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There are 270 protected areas in California, USA administered by the state. Overall, there are over 14,000 protected land units administered by public agencies and non-profits maintained by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD). In addition, there are private conservation areas and other easements.^[1] They include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beachs, and dune systems. The California State Parks system covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km²), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites; and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

National park system

The U.S. National Park System controls a large and diverse group of California parks. The best known is the Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, that figures prominently on the reverse side of the California state quarter. Other prominent parks are the Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Park complex, Redwood National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and the largest, Death Valley National Park. The NPS also administers the Manzanar National Historic Site in Inyo County.

State parks

The California Department of Parks and Recreation maintains over 270 protected areas, which include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and dune systems. The state parks system covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km²), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites; and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.^[2]

State wilderness areas

National Marine Sanctuaries

The National Marine Sanctuary System is managed by the Office of Marine Sanctuaries, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
California has four of the thirteen U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries:

Department of Fish and Game Protected Areas

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), through its seven regional divisions^[4], manages more than 700 protected areas statewide.^[5] They are broadly categorized as:

• 110 wildlife areas^[6], designed to give the public easier access to wildlife while preserving habitats.
• 123 ecological reserves^[7], which protect rare terrestrial species and habitats.
• 11 marine reserves, which do the same for sea-dwelling species and habitats.

National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) includes over 850 federally recognized areas and in California, manages 15,200,000 acres (61,512 km²) of public lands, nearly 15% of the state's land area.^[8] National Landscape Conservation System has seven categories. In California they are:

National monuments

National conservation areas

• California Desert
• King Range

Forest reserves

• Headwaters Forest

Outstanding natural areas

• Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station

Wild and scenic rivers

National scenic and historic trails

Wilderness and wilderness study areas

Total BLM-managed wilderness land in California is 3,725,230 acres (15,075 km²).^[9]

National Wilderness Preservation System

There are 148 wilderness areas in California.^[10] The largest is Death Valley Wilderness and the smallest is the Rocks and Islands Wilderness at 5 acres (20,000 m²). The wilderness areas are managed by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.

National Forests

California has 17 U.S. National Forests, one special management unit (Lake Tahoe) and parts of 3 other National Forests.

National Forests in California

References