National Park Service: Criteria For New National Parks

Throughout the Nation, people are working to conserve natural
resources, protect historic sites, and to provide recreational opportunities
for a growing population. Many communities also are looking
for ways to combine conservation with efforts to attract visitors
who will help support the local economy. The National Park Service
is responsible for carefully screening proposals for new park units
to assure that only the most outstanding resources are added to
the National Park System. Regardless of economic considerations or
other factors, a new national park area must meet criteria for
national significance, suitability, and feasibility. Various other management
options are also weighed. For those with proposals for
consideration, this page explains the criteria applied by the National
Park Service in evaluating new park proposals, outlines the study
process, and lists some of the other ways to recognize and protect
important resources outside of the National Park System.

How are national parks created? What qualities make an area eligible to
be a national monument, historic site, recreation area, or other units of
the National Park System? These questions are frequently asked by people
throughout the country. Some people think a scenic part of their
community deserves to be a national park. Others want national recognition
for their favorite historic house or geological formation. These sites
may deserve to be protected, but how do we decide if action should be
taken at the state or local level instead of by the Federal Government,
and if federal action is appropriate what agency should take the lead?
The National Park Service has established criteria for national significance,
suitability, feasibility, and management alternatives that help answer
these questions. This page presents the criteria and the study
process established by Congress and in the National Park Service’s Management
Policies. People with suggestions for new parks can use these
criteria as a yardstick to see if their proposals are likely to merit further
consideration.
Units of the National Park System are managed under mandates differing
from those guiding many other Federal, State, and local agencies. The
National Park Service is responsible for managing areas to provide for
public enjoyment in such a way that will leave resources “unimpaired for
the enjoyment of future generations.” Since 1872 the National Park System
has grown to include almost 400 areas. The System will continue to
evolve, reflecting the progression of history, new understandings of natural
systems, and changes in patterns of recreation. However, the areas
managed by the National Park Service are a small part of the broader system
for protecting important places. Addition to the National Park Service
is only one of many alternatives, and the National Park Service also
operates several programs that help others preserve natural, cultural,
and recreational areas outside of the System.

Proposals for additions to the National Park System may come from the
public, state, and local officials, Indian tribes, members of Congress, or
the National Park Service. To be eligible for favorable consideration as a
unit of the National Park System, an area must possess nationally significant
natural, cultural, or recreational resources; be a suitable and feasible
addition to the system; and require direct NPS management instead of
protection by some other governmental agency or by the private sector.

QUALIFICATIONS
How are national parks created? What qualities make an area eligible to
be a national monument, historic site, recreation area, or other units of
the National Park System? These questions are frequently asked by people
throughout the country. Some people think a scenic part of their
community deserves to be a national park. Others want national recognition
for their favorite historic house or geological formation. These sites
may deserve to be protected, but how do we decide if action should be
taken at the state or local level instead of by the Federal Government,
and if federal action is appropriate what agency should take the lead?
The National Park Service has established criteria for national significance,
suitability, feasibility, and management alternatives that help answer
these questions. This page presents the criteria and the study
process established by Congress and in the National Park Service’s Management
Policies. People with suggestions for new parks can use these
criteria as a yardstick to see if their proposals are likely to merit further
consideration.
Units of the National Park System are managed under mandates differing
from those guiding many other Federal, State, and local agencies. The
National Park Service is responsible for managing areas to provide for
public enjoyment in such a way that will leave resources “unimpaired for
the enjoyment of future generations.” Since 1872 the National Park System
has grown to include almost 400 areas. The System will continue to
evolve, reflecting the progression of history, new understandings of natural
systems, and changes in patterns of recreation. However, the areas
managed by the National Park Service are a small part of the broader system
for protecting important places. Addition to the National Park Service
is only one of many alternatives, and the National Park Service also
operates several programs that help others preserve natural, cultural,
and recreational areas outside of the System.
Proposals for additions to the National Park System may come from the
public, state, and local officials, Indian tribes, members of Congress, or
the National Park Service. To be eligible for favorable consideration as a
unit of the National Park System, an area must possess nationally significant
natural, cultural, or recreational resources; be a suitable and feasible
addition to the system; and require direct NPS management instead of
protection by some other governmental agency or by the private sector.

NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

A proposed unit will be considered nationally significant if it meets all
four of the following standards:
• it is an outstanding example of a particular type of resource.
• it possesses exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting
the natural or cultural themes of our Nation’s heritage.
• it offers superlative opportunities for recreation for public use and enjoyment,
or for scientific study.
• it retains a high degree of integrity as a true, accurate, and relatively
unspoiled example of the resource.

RESOURCE EVALUATION

The following examples of natural and cultural resources are considered
in evaluating the significance of a proposal for addition to the National
Park System.
Natural Area examples may include:
• an outstanding site that illustrates the characteristics of a widespread
landform or biotic area. that is still widespread;
• a rare remnant natural landscape or biotic area of a type that was once
widespread but is now vanishing due to human settlement and development;
• a landform or biotic area that has always been extremely uncommon in
the region or nation;
• a site that possesses exceptional diversity of ecological components
(species, communities, or habitats) or geological features (landforms,
observable manifestations of geologic processes);
• a site that contains biotic species or communities whose natural distribution
at that location ismakes them unusual (for example, a community
relatively large population at the limit of its range or a disjunctn isolated
population);
• a site that harbors a concentrated population of a rare plant or animal
species, particularly one officially recognized as threatened or endangered;
• a critical refuge that is necessary for the continued survival of a species;
• a site that contains rare or unusually abundant fossil deposits;
• an area that has outstanding scenic qualities such as dramatic topographic
features, unusual contrasts in landforms or vegetation, spectacular
vistas, or other special landscape features;
• a site that has an invaluable ecological or geological importance benchmark
due to an extensive and long-term record of research and scientific
discovery.
Cultural Areas may be historic districts, sites, buildings, structures, structures,
or objects that possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating
or interpreting our heritage and that possess a high degree of integrity
of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and
association.
Specific examples include:
• a resource that is associated with events that have made a significantly
contribution contributed to and are identified with, or that outstandingly
represent the broad national patterns of United States history
and from which an understanding and appreciation of those patterns
may be gained;
• a resource that is importantly associated with the lives of persons nationally
significant in the history of the United States history;
• a resource that embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural
type specimen, exceptionally valuable for study of a period, style,
or method of construction, or represents a significant, distinctive, and
exceptional entity whose components may lack individual distinction;
• a resource with several components that may not that is composed of
integral parts of the environment not sufficiently significant by reason
of historical association or artistic merit to warrant individual recognition
but that collectively [comprise] an entity of exceptional historical
or artistic significance, or that outstandingly commemorates or illustrates
a way of life or culture;
• a resource that has yielded or may be likely to yield information of
major scientific importance by revealing new cultures, or by shedding
light upon on periods of occupation over large areas of the United
States.
Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties
owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures
that have been moved from their original locations, and reconstructed
historic buildings and properties that have achieved significance within in
the past 50 years are not considered to be appropriate as additions to the
National Park System. unless the property meets certain exceptions to the
criteria.
Many units of the National Park System have been established to recognize
their important role in providing recreational opportunities. The potential
for public use and enjoyment is an important consideration in
evaluating potential new additions to the National Park System. However,
recreational values are not evaluated independently from the natural
and cultural resources that provide the settings for recreational activities.
Suitability
An area that is nationally significant also must meet criteria for suitability
and feasibility to qualify as a potential addition to the National Park System.
To be suitable for inclusion in the System an area must represent a
natural or cultural theme or type of recreational resource that is not already
adequately represented in the National Park System or is not comparably
represented and protected for public enjoyment by another
land-managing entity. Adequacy of representation is determined on a
case-by-case basis by comparing the proposed area to other units in the
National Park System for differences or similarities in the character, quality,
quantity, or combination of resources, and opportunities for public
enjoyment.
Feasibility
To be feasible as a new unit of the National Park System an area’s natural
systems and/or historic settings must be of sufficient size and appropriate
configuration to ensure long-term protection of the resources and to accommodate
public use. It must have potential for efficient administration
at a reasonable cost. Important feasibility factors include landownership,
acquisition costs, life cycle maintenance costs, access, threats to the resource,
and staff or development requirements.
Criteria for New National Parks National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Throughout the Nation, people are working to conserve natural
resources, protect historic sites, and to provide recreational opportunities
for a growing population. Many communities also are looking
for ways to combine conservation with efforts to attract visitors
who will help support the local economy. The National Park Service
is responsible for carefully screening proposals for new park units
to assure that only the most outstanding resources are added to
the National Park System. Regardless of economic considerations or
other factors, a new national park area must meet criteria for
national significance, suitability, and feasibility. Various other management
options are also weighed. For those with proposals for
consideration, this page explains the criteria applied by the National
Park Service in evaluating new park proposals, outlines the study
process, and lists some of the other ways to recognize and protect
important resources outside of the National Park System.

For more, please see the NPS website