National preserve

Last updated

Entrance sign to Mojave National Preserve Mojave National Preserve sign 1.jpg
Entrance sign to Mojave National Preserve

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. [1] [2] [3] The activities permitted in each national preserve vary depending on the enabling legislation of the unit. [4] All national preserves are managed by the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the National Park System.

Contents

Eleven national preserves are co-managed with national parks or national monuments; because hunting is forbidden in those units, preserves provide a similar level of protection from development but allow hunting and in some cases grazing. Nine of those are counted as separate official units, while New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve are each single units, though there is no administrative difference. The remaining ten are stand-alone units. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve has a preserve site that is managed like one, but is not distinguished as a national preserve in the authorizing legislation and is not listed here. The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is a unique designation that is dissimilar to national preserves.

National preserves are located in eleven states; Alaska is home to ten of them, including the largest, Noatak National Preserve. Their total area is 24,651,566 acres (99,761 km2), 86% of which is in Alaska. All national preserves except Tallgrass Prairie permit hunting in accordance with local regulations. [5] A national preserve differs from a national reserve as management of reserves can be delegated to the state in which they are located. [6]

History

Entrance sign to Denali National Park and Preserve Denali National Park and Preserve AK2006-0265.jpg
Entrance sign to Denali National Park and Preserve

The first national preserves were Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas and Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, both established in 1974. The Big Cypress Swamp, adjacent to Everglades National Park and originally intended to be included in it, was at risk of destruction by a proposed airport. Opposition by conservationists and studies showing the swamp's role in water protection led to its cancellation after one runway was built, and President Richard Nixon proposed the area's preservation as Big Cypress National Fresh Water Reserve to protect the local water supply. [7] Congressional deliberation resulted in a new designation of a national preserve that bought out private landowners to conserve "the natural, scenic, hydrologic, floral and faunaI, and recreational values of the Big Cypress Watershed," [8] though off-road vehicle use, oil extraction, hunting, and traditional use by the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes are permitted. [9]

The Big Thicket, a large area of swamps and forests, was originally proposed to be preserved as a state park or national park, but these were opposed by timber firms who wanted to retain their logging lands. A 1967 survey by the National Park Service proposed establishing nine units representative of the variety of plant life in the region, but because the thicket was already fragmented by roads and logging, it would not qualify as a national park. National monument was also deemed a suboptimal designation, and compromise on the boundary and management provisions eventually led to its establishment as a national preserve. [10] The bills creating both preserves were signed on the same day by President Gerald Ford and contained similar wording limiting construction, agriculture, and mineral extraction to that still assuring the area's "natural and ecological integrity in perpetuity," while permitting hunting. [11] [12]

Following President Jimmy Carter's 1978 establishment of 17 national monuments in Alaska, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 redesignated four as national preserves and six as national parks or monuments paired with a preserve. These had been recommended during the legislative process as early as 1974 to resolve the issue of sport hunting at Lake Clark after it was used for Big Thicket and Big Cypress. [13] While this was not the primary factor in the naming of the original national preserves, it presented a compromise to protect scenic lands and allow hunting in the National Park System without breaking precedent in parks and monuments that forbid it. [14] The national preserves are managed in the same way as national parks, except that regulated hunting, fishing, and trapping for sport and subsistence are permitted, though the NPS can close areas to such practices as needed. [4] Although hunting was also allowed at most national recreation areas, this was a major change in NPS wildlife management with a fifth of its land now open to it. [14]

Five new units were established from 1988 to 2000, two of which are partnerships with local governments and landowners. The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve includes sites owned by Florida State Parks, the city of Jacksonville, and private landowners. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is so designated to accommodate a public-private partnership reducing federal land ownership, [15] and it is almost entirely owned by The Nature Conservancy. Valles Caldera National Preserve was originally established in 2000 to be operated by an independent trust, but its management was transferred to the National Park Service in 2015. [16]

The four most recently established national preserves were all expansions or redesignations of existing NPS sites. Great Sand Dunes National Monument was redesignated a national park, and the mountainous wilderness area transferred to it from the U.S. Forest Service became the preserve. [17] President Bill Clinton expanded Craters of the Moon National Monument using the Antiquities Act, and most of the expanded area was redesignated a national preserve two years later to permit hunting. [18] Oregon Caves National Monument gained its preserve lands from Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest, increasing the unit's size ninefold. [19] Ten percent of New River Gorge National River was redesignated a national park where hunting was disallowed, and the remainder became New River Gorge National Preserve with little change. [20]

List of national preserves

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Preserves paired with a national park or monument do not have visitation separately recorded. Their combined visitor counts are marked in italics, as the number visiting the preserve portions may be substantially smaller. Among these eleven, only Lake Clark and Wrangell–St. Elias have most of their facilities in the preserve.

List of national preserves
NameImageLocationManaged withDate established [3] Area [21] Visitors (2020) [22] Ref
Aniakchak Aniakchak Bay (22343282135).jpg Alaska

56°48′N157°42′W / 56.8°N 157.7°W / 56.8; -157.7 (Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve)

MonumentDec 2, 1980464,117 acres (1,878.2 km2)36The coastal plains and mountains of the Aleutian Range around Mount Aniakchak, a 3,700-year-old volcanic caldera, make up this facility-free preserve reachable only by plane. In addition to hiking and hunting, some visitors raft down the Aniakchak River, a National Wild River, from the volcano to the sea, though its inaccessibility and unpredictable weather make it the least-visited unit of the National Park System. [23]
Bering Land Bridge Tors in serpentine valley (9922806545).jpg Alaska

65°50′N164°10′W / 65.83°N 164.17°W / 65.83; -164.17 (Bering Land Bridge National Preserve)

–Dec 2, 19802,697,391 acres (10,916.0 km2)2,642The pristine Seward Peninsula is what remains of the ice age Bering land bridge. The Chukchi Sea coast, Imuruk Lake volcanic field, maar lakes, and tundra support Arctic animals including migrating caribou, polar bears, walrus, muskox, and ribbon seals. Visitors snowmobile, watch for 170 species of birds, soak in hot springs, and hike on tundra and lava fields. [24]
Big Cypress Big Cypress National Preserve SR 94 - Cypresses.jpg Florida

25°52′N81°02′W / 25.86°N 81.03°W / 25.86; -81.03 (Big Cypress National Preserve)

–Oct 11, 1974720,564 acres (2,916.0 km2)1,181,930Adjoining Everglades National Park, the Big Cypress Swamp is home to mangroves, cypress trees, alligators, and Florida panthers. It can be accessed by hiking along the start of the Florida Trail, biking, canoeing, kayaking, airboat, and swamp buggies. [25]
Big Thicket Pine savannah wetland habitat, Big Thicket National Preserve, Turkey Creek Unit, Tyler Co. Texas; 1 May.jpg Texas

30°33′N94°20′W / 30.55°N 94.34°W / 30.55; -94.34 (Big Thicket National Preserve)

–Oct 11, 1974113,121 acres (457.8 km2)309,053The Big Thicket includes several diverse ecosystems within the Piney Woods, with upland pine habitats, open grassy areas, sloped deciduous forests, floodplains, prairies, and swamps intertwined together, but little old-growth forest remains. They are home to nine-banded armadillos, bobcats, river otters, alligators, and 33 snakes. Nine major units are connected by six waterway corridors along the Neches River and its tributary creeks. [26]
Craters of the Moon Basalt lava flow squeeze-up (North Crater Flow, Holocene, 2.2-2.4 ka; Craters of the Moon Lava Field, Idaho, USA) 20.jpg Idaho

42°16′N113°23′W / 42.26°N 113.38°W / 42.26; -113.38 (Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve)

MonumentAug 21, 2002410,733 acres (1,662.2 km2)250,872This preserve covers most of the lava fields of the Great Rift of Idaho that erupted 15,000 to 2,000 years ago. Its volcanic features include many cinder cones and spatter cones, lava tubes and fissures, and tree molds made of ʻaʻa, pahoehoe, and block lava. These basaltic flows support wildflowers, shrubs, limber pines, and Rocky Mountain junipers. [27]
Denali Mt. McKinley from 37,000 ft - panoramio.jpg Alaska

62°30′N152°18′W / 62.5°N 152.3°W / 62.5; -152.3 (Denali National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 2, 19801,334,117 acres (5,399.0 km2)54,850With the national park centered around Denali, the national preserve has two sections: one to the northwest encompassing lakes in the Highpower Creek and Muddy River areas and one including the southwest end of the Alaska Range around Mount Dall and Dall Glacier, the Kichatna Mountains, and the Yentna River. [28]
Gates of the Arctic Oolah Valley (16089307144).jpg Alaska

66°54′N154°42′W / 66.9°N 154.7°W / 66.9; -154.7 (Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 2, 1980948,608 acres (3,838.9 km2)2,872The preserve has two sections, one on the northeast of the park around the Itkillik River and the other on the south side around the Kobuk River. Beyond viewing and hunting black bear, grizzly bear, Dall sheep, moose, and smaller game, visitors can float and fish on the Kobuk, a designated Wild River. [29]
Glacier Bay Dry Bay.jpg Alaska

59°06′N138°24′W / 59.1°N 138.4°W / 59.1; -138.4 (Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 2, 198058,406 acres (236.4 km2)5,784While Glacier Bay and its surrounding mountainous icefields and tidewater glaciers make up the national park, the preserve is a flatter area in the northwest between the Alsek River, its Dry Bay delta, and the Deception Hills. Visitors fish and hunt, raft the river, and ATV on trails. [30] [31]
Great Sand Dunes AerialGreatSandDunes.jpg Colorado

37°48′N105°30′W / 37.8°N 105.5°W / 37.8; -105.5 (Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve)

ParkNov 22, 200041,686 acres (168.7 km2)461,532This preserve includes the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, including Tijeras Peak and Mount Herard, that rise above North America's tallest sand dunes in the national park. Trails among the montane forests lead up to alpine lakes and Mosca Pass. [32]
Katmai A hiker stands on a mountain summit, Katmai Preserve NPS Photo Russ Taylor (44430194821).jpg Alaska

59°06′N155°12′W / 59.1°N 155.2°W / 59.1; -155.2 (Katmai National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 2, 1980418,698 acres (1,694.4 km2)51,511Nonvianuk Lake and Kukaklek Lake, source of the Alagnak Wild River, and Moraine and Funnel Creeks are rich with salmon that attract a large population of bears. There are no roads but it has fly-in access to fly fishing, backpacking, and bear and moose hunting. [33]
Lake Clark Lake Clark Place Name Project images. Credit Dev Charm Khalsa NPS. (83e964ee-657e-462b-80cf-097f9330a5be).jpg Alaska

60°58′N153°55′W / 60.97°N 153.92°W / 60.97; -153.92 (Lake Clark National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 2, 19801,410,293 acres (5,707.3 km2)4,948 Lake Clark and other glacially carved lakes near the Chigmit Mountains are important spawning grounds for sockeye salmon. The valley and foothill areas are rich with boreal forests that provide habitat for brown and black bears, Dall sheep, moose, caribou, peregrine falcon, and timber wolf. [34]
Little River Canyon Little River Canyon National Park,Gaylesville,AL.jpg Alabama

34°26′N85°36′W / 34.44°N 85.6°W / 34.44; -85.6 (Little River Canyon National Preserve)

–Oct 24, 199215,291 acres (61.9 km2)802,375The Little River flows atop Lookout Mountain, with waterfalls, bluffs, and cliffs along its canyon. A scenic highway runs along the rim, with hiking trails down to the river for rock climbing, fishing, and kayaking. [35]
Mojave Caruthers Canyon 5.jpg California

34°54′N115°42′W / 34.9°N 115.7°W / 34.9; -115.7 (Mojave National Preserve)

–Oct 31, 19941,547,955 acres (6,264.4 km2)608,633The Mojave Desert is characterized by its warm but temperate climate, featuring Creosote bush, cholla cacti, and a Joshua tree forest. The region includes the 600 ft (180 m) tall Kelso Dunes that sing, the Cima volcanic field with dozens of cinder cones and lava fields, and abandoned homesteads and mines. [36]
New River Gorge New River Gorge National River (47734081421).jpg West Virginia

37°52′N81°02′W / 37.87°N 81.03°W / 37.87; -81.03 (New River Gorge National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 21, 202065,165 acres (263.7 km2)1,054,374The New River, one of the oldest rivers in North America, carved this V-shaped canyon in the Appalachian Mountains with sandstone and shale cliffs popular for advanced rock climbing. Its ancient Appalachian mixed mesophytic forest on varied topography connects northern mountain and Atlantic coastal species for a highly diverse ecosystem. The river's enormous rapids provide for excellent whitewater rafting. [37]
Noatak Famous View (9939329406).jpg Alaska

68°00′N159°30′W / 68°N 159.5°W / 68; -159.5 (Noatak National Preserve)

–Dec 2, 19806,587,071 acres (26,656.9 km2)12,533The pristine Noatak River basin lies between the Baird and De Long Mountains of the Brooks Range, connecting tundra to taiga. It is a migration route for hundreds of thousands of caribou, Alaska moose, and brown bears. [38]
Oregon Caves Oregon Caves NPres Bigelow Lakes.jpg Oregon

42°06′N123°23′W / 42.1°N 123.38°W / 42.1; -123.38 (Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve)

MonumentDec 19, 20144,070 acres (16.5 km2)22,789While the marble Oregon Caves extend deep under the national monument, above ground the preserve has forests, meadows, streams, and mountains. Hiking trails lead to Mount Elijah and the Bigelow Lakes with views of the Siskiyou Mountains. [39]
Tallgrass Prairie Flint Hills Scenic Byway - Prairie Wildflowers at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve - NARA - 7718406.jpg Kansas

38°26′N96°34′W / 38.43°N 96.56°W / 38.43; -96.56 (Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve)

–Nov 12, 199610,882 acres (44.0 km2)29,009Nearly all of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem has been replaced by farmland, and this area of the Flint Hills maintains its diverse plant and animal life at a former ranch. Controlled burns and a reintroduced bison herd keep the land fertile. [40]
Timucuan Ecological and
Historic Preserve 		Timucuan salt marsh.jpg Florida

30°27′N81°27′W / 30.45°N 81.45°W / 30.45; -81.45 (Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve)

–Feb 16, 198846,262 acres (187.2 km2)1,017,373These wetlands at the mouth of the Nassau and St. Johns Rivers have salt marshes, tropical hardwood hammocks, and coastal dunes. Archeological excavations have found Timucua artifacts dating back thousands of years. It also includes the Kingsley Plantation and Fort Caroline National Memorial. [41]
Valles Caldera Valle Grande from Coyote Call.jpg New Mexico

35°54′N106°30′W / 35.9°N 106.5°W / 35.9; -106.5 (Valles Caldera National Preserve)

–July 25, 200089,766 acres (363.3 km2)30,434The Valles Caldera was formed in a volcanic eruption 1.25 million years ago and still has an active geothermal system. Its rim is 13 mi (21 km) in diameter, with wide grassy meadow valleys divided by resurgent domes including Redondo Peak. There are large populations of elk, Gunnison's prairie dogs, badgers, and golden eagles. [42]
Wrangell–St. Elias Barnard Glacier (21587292536).jpg Alaska

61°26′N142°57′W / 61.44°N 142.95°W / 61.44; -142.95 (Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve)

ParkDec 2, 19804,852,644 acres (19,638.0 km2)16,655Paired with America's largest national park, this preserve is generally the lower-elevation areas around the Wrangell Mountains, including the Kennicott and Nabesna Glaciers that flow into the Nizina and Nabesna Rivers, respectively, that can be rafted. The abandoned Kennecott Mines were once a major source of copper and are now the preserve's main historic attraction. [43]
Yukon–Charley Rivers CharleyRiverAtYukon1.jpg Alaska

65°00′N143°30′W / 65°N 143.5°W / 65; -143.5 (Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve)

–Dec 2, 19802,526,512 acres (10,224.4 km2)666Including the entirety of the Charley River watershed and 130 mi (210 km) of the Yukon River, this preserve protects their surrounding mountains and bluffs that are habitat for diverse Arctic wildlife like peregrine falcons, caribou, and salmon. Summer visitors float down the rivers and see remnants of gold mining, and in the winter dog sledders race in the Yukon Quest. [44]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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 U.S. 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 are in Washington, D.C., within the main headquarters of the Department of the Interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denali National Park and Preserve</span> National park in Alaska, US

Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a United States national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve encompass 6,045,153 acres which is larger than the state of New Hampshire. On December 2, 1980, 2,146,580-acre Denali Wilderness was established within the park. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga, with tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is the Kahiltna Glacier. Wintertime activities include dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. The park received 594,660 recreational visitors in 2018.

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

Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States national park and preserve in southwest Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. The park and preserve encompass 4,093,077 acres, which is between the sizes of Connecticut and New Jersey. Most of the national park is a designated wilderness area. The park is named after Mount Katmai, its centerpiece stratovolcano. The park is located on the Alaska Peninsula, across from Kodiak Island, with headquarters in nearby King Salmon, about 290 miles (470 km) southwest of Anchorage. The area was first designated a national monument in 1918 to protect the area around the major 1912 volcanic eruption of Novarupta, which formed the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a 40-square-mile (100 km2), 100-to-700-foot-deep pyroclastic flow. The park includes as many as 18 individual volcanoes, seven of which have been active since 1900.

<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">Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve</span> National park in Alaska, United States

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is an national park of the United States located in Southeast Alaska west of Juneau. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the area around Glacier Bay a national monument under the Antiquities Act on February 26, 1925. Subsequent to an expansion of the monument by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) enlarged the national monument by 523,000 acres on December 2, 1980, and created Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The national preserve encompasses 58,406 acres of public land to the immediate northwest of the park, protecting a portion of the Alsek River with its fish and wildlife habitats, while allowing sport hunting.

<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">Lake Clark National Park and Preserve</span> National park in Alaska, United States

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States national park and preserve in southwest Alaska, about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Anchorage. The park was first proclaimed a national monument in 1978, then established as a national park and preserve in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The park includes many streams and lakes vital to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, including its namesake Lake Clark. A wide variety of recreational activities may be pursued in the park and preserve year-round. The park protects rainforests along the coastline of Cook Inlet, alpine tundra, glaciers, glacial lakes, major salmon-bearing rivers, and two volcanoes, Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna. Mount Redoubt is active, erupting in 1989 and 2009. The wide variety of ecosystems in the park mean that virtually all major Alaskan animals, terrestrial and marine, may be seen in and around the park. Salmon, particularly sockeye salmon, play a major role in the ecosystem and the local economy. Large populations of brown bears are attracted to feed on the spawning salmon in the Kijik River and at Silver Salmon Creek. Bear watching is a common activity in the park.

<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">Noatak National Preserve</span> National Preserve along the Noatak River in northwestern Alaska

Noatak National Preserve is a United States National Preserve in northwestern Alaska that was established to protect the Noatak River Basin. The Noatak River system, located just north of the Arctic Circle, is thought to be the last remaining complete river system in the United States that has not been altered by human activities. The roadless basin was proclaimed a United States National Monument in 1978 and a National Preserve in 1980 through the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Noatak National Preserve borders Kobuk Valley National Park on the south and Gates of the Arctic National Park on the east. Unlike the national parks that it borders, sport hunting is allowed in Noatak National Preserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve</span> In the Flint Hills region of Kansas, US

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, north of Strong City. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Of the 400,000 square miles (1,000,000 km2) of tallgrass prairie that once covered the North American continent, less than 5% remains, primarily in the Flint Hills. Since 2009, the preserve has been home to the Tallgrass Prairie bison herd.

<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">Big Thicket</span> Heavily forested area of Southeast Texas in the United States

The Big Thicket is the name given to a somewhat imprecise region of a heavily forested area of Southeast Texas in the United States. This area represents a portion of the mixed pine-hardwood forests or "Piney Woods" of the Southeast US. The National Park Service established the Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP) within the region in 1974 and it is recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. Although the diversity of animals in the area is high for a temperate zone with over 500 vertebrates, it is the complex mosaic of ecosystems and plant diversity that is particularly remarkable. Biologists have identified at least eight, and up to eleven, ecosystems in the Big Thicket area. More than 160 species of trees and shrubs, 800 herbs and vines, and 340 types of grasses are known to occur in the Big Thicket, and estimates as high as over 1000 flowering plant species and 200 trees and shrubs have been made, plus ferns, carnivorous plants, and more. The Big Thicket has historically been the most dense forest region in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipestone National Monument</span> United States historic place

Pipestone National Monument is located in southwestern Minnesota, just north of the city of Pipestone, Minnesota. It is located along the highways of U.S. Route 75, Minnesota State Highway 23 and Minnesota State Highway 30. The quarries are culturally significant to 23 tribal nations of North America. Those known to actually occupied the site chronologically are the Yankton Dakota, Iowa, and Omaha peoples. The Quarries were considered a neutral territory in the historic past where all tribal nations could quarry stone for ceremonial pipes. The catlinite, or "pipestone", is traditionally used to make ceremonial pipes. They are vitally important to Plains Indian traditional practices. Archeologists believe the site has been in use for over 3000 years with Minnesota pipestone having been found in ancient North American burial mounds across a large geographic area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New River Gorge National Park and Preserve</span> National park and preserve in West Virginia, United States

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is a United States national park and preserve designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains. Established in 1978 as a national river and redesignated in 2020, the park and preserve stretches for 53 miles (85 km) from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Cypress National Preserve</span> Over 729,000 acres in Florida (US) managed by the National Park Service

Big Cypress National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in South Florida, about 45 miles west of Miami on the Atlantic coastal plain. The 720,000-acre (2,900 km2) Big Cypress, along with Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, became the first national preserves in the United States National Park System when they were established on October 11, 1974. In 2008, Florida film producer Elam Stoltzfus featured the preserve in a PBS documentary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sandy Creek (Village Creek tributary)</span> A stream located in southeastern Texas, United States

Big Sandy Creek is a stream in Texas, United States. It rises in Polk County before flowing approximately 40 miles (64 km) southeast into Hardin County where it merges with Kimball Creek, forming Village Creek. Long sections of the creek pass through the Big Thicket National Preserve. The 14,343 acres (58.04 km2) Big Sandy Creek unit is named after the stream. The creek also passes through the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation east of Livingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Village Creek (Texas)</span> River

Village Creek is a blackwater tributary of the Neches River in Texas, United States. It arises in northwestern Hardin County outside the community of Village Mills. Due to the waterway's isolation and absence of impoundments, it is known to be pristine supporting cypress swamps and hardwood forests, as well as many rare and endangered species. It is 63 miles (101 km) long and average streamflow at the mouth is approximately 1,000 cubic feet per second (28 m3/s). It passes through three conservation areas on the way south, being: the Big Thicket National Preserve - Village Creek Corridor Unit, Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, and Village Creek State Park.

References

  1. ↑ "Designations of National Park System Units". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ Mackintosh, Barry (2005). The National Parks: Shaping the System. U.S. Department of the Interior. pp. 75–95. ISBN   978-0-912627-73-1. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  3. 1 2 The National Parks: Index 2012–2016 (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  4. 1 2 16 USC 3201 – Administration of national preserves Archived December 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 4, 2021. Legal Information Institute.
  5. ↑ "Here's Where You Can Hunt And Trap In The National Park System". National Parks Traveler. July 14, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ "What's In a Name? Discover National Park System Designations". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ Nixon, Richard (February 8, 1972), "51 – Special Message to the Congress Outlining the 1972 Environmental Program", The American Presidency Project, archived from the original on May 7, 2021, retrieved October 4, 2021
  8. ↑ Paige, John C.; Van Horn, Lawrence F. (1982). "An Ethnohistory of Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  9. ↑ "A National Preserve - One Land, Many Uses - Big Cypress National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  10. ↑ Cozine, James (October 1, 1993). "Defining the Big Thicket: Prelude to Preservation". East Texas Historical Journal. 31 (2). ISSN   0424-1444. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  11. ↑ Pub. L. Tooltip Public Law (United States)  93–440: To establish the Big Cypress National Reserve in the State of Florida, and for other purposes
  12. ↑ Pub. L. Tooltip Public Law (United States)  93–439: To authorize the establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve in the State of Texas, and for other purposes.
  13. ↑ Williss, G. Frank (September 1985). "'Do Things Right the First Time' Administrative History: The National Park Service and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980". NPS History. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  14. 1 2 Funk, David (June 1990). "The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and the National Park Service in Alaska: A Primer" (PDF). NPS History. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  15. ↑ Conard, Rebecca (1998). "Convergence". Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Legislative History, 1920–1996. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 15, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Laws & Policies – Valles Caldera National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Foundation Document – Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve" (PDF). National Park Service. January 2017. p. 50. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Record of Decision – Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  19. ↑ Urness, Zach (December 4, 2014). "Six Things to Know About Oregon Caves Expansion". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ Averill, Graham (December 22, 2020). "West Virginia's New River Gorge Will Be Our 63rd National Park". Outside Online. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Listing of Acreage (Summary)" (PDF). NPS Stats. National Park Service. December 31, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Stats Report Viewer". National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Bering Land Bridge National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Big Cypress National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Big Thicket National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Denali National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Glacier Bay National Preserve – Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Katmai National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Lake Clark National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Little River Canyon National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Mojave National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  37. ↑ "New River Gorge National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Noatak National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Valles Caldera National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve". National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.