National preserve

A national preserve is a type of National Park Service protected area of the United States designated by Congress that has characteristics normally associated with national parks but where certain natural resource-extractive activities such as fishing, hunting, mining, and oil/gas exploration and extraction are permitted.[1] The types of activities permitted in each national preserve varies depending on the enabling legislation of the unit.[2] Restrictions on hunting, fishing, and trapping may be enacted by the Secretary of the Interior with the consultation of the state agency responsible for overseeing said activities, often the state's department of natural resources, unless it is an emergency.[3][4]

A national preserve differs from a national reserve as management of reserves can be delegated to the state in which they reside.[5]

The first national preserve in the U.S. was Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, followed soon after by Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, both established in 1974.[6][7]

National preserves in Alaska were created by a provision of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, allowing only regulated hunting, fishing and trapping for sport and subsistence purposes.[2]