Protected areas of California

. Despite the difficulties, the CPAD gives the total area of protected land at 49,294,000 acres (199,490 km²), or 47.05% of the state (not including easements); a considerable amount for the most populous state in the country.

National Park System

Main articles:

List of National Monuments of the United States

The U.S.

Inyo County

.

National parks Main article: National parks in California Channel Islands National Park Death Valley National Park Joshua Tree National Park Kings Canyon National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park Pinnacles National Park Redwood National Park Sequoia National Park Yosemite National Park
National monuments (administered by the NPS) Cabrillo National Monument Castle Mountains National Monument César E. Chávez National Monument Devils Postpile National Monument Lava Beds National Monument Muir Woods National Monument Mojave Trails National Monument San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Sand to Snow National Monument World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument
National recreation areas Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Golden Gate National Recreation Area
National seashores Point Reyes National Seashore
National preserves Mojave National Preserve

National Landscape Conservation System

Main article:

National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) includes over 850 federally recognized areas and in California, manages 15,500,000 acres (63,000 km²) of public lands, nearly 15% of the state's land area.^[3] The National Landscape Conservation System is composed of several types of units: national monuments (distinct from the same-named units within the National Park System), national conservation areas, forest reserves, outstanding natural areas, national scenic and historic trails, wilderness, wilderness study areas, and others.

National monuments (administered by the BLM) Berryessa Snow Mountain (also administered by the Mendocino National Forest) California Coastal Carrizo Plain Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains		National conservation areas California Desert King Range
Forest reserves Headwaters Forest	Headwaters Forest	Outstanding natural areas Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station	Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station
National scenic and historic trails California National Historic Trail Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Old Spanish National Historic Trail Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail		Wilderness and wilderness study areas Total BLM-managed wilderness land in California is 3,725,230 acres (15,075.5 km2).[4]

National Marine Sanctuaries

The National Marine Sanctuary System is managed by the Office of Marine Sanctuaries, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
California has four of the thirteen U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries:

National Wildlife Refuges

National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is an extensive system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants. Many of the state's refuges are important stops and destinations for millions of migrating birds along the Pacific Flyway corridor. One, the Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area, has the highest density of waterfowl in the world.^[6] There are 38 units in the refuge system in California, including both wildlife refuges and wildlife management areas, divided into 9 different regional areas. Combined the areas equal about 440,000 acres (1,800 km²).

Hopper Mountain NWR Complex Bitter Creek NWR Blue Ridge NWR Hopper Mountain NWR Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes NWR		San Diego NWR Complex San Diego NWR San Diego Bay NWR Seal Beach NWR Sweetwater Marsh NWR Tijuana Slough NWR
Humboldt Bay NWR Complex Humboldt Bay NWR Castle Rock NWR		San Francisco Bay NWR Complex Antioch Dunes NWR Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR Ellicott Slough NWR Farallon NWR Marin Islands NWR Salinas River NWR San Pablo Bay NWR
Kern NWR Complex Kern NWR Pixley NWR		San Luis NWR Complex Grasslands WMA Merced NWR San Joaquin River NWR San Luis NWR
Klamath Basin NWR Complex Clear Lake NWR Lower Klamath NWR Tule Lake NWR		Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Complex Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Coachella Valley NWR
Sacramento NWR Complex Butte Sink WMA Colusa NWR Delevan NWR North Central Valley WMA Sacramento NWR Sacramento River NWR Sutter NWR Willow Creek-Lurline WMA	Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge	Other refuges Modoc NWR

Wild and Scenic rivers

Rivers designated as Wild and Scenic are administered by one of four federal land management agencies: The Bureau of Land Management, The National Park Service, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or The U.S. Forest Service.^[7] There are 22 rivers in California with portions designated as Wild and Scenic, with 23 designations in all (the American River has two separate designations, one for the North Fork, and one for the Lower section).^[8] Listed in miles.

National Wilderness Preservation System

There are 149 wilderness areas in California totaling just over 15,000,000 acres (61,000 km2). US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service . Rarely, if ever, are designated wilderness areas stand alone protected areas, and thus their areas are, in all likelihood, already accounted for in the various agencies' inventories.

National Forests

California has 17 U.S. National Forests, one special management unit (

State Forests

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) operates eight Demonstration State Forests totaling 71,000 acres. The forests represent the most common forest types in the state. The State Forests grow approximately 75 million board feet of timber annually and harvest an average of 30 million board feet each year, enough to build 3,000 single-family homes. Revenue from these harvests fund the management of the State Forests. In addition, the forests provide research and demonstration opportunities for natural resource management, while providing public recreation opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed protection. Activities include: experimental timber harvesting techniques, watershed restoration, mushroom collecting, hunting, firewood gathering, cone collecting for seed, a variety of university research projects, horseback riding, camping, mountain biking, and hiking.^[10]

State parks

The Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department,[12] is a mere 0.1-acre (400 m2).

State wilderness areas

Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness Murrelet State Wilderness, part of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park[13] Henry W. Coe State Wilderness Santa Rosa Mountains State Wilderness Sinkyone Wilderness State Park Big Basin State Park Additionally, 386,000 acres (1,560 km2) of Anza-Borrego State Park have been designated as wilderness.[14]

Department of Fish and Wildlife Protected Areas

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), through its seven regional divisions,[15] manages more than 700 protected areas statewide, totaling 1,177,180 acres (4,763.9 km2).[16] They are broadly categorized as: 110 wildlife areas,[17] designed to give the public easier access to wildlife while preserving habitats. 135 ecological reserves,[18] which protect rare terrestrial and ocean species and habitats. 319 undesignated lands. 108 public access lands. 21 fish hatcheries. 37 miscellaneous lands.

Municipal parks

Most cities and counties in California, as in elsewhere, own and operate open spaces of various types, the most recognizable being the city and county park. By far the largest inventory of protected land held by a municipal agency belongs to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, with just over 400,000 acres (1,600 km2) in its jurisdiction.[19] The largest city park in the state is Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego at 5,800 acres (23 km2), although there are several county and regional parks that are larger. Total land owned by municipal agencies is roughly 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km2) acres.

Privately owned preserves

In addition to the many public lands are about 550,000 acres (2,200 km2) of privately owned preserves. Sempervirens Fund, the Sacramento Valley Conservancy and the Wilderness Land Trust .

Largest land owners of protected lands

The 20 largest landholders, according to the CPAD 2018a Statistics Report:

References