GEOHERITAGE AND THE NATIONAL NATURAL LANDMARKS PROGRAM

The National Natural Landmarks Program, administered by the National Park Service, supports the conservation of our Nation’s biological and geological heritage. From old-growth forests to fossil remains of prehistoric mammals laid in volcanic ash, landmarks contain spectacular treasures. Landmarks are deemed nationally significant based on their outstanding condition, illustrative character, rarity, diversity and value to science and education. NNLs are located on land with owners ranging from federal, tribal, state and private- which necessitates a wide range of partnerships at differing scales with landowners.

Exploring geoheritage is a new initiative for the National Natural Landmarks Program. Over the past year the NNL program has surveyed the overlap with other National Park Service programs to further our understanding of geoheritage at the 602 Landmarks. 43 NNLs are in National Park Units, 127 NNLs are within National Heritage Areas, 51 NNLs contain designated Wilderness areas, 11 NNLs contain a Wild and Scenic River, 29 NNLs are along a National Trail, and 27 Landmarks are within tribal lands. While the geologic features and landforms at Landmarks are stunning, their human story is equally as captivating. NNL sites are the birthplace of modern paleontology at places like Big Bone Lick in Kentucky and home to the Bone Wars between Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh at the Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas in Colorado.

Documenting a Landmark’s value and mapping its location is a vital component to the NNL program. There has been a decade-long endeavor to create and manage a GIS database for the 602 National Natural Landmarks. While it is essential to record a site’s boundary, GIS has also helped the NNL program tell each site’s natural history and connect people to these important landscapes. The NNL program is partnering with the USGS to develop geoheritage mapping information which will help people appreciate an area’s aesthetic and cultural values in addition to the underlying geology. This project is influencing the NNL program’s interaction with sites to better communicate the concept of geoheritage to land managers and the public. A narrative that combines natural and cultural resources will resonate with a broader audience, which will lead to enhanced conservation as more people understand and appreciate a site's value.