Protected Areas of The United States - Federal Level Protected Areas

Federal Level 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 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 the Level I and II lands in the world. These lands had a total area of 210,000 sq mi (540,000 km2).

A confusing system for naming 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 operate areas designated National Preserves and National Recreation Areas. The National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management operate 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.

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.

Federal protected area designations

• National Park System (list of areas here)
  • National Parks (list here)
  • National Preserves
  • National Seashores
  • National Lakeshores
• National Forest
  • National Forests (list here, list of largests National Forests here)
  • National Grasslands
• National Monuments
• National Marine Sanctuaries
• National Recreation Areas
• National Landscape Conservation System
• National Estuarine Research Reserves
• National Trails System
• National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (list here)
• National Wilderness Preservation System (list here)
• National Wildlife Refuge System (list here)

International protected area designations

• UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the USA