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 wilderness , while others are operated with acceptable commercial exploitation . As of 2022 , the 42,826 protected areas covered 1,235,486 km (477,024 sq mi), or 13 percent of the land area of the United States . This is also one-tenth of the protected land area of the world. The U.S. also had a total of 871 National Marine Protected Areas , covering an additional 1,240,000 sq mi (3,200,000 km ), or 26 percent of the total marine area of the United States.
14-466: Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is a state-protected Natural Area in southwest Washington state , United States. The preserve includes some of the Washington mima mounds , the origin of which still is not fully understood. The site comprises 637 acres (258 ha) of Garry oak woodland, oak savanna , and prairie grasslands . Several state and federal endangered species of butterfly depending on
28-458: 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. Federal protected area designations International protected area designations Every state has
42-401: A system of state parks as well as many other types of protected areas (forests, reserves, refuges, recreation areas, etc.). State parks vary widely from urban parks to very large parks that are on a par with national parks. Some state parks, like Adirondack Park , are similar to the national parks of England and Wales , with numerous towns inside the borders of the park. About half the area of
56-542: Is on Wikidata Protected areas of the United States 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 , according to
70-671: The United Nations Environment Programme , the U.S. had a total of 6,770 terrestrial nationally designated (federal) protected areas. Federal level protected areas are managed by a variety of agencies, most of which are a part of the National Park Service , a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior . They are often considered the crown jewels of the protected areas. Other areas are managed by
84-789: The United States Forest Service , the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service . The United States Army Corps of Engineers is claimed to provide 30 percent of the recreational opportunities on federal lands, mainly through lakes and waterways that they manage. 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
98-700: The Washington Department of Natural Resources , manages dozens of natural areas owned by the U.S. state of Washington . These areas have received funding through the state's general fund since the Washington State Legislature enacted the Natural Areas Preserve Act in 1972. As of May 2022, there are 58 Natural Area Preserves and 39 Natural Resources Conservation Areas. The program's goals are to protect rare and outstanding examples of Washington's widely varied ecosystems , maintain
112-2733: The Columbian White-Tailed Deer Little Pend Oreille McNary Pierce Protection Island Quillayute Needles Ridgefield Saddle Mountain San Juan Islands Steigerwald Lake Toppenish Turnbull Umatilla Willapa National Forests Colville Gifford Pinchot Idaho Panhandle Kaniksu Mount Baker–Snoqualmie Okanogan–Wenatchee Olympic Umatilla Wenatchee USFS National Recreation Areas Mount Baker National Wilderness Alpine Lakes Boulder River The Brothers Buckhorn Clearwater Colonel Bob Daniel J. Evans Glacier Peak Glacier View Goat Rocks Henry M. Jackson Indian Heaven Juniper Dunes Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Ridge Mount Adams Mount Baker Mount Rainier Mount Skokomish Noisy-Diobsud Norse Peak Pasayten Salmo-Priest San Juan Stephen Mather Tatoosh Trapper Creek Washington Islands Wenaha–Tucannon Wild Sky William O. Douglas Wonder Mountain National Marine Sanctuary and National Estuarine Research Reserve Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve National Wild and Scenic Rivers Illabot Klickitat Pratt Skagit Snoqualmie White Salmon State State Parks Alta Lake Anderson Lake Battle Ground Lake Bay View Beacon Rock Belfair Birch Bay Blake Island Blind Island Bogachiel Bottle Beach Bridgeport Bridle Trails Brooks Memorial Cama Beach Camano Island Camp Wooten Retreat Center Cape Disappointment Clark Island Columbia Hills Columbia Plateau Trail Conconully Crawford Curlew Lake Cutts Island Daroga Dash Point Deception Pass Doe Island Dosewallips Doug's Beach Eagle Island Federation Forest Fields Spring Flaming Geyser Forks of
126-634: The Level I and II lands in the world. These lands had a total area of 210,000 sq mi (540,000 km ). 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 National Preserves and National Recreation Areas . The National Park Service,
140-8247: The Sky Fort Casey Fort Columbia Fort Ebey Fort Flagler Fort Simcoe Fort Townsend Fort Worden Ginkgo Petrified Forest Goldendale Observatory Grayland Beach Griffiths-Priday Harstine Island Hope Island (Mason County) Hope Island (Skagit County) Ike Kinswa Illahee Iron Horse Jackson House James Island Jarrell Cove Joemma Beach Jones Island Joseph Whidbey Kanaskat-Palmer Kinney Point Kitsap Memorial Klickitat Trail Kopachuck Lake Chelan Lake Easton Lake Lenore Caves Lake Sammamish Lake Sylvia Lake Wenatchee Larrabee Leadbetter Point Lewis and Clark Lewis and Clark Trail Lime Kiln Point Lincoln Rock Lyons Ferry Manchester Maryhill Matia Island Matilda Jackson McMicken Island Millersylvania Moran Mount Pilchuck Mount Spokane Mystery Bay Nolte Obstruction Pass Ocean City Olallie Olmstead Place Pacific Beach Pacific Pines Palouse Falls Palouse to Cascades Paradise Point Patos Island Peace Arch Pearrygin Lake Penrose Point Peshastin Pinnacles Pleasant Harbor Posey Island Potholes Potlatch Rainbow Falls Rasar Reed Island Riverside Rockport Sacajawea Saddlebag Island Saint Edward Saltwater Scenic Beach Schafer Seaquest Sequim Bay Shine Tidelands Skagit Island South Whidbey Spencer Spit Spokane River Centennial Trail Spring Creek Hatchery Squak Mountain Squilchuck Steamboat Rock Steptoe Battlefield Steptoe Butte Stretch Point Stuart Island Sucia Island Sun Lakes-Dry Falls Tolmie Triton Cove Turn Island Twanoh Twenty-Five Mile Creek Twin Harbors Wallace Falls Wanapum Recreational Area Wenatchee Confluence Westport Light Willapa Hills Trail Willie Keil's Grave Yakima Sportsman State Forests Ahtanum Capitol Elbe Hills Green Mountain Loomis Loup Loup Tahuya Teanaway Tiger Mountain Yacolt Burn Natural Area Preserves Admiralty Inlet Badger Gulch Bald Hill Barker Mountain Bone River Camas Meadows Carlisle Bog Castle Rock Charley Creek Chehalis River Surge Plain Chopaka Mountain Clearwater Bogs Cleveland Shrub Steppe Columbia Falls Columbia Hills Crowberry Bog Cypress Highlands Dabob Bay Dailey Prairie Davis Canyon Entiat Slopes Goose Island Gunpowder Island Hamma Hamma Balds Ink Blot Kahlotus Ridgetop Kennedy Creek Kings Lake Bog Kitsap Forest Lacamas Prairie Little Pend Oreille River Marcellus Shrub Steppe Methow Rapids Mima Mounds Monte Cristo Niawiakum River North Bay Oak Patch Olivine Bridge Pinecroft Point Doughty Riverside Breaks Rocky Prairie Sand Island Schumacher Creek Selah Cliffs Skagit Bald Eagle Skookum Inlet Snoqualmie Bog Spring Creek Canyon Trombetta Canyon Trout Lake The Two-Steppe Upper Dry Gulch Washougal Oaks Whitcomb Flats Willapa Divide Natural Resources Conservation Areas Ashford Cattle Point Clearwater Corridor Cypress Island Devils Lake Dishman Hills Elk River Ellsworth Creek Granite Lakes Hat Island Hendrickson Canyon Klickitat Canyon Lake Louise Loomis Lummi Island Merrill Lake Middle Fork Snoqualmie Morning Star Mount Si Naselle Highlands Queets River Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area Shipwreck Point Skamokawa Creek South Nemah South Nolan Stavis Stevenson Ridge Table Mountain Tahoma Forest Teal Slough Washougal Oaks West Tiger Mountain White Salmon Oak Woodard Bay Aquatic Reserves Cherry Point Cypress Island Fidalgo Bay Maury Island Nisqually Reach Protection Island Smith and Minor Islands Other Former state parks Damon Point Fay Bainbridge Fort Okanogan Fort Ward Park Griffin Bay Mukilteo Lighthouse Park Osoyoos Lake Veteran's Memorial Park Skull Island Upright Channel Wenberg Westhaven Marine protected areas Blanchard Forest Cascadia Marine Trail The Enchantments Goose Island Les Hilde Trail & Trailheads Little Pend Oreille Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Mount Adams Recreation Area Sehome Hill Arboretum Walker Valley ORV Riding Area Withrow Moraine Yellow Island [REDACTED] Category Seattle Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission [REDACTED] Commons Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Washington_Natural_Areas_Program&oldid=1085922595 " Categories : Washington Natural Areas Program 1972 establishments in Washington (state) Hidden categories: All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from May 2022 Commons category link
154-655: The U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management manage areas called national monuments . National Wilderness Areas are designated within other protected areas, managed by various agencies and sometimes wilderness areas span areas managed by multiple agencies. Those relying on U.S. protected areas data are advised to learn more about all of these conventions by reviewing the extensive PAD-US Help system . 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
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#1732858250877168-670: The park, some 3,000,000 acres (1,200,000 ha), is state-owned and preserved as "forever wild" by the Forest Preserve of New York . Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska is the largest state park by the amount of contiguous protected land; it is larger than many U.S. National Parks, with some 1,600,000 acres (650,000 ha), making it larger than the state of Delaware . Many states also operate game and recreation areas. U.S. counties, cities and towns, metropolitan authorities, regional park systems , recreation districts and other units manage
182-1982: The state's biological diversity , support education and scientific research , and provide public opportunities for low-impact recreation. See also [ edit ] List of Washington Natural Area Preserves List of Washington Natural Resources Conservation Areas References [ edit ] ^ "Washington Natural Areas Program" . Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 2010 . Retrieved 2010-01-18 . ^ "Natural Area Preserves" . Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 202 . Retrieved 2 May 2022 . ^ "Natural Resources Conservation Areas" . Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 2022 . Retrieved 2 May 2022 . External links [ edit ] DNR Natural Areas Page [REDACTED] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Natural Areas of Washington . v t e Protected areas of Washington Federal National Parks Mount Rainier North Cascades Olympic National Monuments Hanford Reach ( USFWS ) Mount St. Helens Volcanic ( USFS ) San Juan Islands ( BLM ) National Historical Parks and Sites Fort Vancouver NHS Klondike Gold Rush NHP Lewis and Clark NHP Manhattan Project NHP Nez Perce NHP San Juan Island NHP Whitman Mission NHS National Historical Reserves Ebey's Landing National Trails Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Northwest Trail NPS National Recreation Areas Lake Chelan Lake Roosevelt Ross Lake National Wildlife Refuges Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Columbia Conboy Lake Copalis Dungeness Flattery Rocks Franz Lake Grays Harbor Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for
196-525: The unique prairie conditions can be found in the preserve, including Mardon skipper , zerene fritillary , Puget blue and Taylor's checkerspot . In 1966, the mima mounds were designated a National Natural Landmark . Washington Natural Areas Program "Natural Area Preserve" redirects here. For protected lands in Virginia, see Virginia Natural Area Preserve System . The Washington Natural Areas Program , part of
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