Protected areas of the United States

Protected areas of the United States are managed and secured by different United States government departments and federal. The protected places receive different levels of protection based on their importance or priority. There are 42,826 protected areas all over the US and they cover an area of 12,35,486 square kilometres or 13 % land area of the United States.

In this article, we are going to learn about the Protected areas of the United States.

List of Major Protected Areas of the United States

S.no	Protected Area Name	Location	Protected under Govt Department
1	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
2	Death Valley National Park	Californa	National Park Service (NPS)
3	Yellowstone National Park	Montana	National Park Service (NPS)
4	Glacier National Park	Montana	National Park Service (NPS)
5	Denali National Park	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
6	Gates of the Arctic National Park	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
7	Katmai National Park	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
8	Lake Clark National Park	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
9	Yosemite National Park	Californa	National Park Service (NPS)
10	Grand Canyon National Park	Arizona	National Park Service (NPS)
11	Arctic National Wildlife	Alaska	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
12	Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument	Hawaii	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
13	Greater Glacier National Park Complex	Montana	National Park Service (NPS)
14	Glacier Bay National Park	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
15	Kenai Fjords National	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
16	Big Cypress National	Florida	National Park Service (NPS)
17	Mojave National Preserve	Californa	National Park Service (NPS)
18	Noatak National Preserve	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
19	Bering Land Bridge National	Alaska	National Park Service (NPS)
20	Glacier National Park (Waterton Lakes National )	Montana	National Park Service (NPS)

Federal-Level Protected areas of the United States

Federal -Level protected areas in the United States are designated and managed by the federal government through various departments and agencies.They serve the protection to a wide range of lands, water, Conservation of natural resources, Recreation and cultural preservation, ownership, and Management.

S.no	Federal-Level Protected Area Name	Location	Area ( acre)
1	Grand Canyon National Park	Arizona	1,218,375
2	Yosemite National Park	California	759,396
3	Yellowstone National Park	Wyoming, Montana, Idaho	2,219,789
4	Glacier National Park	Montana	1,583,871
5	Denali National Park and Preserve	Alaska	6,194,222
6	Tongass National Forest	Alaska	27,701,350
7	Sequoia National Forest	California	1.1 million
8	Rocky Mountain National Park	Colorado	415,073
9	Black Hills National Forest	South Dakota, Wyoming	3.34 million
10	Arctic National Wildlife Refuge	Alaska	19.3 million
11	Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge	Florida	594,331
12	Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge	Virginia	14,000
13	Arches National Park	Utah	296,259
14	Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve	Alaska	3.3 million
15	Glen Canyon National Recreation Area	Arizona, Utah	1.2 million
16	Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary	Texas	140 square miles
17	Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary	Florida	3,800 square miles
18	Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument	Hawaii	13.6 million

Largest Protected Areas of the United States

The largest protected area in the United States is the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. This massive marine reserve has a land area of 132.3 million acres (5,35,000 square kilometers), making it larger than all of America’s national parks combined. It is located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Papahanaumokuakea protects a diverse range of marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, atolls, shallow water, and deep sea different types of species. It’s home to over 7,000 marine species, many of which are found not anywhere else on Earth. The monument also holds great cultural significance for the local Native Hawaiian people.

The Importance of Protected Areas in the United States

1. Protected areas are like special homes for thousands of plants and animals of different types of species, including rare ones. They get to live safely and grow their families without being harmed.
2. Trees as we all know how much they important for all living beings. Plants, trees all greenery protected areas help keep the air clean, and they protect rivers, lakes, and streams, making sure we have clean water to drink.
3. Forests, grasslands, and oceans in protected areas take in harmful gases that airhelps in maintaining the temperature stopping the planet from becoming too hot.
4. Scientists can study plants and animals, and how nature works in protected areas. Extinction of animals and plants is a big issue and protected areas are a great solution for it. This helps us understand our world and find solutions to problems.
5. National parks, forests, and seashores are amazing places to hike, camp, swim, and explore. They keep us healthy in body and mind. A place where human mind can get peace.
6. People visit protected areas for their stunning scenery – mountains, waterfalls, beaches – and make memories that last a lifetime.
7. Protected areas often include historical sites, old battlefields, and places important to Native American cultures. We can learn about our past there.
8. Protected areas bring in visitors from all over, creating jobs for local communities – in hotels, restaurants, and as guides.
9. Protected areas preserve whole ecosystems, where all the living and non-living things work together, and this keeps our planet balanced.
10. Protected areas make sure that future generations, our children and their children, will also be able to enjoy the beauty and benefits of nature.

Conclusion

Protected areas of the United States are managed and secured under different United States government departments and federals. The protected places receive different levels of protection based on their importance or priority. There are 42,826 protected areas all over the US and they cover an area of 12,35,486 square kilometres or 13 % land area of the United States. The largest protected area in the United States is Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. This vast marine reserve encompasses a staggering 132.3 million acres (5,35,000 square kilometers), making it larger than all of America’s national parks combined.

People Also Read

• List of Regions in the United States
• List of World Heritage sites in the United Sates
• Top 10 Water falls in the US
• Interesting facts about the United States

Protected areas of the United States – FAQs

How many protected areas are in the United States?

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 km² (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.

What is the largest protected area in United States?

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument— larger than all of America’s national parks combined! The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is not only the largest conservation area in the U.S., it’s one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world

How much US land is federally protected?

The Federal Government holds in trust about 640 million acres of land (30 percent of the country’s total land area). This includes national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and other Federal agency ownerships.

What country is the most protected?

According to the Global Peace Index, Iceland is the safest country in the world for the 14th year in a row.

Which continent has the most protected land?

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean protect the largest portion of their land, amounting to nearly 5 million square kilometres. About half of that is in Brazil, which boasts the world’s largest protected land area system of 2.47 million square kilometres.