Protected areas of the United States
The protected areas of the United States are managed by an array of different federal, state, tribal and local level authorities and receive widely varying levels of protection. Some areas are managed as
Federal-level protected areas
Federal protected areas include lands and waters owned outright ("Fee ownerships"), as well as areas that are secured by easements, leases, etc. In addition to ownership-defined areas, there are numerous overlaying policy designations that apply management protections and use conditions on all or some of individual protected areas (e.g., Wilderness Areas, National Monuments, etc.).
As of 2007[update], according to the
The highest levels of protection, as described by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), are Level I (Strict Nature Reserves & Wilderness Areas) and Level II (National Parks). The United States maintains 12 percent of the Level I and II lands in the world. These lands had a total area of 210,000 sq mi (540,000 km2).[citation needed]
Because U.S. federal protected areas include both ownership based names, and names related to overlaying policy designations, the naming system for U.S. protected areas results in some types being used by more than one agency. For instance, both the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service manage areas designated
There are existing federal designations of historic or landmark status that may support preservation via tax incentives, but that do not necessarily convey any protection, including a listing on the National Register of Historic Places or a designation as a National Historic Landmark. States and local zoning bodies may or may not choose to protect these. The state of Colorado, for example, is very clear that it does not set any limits on owners of NRHP properties.[4]
Federal protected area designations[1]
- National Park System (list of areas here)
- National Parks
- National Preserves
- National Seashores
- National Lakeshores
- National Forest
- National Forests
- National Grasslands
- National Conservation Lands
- National Monuments (list here)
- National Conservation Areas
- here)
- Wilderness Study Areas
- National Wild and Scenic Rivers (list here)
- National Scenic Trails
- National Historic Trails
- Cooperative Management and Protection Areas
- Forest Reserves
- Outstanding Natural Areas
- National Scenic Areas
- National Marine Sanctuaries
- National Recreation Areas
- National Estuarine Research Reserves
- National Trails System
- here)
- Tennessee Valley Authority
International protected area designations
State-level protected areas
Every state has a system of
- Lists of state parks in the United States:
- List of U.S. state and tribal wilderness areas
- List of Wildlife Management Areas in the U.S.
Local-level protected areas
U.S. counties, cities and towns, metropolitan authorities, regional park systems, recreation districts and other units manage a wide variety of local public parks and other protected areas. Some of these are little more than picnic areas or playgrounds; however, others are extensive nature reserves. South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona, for example, is called the largest city park in the United States; it spans 25 sq mi (65 km2) and contains 58 mi (93 km) of trails.
List of protected areas by region
- Protected areas of American Samoa
- Protected areas of California
- Protected areas of Colorado
- Protected areas of Georgia
- Protected areas of Illinois
- Protected areas of Indiana
- Protected areas of Kentucky
- Protected areas of Michigan
- Protected areas of North Carolina
- Protected areas of Ohio
- Protected areas of Puerto Rico
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-7432-0057-8.
- ^ "United States of America". Protected Planet. World Database on Protected Areas. 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
- ^ "National Marine Protected Areas Center". marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ "National & State Register Program". OAHP. Colorado Historical Society. 2009. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
External links
- National Landscape Conservation System (BLM Special Areas)
- National Park Service
- National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
- National Wildlife Refuge System
- Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US)
- PAD-US companion site - Protectedlands.net
- National Conservation Easement Database (NCED)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lakes Gateway
- U.S. Forest Service
- U.S. Marine Protected Areas