Status of State Natural Area Programs, 2005

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Abstract:

About twenty-five years ago the Nature Conservancy, under contract with the National Park Service, conducted a landmark study on state natural area programs in the United States. This 671-page study was published by the U.S. Government Printing Office in 1977 as Preserving our Natural Heritage: Volume II; State Activities. It contains individual chapters that detail the status of natural area and related programs in each state. <br> At the time of the National Park Service study natural area programs seemed to be growing and expanding. Half of the country (25 states) had “comprehensive” natural area programs. For the 1976 study, this was defined as a system of natural areas in which “more than a single agency may be included.” <br> A quarter century later, the Natural Areas Association’s Program Assistance Committee conducted this study to determine the current status of natural area programs in all 50 states and to determine key contacts for state natural area programs. The objective is to foster networking among public natural area program staff and to document opportunities to expand, improve, or initiate state natural area programs. The study also provides a rough comparison of current program status with that of the country in 1977.Additionally the documentation accumulated on each state can be the basis of a “best source” reference collection that could be kept current through regular updates. <br> Within the past 50 years many states acted to formally protect natural areas within natural area or nature preserve systems. Although there are many differences among the states, existing natural area programs use the tools of registration, designation, and/or dedication to recognize and protect units of the state system. As used in this study, registration places natural areas on an official registry through a non-binding agreement between a natural area owner and a state agency. Registration formalizes the owner’s intent to maintain an area in its natural state and gives an area some protection by public recognition of its significance. Registration implies some level of interest by state government.However, registration confers only a weak level of protection and secures no long-term commitment from the owner. Designation normally involves public land or land owned by a private conservation organization. Designation is usually accomplished by administrative action of state government, usually by an agency. Designated areas are protected by administrative policy, regulation, or statute. Designation can provide a high level of protection, although this varies among the agencies and states using this protection tool. Dedication, the highest level of legal protection, is a binding commitment between a public or private owner and the state to permanently set aside a natural area, often including language declaring the area to be in its “highest and best use” as a natural area.Dedication gives a very high level of protection even if the dedicated natural area is in private ownership.

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Reference Code: B05THO01IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Thom, R., A. Linsenbardt, K. Kramer, R. Schuller. 2005. 2005 Status of State Natural Area Programs, Revised Edition. Natural Areas Association, Bend, OR. 27 pp <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: OTHER <br>

Other: Hard copy book is not on file. Only digital copy available.