades starting in 1936. The alternative National Preserve was ultimately passed. [13]

HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PARKS AND RECREATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS. UNITED STATES SENATE
Buffalo River National Park & Preserve Morning on the Buffalo River.jpg Arkansas2023Runway group proposal for redesignation of the Buffalo National River as a National Park & Preserve. [14] A National Park would preserve the Buffalo River way of life. - Coalition for the Future of the Buffalo River National Park & Preserve
Arkansas group floats idea of Buffalo National River into national park preserve - Arkansas Advocate
Cape Krusenstern National Park Muskox and Greater White-fronted Geese on vegetated beach ridges in front of the Igichuk Hills. (92e7aa72-1dd8-b71c-07d9-7fb3eabf6e60).jpg Alaska1979An earlier version of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (S.222), introduced by Sen. John Durkin included making a Cape Krusenstern National Park. It stayed as Cape Krusenstern National Monument. [15] S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979
Chiricahua National Park Chiricahua balanced rock.jpg Arizona2016Nearby town of Wilcox, AZ has been pushing for redesignation of Chiricahua National Monument as a national park. First introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 and in the U.S. Senate in 2019. [16] [17] Re-introduced in both in 2021-2022, [18] [19] and then 2023. [20] [21] Will this hidden gem become a tourist attraction? How park status could affect Chiricahuas
Colorado Canyons National Park CONM Independence monument 2.jpg Colorado1906, 2012 John Otto lobbied for the creation of a national park, convincing locals in Grand Junction of the cause. Bills were introduced in Congress, but William Howard Taft ultimately declared Colorado National Monument. [22]

Several locals in Grand Junction, Colorado began promoting the idea of elevating the status of the monument to a national park in the early 2010s. [23]

Disputing Whether a Treasure Needs a Name Upgrade, The New York Times, 2012
Talk of monument getting park designation, TheDailySentinel, 2017
Craters of the Moon National Park and Preserve My Public Lands Roadtrip- Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho (18801359775).jpg Idaho2015Butte County commissioner Rose Bernal and a group of other locals campaigned for National Park designation of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. The Idaho State Senate passed a referendum in support of the idea in 2015. [24] Should this national monument become a national park? - HighCountryNews
Delaware River National Park & Lenape Preserve 2021-06-16 09 10 03 View of the Delaware Water Gap from the Delaware River Viaduct over the Delaware River on the border of Knowlton Township, Warren County, New Jersey and Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.jpg New Jersey, Pennsylvania2021Retired Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area superintendent John Donahue put forward a proposal for redesignating the park. Supported by local Sierra Club chapters. [25] [26] Delaware River National Park & Lenape Preserve Alliance
Alliance Proposal
Delaware Water Gap could become the first national park in Pennsylvania, New Jersey - USAToday, 2021
Driftless / Driftless Rivers / Upper Mississippi Valley National Parks PikesPeakStatePark.jpg Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin1909, 1930, 2006, 2023The Driftless area has been the focus of several proposals for a national park. In 1909, State Representative George Schulte proposed a national park at the confluence of the Wisconsin River and Mississippi River near McGregor, Iowa to the Iowa general assembly. [27] Later versions of this proposal stretched from St. Paul, Minnesota to Dubuque, Iowa through what is now the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. In 1915, US Senator William Kenyon introduced a bill (S. 4585) to establish a Mississippi Valley National Park. [28]

In 1931, after studying the potential park, Roger W. Toll recommended preserving local Native American mounds as a small monument in what would become Effigy Mounds National Monument. [29]
In 2006, Bryan Stanley wrote a book "The Becoming of Driftless Rivers National Park" advocating for converting Crawford County, Wisconsin into a national park. [30]

In 2023, a Rochester meteorologist proposed converting the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, State Park, and nearby public lands into a Driftless National Park & Preserve, potentially stretching down the Mississippi river to Perrot State Park. [31]

The Movement to Create a National Park in Iowa
driftlessrivers.org
La Crosse Tribune
Driftless National Park & Preserve Initiative
With a proposal to turn the Driftless into a national park shelved, what happens next? - The Gazette
Escalante Canyons National Park and Preserve Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah - 2015-02-07.jpg Utah1940, 2017The National Park Service considered designating a national park unit in the 1930s and early 1940s. [32]

In 2017, US Representative Chris Stewart introduced legislation designating a national park out of the Escalante Canyons unit of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, legislation which he re-introduced in 2020. [33]

Rep. Stewart once again proposes new national park in Utah, FOX13Now, 2020
Great Rivers National Park Fall migration at Clarence Cannon NWR (6366882263).jpg Illinois, Missouri2023Local group AltonWorks introduces proposal for a national park spanning much of the confluence of the Mississippi River and Missouri River near Alton, Illinois, including various public lands such as much of the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex and Pere Marquette State Park. [34] Plan for proposed Great Rivers National Park debuts, TheTelegraph
Great Salt Lake National Park Nerr0940 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg Utah2023 Paul Alan Cox proposed a national park to protect the Great Salt Lake, which is increasingly under threat from water scarcity. [35] Opinion: Making the Great Salt Lake into a national park, DesertNews, 2023
Guana River National Park View of Fort Matanzas from the fort's ferry.jpg Florida1973On January 3rd, 1973, H.R.383 was introduced by Representative Bill Chappell, which would designate a Guana River National Park. [36]

Part of the area is currently protected by the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

H.R.383 - To provide for the establishment of the Guana River National Park in the State of Florida, and for other purpose.
Hells Canyon National Park Hells Canyon Oregon.JPG Idaho, Oregon1940, 1990Amid talks of the Forest Service joining the Department of the Interior in 1940, there was a growing push for a Hells Canyon National Park. [37]

In 1990, a group of locals pushed for a Hells Canyon National Park & Preserve. [38]

Hells Canyon: Should it be a park? - High Country News, 1990
3 national parks in Oregon that never happened - OregonLive, 2016
High Allegheny National Park and Preserve DollySods1.JPG West Virginia2011In October 2011, the NPS announced [39] a Reconnaissance Survey of a National Park composed of portions of Monongahela National Forest at the request of US Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin withdrew his request in 2012. [40] Are You Ready for High Allegheny National Park? - Woodshed, 2011
Hooker Hammock National Park Highland Hammocks SP Swamp Trail03.jpg Florida1930In the face of plans to convert the area to farmland, Mayor C. S. Donaldson and locals proposed a national park out of what is now Highlands Hammock State Park. [41] Correspondence of proposed Hooker Hammock National Park, npshistory.com
Katahdin/Maine Woods National Park Katahdin Woods and Waters Pond Pitch.jpg Maine1920, 1937, 1991, 2011In 1920, eventual Governor Percival P. Baxter participated in an expedition to the top of Mount Katahdin to investigate its potential as a national park. Later in life, he would personally buy tracks of land and established Baxter State Park. [42]

U.S. Representative Owen Brewster introduced legislation for a Mt. Katahdin National Park in 1937. [43]

In 1991, New England-based conservation group RESTORE:The North Woods proposed a 3.2 million acre Maine Woods National Park surrounding Baxter State Park. [44]

Roxanne Quimby, after speaking with RESTORE, began purachasing land around Baxter State Park, and revealed her plan for a Maine North Woods National Park in 2011. On August 24, 2016, President Barack Obama proclaimed 87,563 acres (137 sq mi) of her donated land as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. [45]

Maine Woods National Park Photo-Documentation Project
RESTORE:The North Woods
A Maine Woods National Park?
Kaua'i National Park Na pali.jpg Hawaii1965The National Park Service proposed a park connecting areas of public land, including Nā Pali Coast State Park, Waimea Canyon State Park, Haʻena State Park, and Kōkeʻe State Park. [46] Kauai National Park - A Proposal, NPS 1965
Lake Tahoe National Park Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe South Shore.jpg California, Nevada1897, 1917 John Muir, saddened by logging in the Lake Tahoe area, began campaigning for a national park in 1897. The proposal collapsed in Congress over concerns of federal control. [47] Why Lake Tahoe Never Became a National Park, Moonshineink, 2016
Mattole-Humboldt National Park King Range National Conservation Area (18806105560).jpg California1936The National Park Service investigated the potential of a national park or national seashore recreation area on California's Lost Coast. [48] Part of the area is now protected by the Bureau of Land Management in the King Range National Conservation Area. Study of a National Seashore Recreation Area
Mobile-Tensaw Delta National Park Bottle Creek.jpg Alabama2013Biologist E. O. Wilson proposed a large national park encompassing most of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta to protect high levels of biodiversity in the region. In 2017, the National Park Service highlighted interest in the region in a report. [49] Protecting Biodiversity Through National Park System Expansion, National Parks Traveler
Push for a new national park in Alabama is an upstream battle, PBSNewsHour, 2016
Mojave National Park Cima Road-Mojave National Preserve.JPG California1979H.R.4461 first proposed a Mojave National Park on June 14th, 1979.

An earlier version of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 (S.222), introduced by Sen. Alan Cranston continued this. It was eventually made Mojave National Preserve. [50]

S.2061 - California Desert Protection Act of 1986
Moraine National Park Mill Bluff State Park 2012B.jpg Wisconsin1958 Ray Zillmer proposed a narrow 500-mile national park along the terminus moraine through Wisconsin. The National Park Service took interest in the idea, but instead proposed more concise park, with great interest for potential park units in Kettle Moraine State Forest and the Baraboo Range. U.S. Representative Henry S. Reuss introduced legislation for the park in 1958. After Zillmer's death in 1960, Reuss continued the idea into what is today the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. [51] Correspondence of Moraine Nation Park, npshistory.com
Mount Hood National Park Mount Hood reflected in Mirror Lake, Oregon.jpg Oregon1940, 2003Amid talks of the Forest Service joining the Department of the Interior in 1940, there was a growing push for a Mount Hood National Park. [52]

Tom Kloster has run a campaign for creating a Mount Hood National Park & Preserve that would link together the Mount Hood National Forest and the Oregon side of Columbia River Gorge. [53]

3 national parks in Oregon that never happened - OregonLive, 2016
Mount Hood National Park Campaign
Mount Shasta National Park Mount Shasta Farm.jpg California1888, 1912 John Muir first proposed a Mount Shasta National Park in 1888, saying ""The Shasta region may be reserved as a national park, with special reference to the preservation of its fine forests and game. This should by all means be done".

The idea again picked up steam, with John E. Raker introducing legislation in 1912. The bill made it out of committee with approval, but Congress ended before a vote. [54]

The Mount Shasta National Park Movement: Its Origin and Development
Mount St. Helens National Park Mt St Helens NVM July 2018.jpg Washington2007Forest Service cuts in 2007 led to the closing of two visitor centers at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, sparking a campaign to transfer the monument into the NPS as a National Park. [55] An area unlike any in the world: Make Mount St. Helens a national park - TheSeattleTimes
Niobrara-Buffalo Prairie National Park Niobrara scenic river.jpg Nebraska1990In the 1991 legislation designating the Niobrara National Scenic River, a clause was included directing the NPS to study the potential of a 138,000 acre National Park along the corridor and on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills. [56] The NPS reported favorably in their final survey, but took no further official stance. [57] Can We Save Vanishing Grasslands?, National Parks Traveler

Niobrara National Park Study-Nebraska, National Park Service

Noatak National Park High Alpine Tundra Noatak National Preserve.jpg Alaska1979An earlier version of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (S.222), introduced by Sen. John Durkin included making a Noatak National Park. It was eventually made Noatak National Preserve. [58] S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979
Ocmulgee Mounds National Park & Preserve Mounds at Ocmulgee National Monument, Bibb County, GA, US.jpg Georgia2017Campaign for designating the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, and surrounding lands including the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, as a national park & preserve along the Ocmulgee River south of Macon, Georgia. [59] U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock introduced legislation for the creation of the park in 2024. [60] Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative
4 lawmakers introduce legislation to make Ocmulgee Mounds state's first National Park and Preserve
An Economic Analysis of the Proposed Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve - NPCA
Okefenokee National Park OkefenokeeNWR1.jpg Georgia1929HR. 17277 was introduced in the 70th Congress, which commanded the secratary of the Interior to study the potential of establishing an Okefenokee National Park in the Okefenokee Swamp. [61] History of Legislation Relating to The National Park System Through the 82d Congress
Oregon Coast National Park Beach shots along Hwy 101...near Hunter's cove (7975462358).jpg Oregon1938Effort by locals for designation of land between Gold Beach, Oregon and Brookings, Oregon to be designated as a National Park. U.S. Senator Charles McNary introduced a bill in congress. [32] [62] In search of the lost Oregon Coast National Park, TheOregonian, 2017
Ouachita National Park WestHannahMountain.png Arkansas1929Effort by U.S. Senator Joseph T. Robinson and U.S. Representative Otis Wingo for a National Park near what is now the Caney Creek Wilderness in Ouachita National Forest. Ended with a pocket veto by President Calvin Coolidge. [63] TOM DILLARD: Arkansas once envisioned as home for Ouachita National Park - ArkansasDemocratGazette, 2020
Palo Duro Canyon National Park Palo Duro Canyon State Park 2002.jpg Texas1906The Canyon City Commercial Club passed a resolution in favor of a National Park for the Palo Duro Canyon in 1906. U.S. Representative John H. Stephens introduced multiple acts establishing the park between 1908 and 1915. [64] Texas State Historical Association, 1976
Red River Gorge National Park Courthouse Rock Kentucky.jpg Kentucky1974On October 9th, 1974, Senate Resolution 4107 was introduced by Senator Marlow Cook, which would designate a Red River Gorge National Park. [65]

The park was proposed to stop the Red River Lake Project authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962, and would preserve the designated RRG Geologic Area under the Department of Interior. Senator Cook spoke of broad community support in his address to the senate. [66]

A bill to establish the Red River Gorge National Park, Ky., to deauthorize the Red River Lake project.
Ricketts Glen National Park Ricketts Glen State Park F.L. Ricketts Falls 3.jpg Pennsylvania1930sThe area of what is now Ricketts Glen State Park was approved to be a national park, with the Civilian Conservation Corps establishing a camp in the area. World War II put an end to these plans. [67] History of Ricketts Glen State Park
Rota National Park Rota Island in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.jpg Northern Mariana Islands2009 Rota Senator Diego Songao proposed a national park to U.S. Delegate Gregorio Sablan, who then lobbied for a special resource study of the idea. In 2023, the NPS found that the area meets many qualities of a national park, but that NPS management is not directly needed. [68] SaipanTribune, 2013
Sawtooth National Park Stanley Lake.JPG Idaho1960U.S. Senator Frank Church proposed a national park for the Sawtooth Range. After introducing legislation for either a park or National Recreation Area, and after pushback for locals, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area was established in 1972. [69] Why there's no national park in the Sawtooths — and why that matters Boise State Public Radio News, 2022
Shawnee National Park & Climate Preserve Garden of the Gods Sunset.jpg Illinois2021Local group pushing for transferring the Shawnee National Forest to the National Park Service, citing logging and the need for preserving eastern forest environments. [70] The city of Carbondale, Illinois passed a resolution in 2022 in support of the proposal. [71] Shawnee National Park? -IllinoisTimes, 2023
Shawnee Forest Defense
Sierra Madre National Park Throop Peak Mount Hawkins 033.jpg California1916U.S. Representative Charles Hiram Randall introduced legislation to create a national park out of the San Gabriel Mountains. Despite broad local support, Stephen Mather dismissed the idea. [72] The Lost Plan to Create a National Park in L.A.'s Backyard, 2021
Silver Falls National Park South Falls, Silver Falls State Park.jpg Oregon1902, 2008In 1902, June D Drake began to campaign for park status of Silver Falls State Park. In 1926, however, an inspector for the National Park Service rejected the area for park status because of a proliferation of unattractive stumps after years of logging. [73]

In 2008, Fred Girod of the Oregon House of Representatives sought federal designation of the area as a national park via a house joint memorial to the United States Congress, but the bill died in committee. [74]

Silver Falls State Park and the Early Environmental Movement, Oregon Historical Society, 2011
Sonoran Desert National Park Organ Pipe Nat'l Monument - panoramio.jpg Arizona1966, 1998 Stewart Udall, then as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and as a former Arizona U.S. Representative, proposed a sprawling Sonoran Desert National Park in 1966. The proposal included the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. [75] [76]

In 1998, a group of citizens resurrected the proposal. [77]

Sonoran Desert National Park, Arizona: A Proposal - NPS
Sonoran Desert National Park, National Border, National Park: A History of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
The Attempt to Create the Sonora Desert National Park, DesertUSA, 2000
Tensas Swamp National Park Ivory-bill pair.jpg Louisiana1938The Audubon Society persuaded U.S. Senator Allen J. Ellender to establish a National Park in Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, the last remaining possible refuge of the now thought-to-be extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker [78] [32] The Resurrection of the Lord God Bird, Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, 2015
Wichita Mountains National Park Elk Mountain, OK.jpg Oklahoma1930HR. 13191 was introduced in the 71st Congress, which would designate a Wichita Mountains National Park. [79] History of Legislation Relating to The National Park System Through the 82d Congress
Yukon–Charley National Park CharleyRiverAtYukon1.jpg Alaska1979An earlier version of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (S.222), introduced by Sen. John Durkin included making a Yukon-Charley National Park. It was eventually made Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve. [80] S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979

See also

Notes

  1. According to the National Park Service, suitability means that "[the] area must represent a natural or cultural theme or type of recreational resource that is not already adequately represented in the National Park System or is not comparably represented and protected for public enjoyment by another land-managing entity."
  2. According to the National Park Service, feasibility means that "[the] area's natural systems and/or historic settings must be of sufficient size and appropriate configuration to ensure long-term protection of the resources and to accommodate public use. It must have potential for efficient administration at a reasonable cost." Important feasibility factors include "landownership, acquisition costs, life cycle maintenance costs, access, threats to the resource, and staff or development requirements."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bureau of Land Management</span> Agency within the US Department of the Interior

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of land, or one-eighth of the United States's total landmass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Park Service</span> United States federal agency

The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all national parks; most national monuments; and other natural, historical, and recreational properties, with various title designations. The United States Congress created the agency on August 25, 1916, through the National Park Service Organic Act. Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., within the main headquarters of the Department of the Interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National monument (United States)</span> Monuments assigned protected status by presidents of the US

In the United States, a national monument is a protected area that can be created from any land owned or controlled by the federal government by proclamation of the president of the United States or an act of Congress. National monuments protect a wide variety of natural and historic resources, including sites of geologic, marine, archaeological, and cultural importance. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents the power to proclaim national monuments by executive action. In contrast, national parks in the U.S. must be created by Congressional legislation. Some national monuments were first created by presidential action and later designated as national parks by congressional approval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National preserve</span> Protected areas in the United States

There are 21 protected areas of the United States designated as national preserves. They were established by an act of Congress to protect areas that have resources often associated with national parks but where certain natural resource-extractive activities such as hunting and mining may be permitted, provided their natural values are preserved. The activities permitted in each national preserve vary depending on the enabling legislation of the unit. All national preserves are managed by the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the National Park System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve</span> National park in Alaska, United States

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a national park of the United States that protects portions of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska. The park is the northernmost national park in the United States, situated entirely north of the Arctic Circle. The area of the park and preserve is the second largest in the U.S. at 8,472,506 acres ; the National Park portion is the second largest in the U.S., after the National Park portion of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve</span> Region of Alaska

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve is a U.S. National Monument and National Preserve, consisting of the region around the Aniakchak volcano on the Aleutian Range of south-western Alaska. It has erupted at least 40 times over the last 10,000 years. The 601,294-acre (243,335 ha) monument is one of the least-visited places in the National Park System due to its remote location and difficult weather. The area was proclaimed a National Monument on December 1, 1978, and established as a National Monument and Preserve on December 2, 1980. The National Monument encompasses 137,176 acres (55,513 ha) and the preserve 464,118 acres (187,822 ha). Visitation to Aniakchak is the lowest of all areas of the U.S. National Park System, according to the NPS, with only 100 documented recreational visits in 2017. Most visitors fly into Surprise Lake inside Aniakchak Crater, but the frequent fog and other adverse weather conditions make landing in the lake difficult. It is also possible to fly into the nearby village of Port Heiden and proceed overland to the Aniakchak Crater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenai Fjords National Park</span> National park in Alaska, United States

Kenai Fjords National Park is a national park of the United States that comprises the Harding Icefield, its outflowing glaciers, and coastal fjords and islands. The park covers an area of 669,984 acres on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, west of the town of Seward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kobuk Valley National Park</span> National park in Alaska, United States

Kobuk Valley National Park is a national park of the United States in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska, located about 25 miles (40 km) north of the Arctic Circle. The park was designated in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to preserve the 100 ft (30 m) high Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and the surrounding area which includes caribou migration routes. Park visitors must bring all their own gear for backcountry camping, hiking, backpacking, boating, and dog sledding. No designated trails or roads exist in the park, which at 1,750,716 acres, is slightly larger than the state of Delaware. Kobuk Valley is one of eight national parks in Alaska, the state with the second most national parks, surpassed only by California which has nine. The park is managed by the National Park Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act</span> United States federal law providing protection to certain areas in Alaska

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) is a United States federal law signed by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980. ANILCA provided varying degrees of special protection to over 157 million acres (640,000 km2) of land, including national parks, national wildlife refuges, national monuments, wild and scenic rivers, recreational areas, national forests, and conservation areas. It was, and remains to date, the single largest expansion of protected lands in history and more than doubled the size of the National Park System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antiquities Act</span> 1906 U.S. law allowing the president to create national monuments from federal lands

The Antiquities Act of 1906 is an act that was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906. This law gives the president of the United States the authority to, by presidential proclamation, create national monuments from federal lands to protect significant natural, historic, or scientific features. The Act has been used more than a hundred times since its enactment to create a wide variety of protected areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National recreation area</span> Type of protected area in the United States

A national recreation area (NRA) is a protected area in the United States established by an Act of Congress to preserve enhanced recreational opportunities in places with significant natural and scenic resources. There are 40 NRAs, which emphasize a variety of activities for visitors, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing, swimming, biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing, in areas that include multiple-use management for both conservation and limited utilization of natural resources. They have diverse features and contexts, being established around reservoirs, in urban areas, and within forests. Due to their size, diversity of activities, and proximity to population centers, NRAs are among the most visited units of the National Park System, with six among the thirty most visited sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal lands</span> Land in the United States which is owned by the federal government

Federal lands are lands in the United States owned and managed by the federal government. Pursuant to the Property Clause of the United States Constitution, Congress has the power to retain, buy, sell, and regulate federal lands, such as by limiting cattle grazing on them. These powers have been recognized in a long series of United States Supreme Court decisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Wilderness Preservation System</span> Protection of wilderness areas in the U.S.

The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness areas are managed by four federal land management agencies: the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wilderness Society (United States)</span> American non-profit land conservation organization

The Wilderness Society is an American non-profit land conservation organization that is dedicated to protecting natural areas and federal public lands in the United States. They advocate for the designation of federal wilderness areas and other protective designations, such as for national monuments. They support balanced uses of public lands, and advocate for federal politicians to enact various land conservation and balanced land use proposals. The Wilderness Society also engages in a number of ancillary activities, including education and outreach, and hosts one of the most valuable collections of Ansel Adams photographs at their headquarters in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument</span> Former National Monument of the United States

The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument was a U.S. national monument honoring events, people, and sites of the Pacific Theater engagement of the United States during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009</span>

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is a land management law passed in the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. The bill designates millions of acres in the US as protected and establishes a National Landscape Conservation System. It includes funding for programs, studies and other activities by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and in some cases bars further geothermal leasing, oil and gas leasing, and new mining patents on certain stretches of protected land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008</span>

The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 was an act passed in the 110th United States Congress and enacted on May 8, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act</span> United States federal omnibus lands act

The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 is an omnibus lands act that protected public lands and modified management provisions. The bill designated more than 1,300,000 acres (5,300 km2) of wilderness area, expanded several national parks and other areas of the National Park System, and established four new national monuments while redesignating others. Other provisions included making the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanent, protecting a number of rivers and historic sites, and withdrawing land near Yellowstone National Park and North Cascades National Park from mining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great American Outdoors Act</span> United States conservation law of 2020

The Great American Outdoors Act is a piece of legislation passed by the United States Congress, signed by President Donald J. Trump, and activated into Public Law in 2020. It has two major components: fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million per year, and providing $9.5 billion over five years to address a maintenance backlog at American national parks, including updating facilities to increase accessibility for the general public. The Associated Press wrote that it would be "the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century."

References

  1. An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes. Pub. L.   64–235 , H.R. 15522, 39  Stat.   535 , enacted August 25, 1916. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-1725/pdf/COMPS-1725.pdf
  2. 1 2 3 "Criteria for New National Parks" (PDF). National Park Service History Electronic Library & Archive. 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  3. "Special Studies". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  4. "Take A Closer Look At Proposed Ancient Forest National Park". Adirondack Almanac. November 1, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  5. "Take A Closer Look At Proposed Ancient Forest National Park". SaipanTribune. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  6. "S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  7. "May 9, 1930 Vol. 72, Part 8 — Bound Edition". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  8. Kaeding, Danielle (July 25, 2024). "Legislation seeks to redesignate Apostle Islands as Wisconsin's first national park". WPR. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  9. De La Rosa, Katie (July 27, 2014). "Group: Create big Atchafalaya national park". NewsStar.
  10. "Heinrich bill would make Bandelier a national park - Albuquerque Journal".
  11. "S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  12. "S.314 - A bill to establish the Big Thicket National Park in Texas". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  13. Cozine, James (October 1993). "Defining the Big Thicket". East Texas Historical Journal. 31 (2): 57–71. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  14. Kreth, Ellen (October 16, 2023). "Arkansas group floats idea of Buffalo National River into national park preserve". ArkansasAdvocate.
  15. "S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  16. https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6190
  17. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3121
  18. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1320
  19. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6451
  20. US Congress (July 19, 2023). "Senate Bill 736, 118th Congress". Cond gress.gov. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  21. US Congress, Library of Congress (March 22, 2023). "All Information (Except Text) for H.R.1479 - Chiricahua National Park Act". Congress.gov. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  22. Museum of Western Colorado. Grand Valley History, History Timeline. "History Timeline". Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2009.. Accessed 8-03-09
  23. Healy, Jack (June 16, 2011). "Disputing Whether a Treasure Needs a Name Upgrade". TheNewYorkTimes. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  24. Oregonian/OregonLive, Jamie Hale | The (January 21, 2016). "Craters of the Moon fighting to become Idaho's first national park". oregonlive. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  25. Nark, Jason (November 6, 2021). "Delaware Water Gap could become the first national park in Pennsylvania, New Jersey". USA Today. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  26. Nark, Jason (October 21, 2021). "Pennsylvania and New Jersey could get their first national park" . The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  27. "The Movement to Create a National Park in Iowa - Effigy Mounds National Monument".
  28. "Chapter Three:THE NATIONAL PARK MOVEMENT".
  29. "Proposed Upper Mississippi River National Park" (PDF).
  30. "Driftless Rivers National Park Foundation".
  31. Rogers, Chris (June 22, 2023). "Why the Driftless National Park proposal was scrapped". Winona Post. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  32. 1 2 3 Annual Report of the Department of the Interior. (1940). United States: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp190
  33. "Utah Could go from the Big 5 to the Big 6 National Parks With New Proposal by Utah Congressman". SUUNews. October 15, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  34. Suttles, Dylan (November 28, 2023). "Plan for proposed Great Rivers National Park debuts". TheTelegraph. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  35. Cox, Paul Alan (May 18, 2023). "Opinion: Making the Great Salt Lake into a national park". DesertNews. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  36. "H.R.383 - To provide for the establishment of the Guana River National Park in the State of Florida, and for other purpose". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  37. "3 national parks in Oregon that never happened - OregonLive, 2016". July 26, 2016.
  38. Mccarthy, John (July 30, 1990). "Hells Canyon: Should it be a park?". High Country News. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  39. "National Park Service Announces Reconnaissance Survey of the Allegheny Highlands" [Press Release], 27 October 2011.
  40. Burnett, Jim (2012), "Are Prospects for a New National Park or Preserve in West Virginia Dead?", @NationalParksTraveler.com (27 March).
  41. "History of Highlands Hammock". Florida State Parks. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  42. Whitcomb, Howard R. (2008). Governor Baxter's Magnificent Obsession: A Documentary history of Baxter State Park 1931–2006. Bangor, Maine: Friends of Baxter State Park. ISBN   978-1-887940-15-3. OCLC   253652001.
  43. "TPercival Baxter's Vision". Friends of Baxter State Park. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  44. Dinmore, Julia (April 5, 2022). "The Northern Woods—could it be Maine's second national park?". EnvironmentAmerica. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  45. Higgins, A.J. "It's Official: Obama Declares Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument" (August 24, 2016). Maine Public Broadcasting.
  46. "Kauai National Park Hawaii-A Proposal" (PDF). 1965.
  47. Stevens, Abby (August 11, 2016). "Why Lake Tahoe Never Became a National Park". Moonshineink. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  48. "Study of a National Seashore Recreational Area- Mattole, Humboldt" (PDF).
  49. Repanshek, Kurt (2023). "Protecting Biodiversity Through National Park System Expansion". National Parks Traveler. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  50. "S.2061 - California Desert Protection Act of 1986". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  51. Mittlefehldt, Sarah (Spring 2007). "The Origin of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail". Wisconsin Magazine of History. pp. 4–13.
  52. "3 national parks in Oregon that never happened - OregonLive, 2016". July 26, 2016.
  53. "Mount Hood National Park Campaign | Park Map". www.mounthoodnationalpark.org. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  54. Stewart, Charles L. "The Mount Shasta national park movement: its origin and development". (Based chiefly on materials in the files of the National Park Service). Mount Shasta Herald. October 13, 1927, pg. 1.
  55. "Will Mount Saint Helens Become a National Park?". Scientific American. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  56. "Niobrara Scenic River Designation Act of 1991" (PDF). Scientific American. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  57. Repanshek, Kurt (December 9, 2020). "Can We Save Vanishing Grasslands?". National Parks Traveler. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  58. "S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  59. "An Economic Analysis of the Proposed Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve - NPCA, 2017".
  60. "Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act" (PDF).
  61. "Volume 70 December 3, 1928 to March 4, 1929". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  62. Hale, Jamie (February 7, 2017). "In search of the lost Oregon Coast National Park". TheOregonian. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  63. Osro Cobb, Osro Cobb of Arkansas (Little Rock, Arkansas: Rose Publishing Company, 1989), pp. 41–44
  64. Anderson, H. Allen (1976). "Palo Duro Canyon State Scenic Park". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  65. "S.4107 - A bill to establish the Red River Gorge National Park, Ky., to deauthorize the Red River Lake project". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  66. "Congressional Record-Senate, October 9th, 1974" (PDF). govinfo.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  67. "History of Ricketts Glen State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  68. De La Torre, Fedrie (October 10, 2023). "NPS 2023 study says Rota sites don't meet criteria for new national park designation". SaipanTribune. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  69. Cohen, Rachel (August 16, 2022). "Why there's no national park in the Sawtooths — and why that matters". Boise State Public Radio News. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  70. "Home | Shawnee Forest Defense". Shawnee Forest Defen. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  71. Blanchette, David (February 2, 2023). "Shawnee National Park?". Illinois Times. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  72. Masters, Nathan (September 28, 2021). "The Lost Plan to Create a National Park in L.A.'s Backyard". Illinois Times. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  73. Engeman, Richard H. (2009). The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of The Useful, The Curious, and The Arcane . Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p.  123. ISBN   978-0-88192-899-0.
  74. "House Joint Memorial 101". Oregon Legislative Assembly. 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  75. "Sonoran Desert National Park, Arizona: A Proposal". National Park Service. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  76. Vandenberg, Sean (April 25, 2012). "Sonoran Desert National Park". National Border, National Park: A History of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  77. Allen, Lee (November 2000). "The Attempt to Create the Sonora Desert National Park". DesertUSA. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  78. "John Earl Martin, Singer". rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  79. "May 9, 1930 Volume 72 December 2, 1929 to July 3, 1930". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  80. "S.222 - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1979". Congress.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2024.