National Preserves of the United States

National Preserves of the United States
Name	National Preserves
Country	United States
Governing body	National Park Service
Area	Approximately 24,000,000 acres

National Preserves of the United States are a category of protected area within the National Park System that share the conservation mission of national parks but allow for certain public extractive activities, such as hunting, fishing, and mineral extraction, under specific regulations. Established by acts of the United States Congress, these units are managed by the National Park Service to protect significant natural and cultural resources while permitting sustainable use. This dual-purpose designation balances wilderness preservation with traditional land uses, creating a unique model of conservation distinct from the more restrictive national parks.

Definition and Distinction from National Parks

The key legal distinction between a national preserve and a national park lies in the permitted activities; under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and subsequent legislation, preserves explicitly allow for sport and subsistence hunting, trapping, and in some cases, oil and gas exploration where these activities existed prior to designation. This contrasts with national parks, where such consumptive uses are generally prohibited to preserve natural conditions unimpaired for future generations. Both designations are established by Congress and managed by the National Park Service under the overarching Organic Act of 1916, but preserves operate under a more flexible set of enabling statutes. The first such area, Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, was authorized in 1974 to protect the vital watershed for Everglades National Park while permitting traditional uses like off-road vehicle recreation by the local Miccosukee and Seminole communities.

History and Legislation

The national preserve concept emerged in the early 1970s as a legislative compromise to protect ecologically sensitive lands where outright prohibition of traditional activities was politically untenable. The pivotal law was the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, which created ten new national preserves in Alaska, such as Noatak National Preserve and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, alongside new national parks and national monuments. This landmark act, championed by figures like President Jimmy Carter and Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus, responded to the unique subsistence needs of Alaska Natives and the state's economic reliance on natural resources. Earlier, the 1974 establishment of Big Cypress National Preserve and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana set important precedents for this hybrid model of conservation in the Lower 48.

List of National Preserves

As of 2023, there are 19 national preserves, with the majority located in Alaska. Notable examples include Denali National Park and Preserve, where the park area prohibits hunting but the adjacent preserve allows it, and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. Other significant preserves are Mojave National Preserve in California, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas (cooperatively managed with The Nature Conservancy), and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Florida. The list also includes Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, all in Alaska, protecting vast tundra, volcanic, and wildlife habitats.

Management and Administration

All national preserves are administered by the National Park Service, an agency within the United States Department of the Interior. Management is guided by each unit's enabling legislation and the general principles of the National Park Service Organic Act, with preserve-specific rules detailed in the Code of Federal Regulations. The Superintendent of each unit, in consultation with regional directors and the Washington Office, develops a General Management Plan that outlines zoning for compatible uses. The agency often collaborates with state agencies like the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to regulate hunting and with entities like the Bureau of Land Management on mineral rights issues, as seen in Mojave National Preserve.

Purpose and Conservation Role

The primary purpose of a national preserve is to protect nationally significant natural and cultural resources while permitting continued, regulated traditional uses that do not jeopardize the core conservation values. This model is particularly effective in protecting large, intact ecosystems and wildlife corridors, such as the Porcupine caribou herd range within Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Preserves often safeguard critical watersheds, as with Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, and important archaeological sites, like those at Bering Land Bridge National Preserve which inform the study of human migration. They serve as vital buffers and ecological complements to more strictly protected national parks, enhancing overall biodiversity conservation across the National Park System.

Recreational Activities

National preserves offer a wide array of recreational opportunities, many of which are not permitted in national parks. Regulated hunting and fishing are hallmark activities, attracting sportsmen to areas like Katmai National Park and Preserve for brown bear hunting and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve for salmon fishing. Other popular pursuits include off-highway vehicle use on designated trails in Big Cypress, dog mushing and snowmobiling in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and wildlife viewing for species such as bison at Tallgrass Prairie. Visitors also enjoy hiking, camping, boating, and historical interpretation, as at Cane River Creole National Historical Park and the affiliated Cane River National Heritage Area in Louisiana.

Category:National Park Service Category:Protected areas of the United States