Louisiana Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Publicly owned land=== {{See also|List of Louisiana state parks|List of Louisiana state historic sites}}[[File:New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America Population Density and Low Elevation Coastal Zones (5457913950).jpg|thumb|283x283px|Population density and low elevation coastal zones in the Mississippi River Delta. The Mississippi River Delta is especially vulnerable to [[sea level rise]].]] Owing to its location and geology, the state has high biological diversity. Some vital areas, such as southwestern prairie, have experienced a loss in excess of 98 percent. The pine flatwoods are also at great risk, mostly from [[Wildfire suppression|fire suppression]] and [[urban sprawl]]. There is not yet a properly organized system of natural areas to represent and protect Louisiana's biological diversity. Such a system would consist of a protected system of core areas linked by biological corridors, such as Florida is planning.<ref>Florida Greenways Commission. 1994. Report to the Governor. Creating a statewide greenways system: For people{{spaces}}... for wildlife{{spaces}}... for Florida. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, FL.</ref> Louisiana contains a number of areas which, to varying degrees, prevent people from using them.<ref>Lester, G. D., S.G. Sorensen, P. L. Faulkner, C. S. Reid and I. E. Maxit. 2005. ''Louisiana Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy''. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA</ref> In addition to [[National Park Service]] areas and a [[United States National Forest]], Louisiana operates a system of [[List of Louisiana state parks|state parks]], [[List of Louisiana state historic sites|state historic sites]], one [[Louisiana State Arboretum|state preservation area]], one [[Alexander State Forest|state forest]], and many [[Wildlife Management Area]]s. One of Louisiana's largest government-owned areas is Kisatchie National Forest. It is some 600,000 acres in area, more than half of which is [[flatwoods]] vegetation, which supports many rare plant and animal species.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hyatt|first=Phil|date=November 20, 2020|title=Story of Kisatchie Botany|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kisatchie/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=fsbdev3_024695|access-date=November 20, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154051/https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kisatchie/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=fsbdev3_024695|url-status=live}}</ref> These include the [[Louisiana pinesnake]] and [[red-cockaded woodpecker]]. The system of government-owned [[Cypress dome|cypress swamps]] around [[Lake Pontchartrain]] is another large area, with southern [[wetland]] species including egrets, alligators, and sturgeon. At least 12 core areas would be needed to build a "protected areas system" for the state; these would range from southwestern prairies, to the Pearl River Floodplain in the east, to the Mississippi River alluvial swamps in the north. Additionally, the state operates a system of 22 state parks, 17 state historic sites and one state preservation area; in these lands, Louisiana maintains a [[Fauna of Louisiana|diversity of fauna]] and flora. ====National Park Service==== Historic or scenic areas managed, protected, or recognized by the National Park Service include: {{div col}} * [[Atchafalaya National Heritage Area]] in Ascension Parish; * [[Cane River National Heritage Area]] near Natchitoches; * [[Cane River Creole National Historical Park]] near Natchitoches; * [[Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve]], headquartered in New Orleans, with units in St. Bernard Parish, Barataria (Crown Point), and Acadiana (Lafayette); * [[Poverty Point National Monument]] at Delhi, Louisiana; and * [[Saline Bayou]], a designated [[National Wild and Scenic River]] near [[Winn Parish]] in northern Louisiana. {{div col end}} ====U.S. Forest Service==== * [[Kisatchie National Forest]] is Louisiana's only national forest. It includes more than 600,000 acres in central and northern Louisiana with large areas of flatwoods and longleaf pine forest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kisatchie National Forest|url=https://www.natchitoches.com/listing/kisatchie-national-forest|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-08|website=Natchitoches, Louisiana Travel & Tourism|date=October 29, 2013|language=en|archive-date=December 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208005503/https://www.natchitoches.com/listing/kisatchie-national-forest}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kisatchie National Forest β National Forest Foundation|url=https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/find-a-forest/kisatchie-national-forest|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-08|website=National Forest Foundation|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209194903/https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/find-a-forest/kisatchie-national-forest}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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