The National Parks dataset is frequently updated by the National Park Service (NPS) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset depicts National Park Service boundary data that was created by the Land Resources Division. NPS Director's Order #25 states: "Land status maps will be prepared to identify the ownership of the lands within the authorized boundaries of the park unit. These maps, showing ownership and acreage, are the 'official record' of the acreage of Federal and non-federal lands within the park boundaries. While these maps are the official record of the lands and acreage within the unit's authorized boundaries, they are not of survey quality and not intended to be used for survey purposes." As such this data is intended for use as a tool for GIS analysis. It is in no way intended for engineering or legal purposes. For the full data description, please go to https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2224545?lnv=True. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1529046

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

This data set contains the annual attendance figures for facilities operated by the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). The data is organized by OPRHP region and county.

In 2022, an estimated 1.6 million people visited New River Gorge (NPS 2023b). To date, there are over 1,600 established rock climbs documented in the New River Gorge area (Mountain Project 2022, Williams 2019). As visitation has increased, NERI has become interested in documenting the presence of bat species and their habitat on and near the cliff face, rim, and base areas to support a park management plan. A total of 51 routes were selected to survey three times throughout the summer of 2022. Cliff line surveys included personnel on-rope rappelling down each selected cliff face to look for bats or bat sign and to collect data on the physical attributes and record habitat information. In addition, a simultaneous acoustic survey for bats was conducted at the base of each survey route. Although no bats or bat sign were documented, analysis of the acoustic data in concert with the environmental factors revealed that bats were detected at more highly climbed walls versus unclimbed walls, at least northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) were more likely to be detected near less vegetated walls, and activity of eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii) was higher as the summer progressed. Bats that roost on rock walls use cracks and crevices, which are also an important feature for climbers. Opportunistic conversations with climbers revealed that bats are observed on the cliffs. Colorado State University has a Climbers for Bat Conservation group (CSU 2023) that could be a resource for engaging climbers in a citizen science campaign.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

A backcountry campsite refers to a remote, primitive site typically located far from developed or maintained campgrounds. These campsites are situated in wilderness areas, often requiring hikers, backpackers, or other outdoor enthusiasts to hike or travel significant distances to access them. Here are some defining features of backcountry campsites: As of February 2013, Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a permit and advance reservations for all backcountry camping in the park. Before planning your backcountry trip, please read through important information about reservations and permits, regulations, bear safety, trail closures, and on our backcountry camping page. Questions: Please direct questions concerning backpacking trip planning to the Backcountry Information Office at 865-436-1297. Phone calls are the preferred method of contact. The information office is open for phone calls daily from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) and in-person service from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. In addition to answering your backpacking questions, the experienced backpackers in the Backcountry Information Office can provide you with tips to make your trip safe and enjoyable. Resources: The park has over 800 miles of trails offering hikers a wide range of scenery including spectacular mountain vistas, rushing streams and waterfalls, historic structures, and quiet groves of old-growth forest. You can download a park trail map to find the location of trails, backcountry shelters, and campsites in the park. In addition, Smokies Life sells a variety of hiking books, maps, and guides to help choose a hiking route and plan your backcountry trip. Smokies Life is a nonprofit organization that supports educational and scientific programs in the park. You can contact the Association online or by phone at 865-436-0120. Regulations: Backpackers and hikers are subject to all Backcountry Rules and Regulations. Failure to abide by park regulations may subject you to a fine under Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations. Maximum fine for each violation is $5,000 and/or 6 months in jail. Backcountry camping allows people to immerse themselves in nature, providing a chance to disconnect from everyday life, experience true wilderness, and test outdoor skills. It’s important to plan carefully, understand the local regulations, and ensure that you have the necessary equipment for a safe and responsible adventure.

Content

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

This data set contains the annual attendance figures for facilities operated by the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). The data is organized by OPRHP region and county.

Context

This is a dataset hosted by the State of New York. The state has an open data platform found here and they update their information according the amount of data that is brought in. Explore New York State using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the State of New York organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated annually.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using Socrata's API and Kaggle's API. Socrata has assisted countless organizations with hosting their open data and has been an integral part of the process of bringing more data to the public.

Cover photo by Hector Arguello Canals on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

The New York State Historic Preservation Office maintains the list of New York State’s National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( Federal Regulation 36 CFR 60 ) the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. To be considered eligible, a building, district, structure or object must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the property’s age, integrity, and significance. Please see metadata for additional information, including how to access the agency’s Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) which provides access to the agency’s database of historic records associated with each project listing in this dataset.

The Digital Geohazard-GIS Map of the Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado is composed of GIS data layers and GIS tables, and is available in the following GRI-supported GIS data formats: 1.) a 10.1 file geodatabase (meve_geohazard.gdb), a 2.) Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) geopackage, and 3.) 2.2 KMZ/KML file for use in Google Earth, however, this format version of the map is limited in data layers presented and in access to GRI ancillary table information. The file geodatabase format is supported with a 1.) ArcGIS Pro map file (.mapx) file (meve_geohazard.mapx) and individual Pro layer (.lyrx) files (for each GIS data layer), as well as with a 2.) 10.1 ArcMap (.mxd) map document (meve_geohazard.mxd) and individual 10.1 layer (.lyr) files (for each GIS data layer). The OGC geopackage is supported with a QGIS project (.qgz) file. Upon request, the GIS data is also available in ESRI 10.1 shapefile format. Contact Stephanie O'Meara (see contact information below) to acquire the GIS data in these GIS data formats. In addition to the GIS data and supporting GIS files, three additional files comprise a GRI digital geologic-GIS dataset or map: 1.) a readme file (meve_geology_gis_readme.pdf), 2.) the GRI ancillary map information document (.pdf) file (meve_geology.pdf) which contains geologic unit descriptions, as well as other ancillary map information and graphics from the source map(s) used by the GRI in the production of the GRI digital geologic-GIS data for the park, and 3.) a user-friendly FAQ PDF version of the metadata (meve_geohazard_metadata_faq.pdf). Please read the meve_geology_gis_readme.pdf for information pertaining to the proper extraction of the GIS data and other map files. Google Earth software is available for free at: https://www.google.com/earth/versions/. QGIS software is available for free at: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/. Users are encouraged to only use the Google Earth data for basic visualization, and to use the GIS data for any type of data analysis or investigation. The data were completed as a component of the Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) program, a National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Division funded program that is administered by the NPS Geologic Resources Division (GRD). For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geologic-resources-inventory-products.htm. For more information about the Geologic Resources Inventory Program visit the GRI webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/gri,htm. At the bottom of that webpage is a "Contact Us" link if you need additional information. You may also directly contact the program coordinator, Jason Kenworthy (jason_kenworthy@nps.gov). Source geologic maps and data used to complete this GRI digital dataset were provided by the following: U.S. Geological Survey. Detailed information concerning the sources used and their contribution the GRI product are listed in the Source Citation section(s) of this metadata record (meve_geohazard_metadata.txt or meve_geohazard_metadata_faq.pdf). Users of this data are cautioned about the locational accuracy of features within this dataset. Based on the source map scale of 1:50,000 and United States National Map Accuracy Standards features are within (horizontally) 25.4 meters or 83.3 feet of their actual location as presented by this dataset. Users of this data should thus not assume the location of features is exactly where they are portrayed in Google Earth, ArcGIS, QGIS or other software used to display this dataset. All GIS and ancillary tables were produced as per the NPS GRI Geology-GIS Geodatabase Data Model v. 2.3. (available at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/gri-geodatabase-model.htm).

There are over 250 recognised Country Parks in England and Wales. Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the Countryside Act 1968 with the support of the former Countryside Commission. In more recent times there has been no specific financial support for Country Parks directly, and fewer have been designated. Most are managed by local authorities, although other organisations and private individuals can also run them. A Country Park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. The purpose of a Country Park is to provide somewhere for visitors who do not necessarily want to go out into the wider countryside. Visitors can enjoy a public open space with an informal atmosphere, as opposed to a formal park as might be found i n an urban area. For this reason Country Parks are usually found close to or on the edge of built-up areas.

Content

he New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

This dataset includes the name, concesson type and term of concession contracts active in New York State Parks during the most recent calendar year.

Context

This is a dataset hosted by the State of New York. The state has an open data platform found here and they update their information according the amount of data that is brought in. Explore New York State using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the State of New York organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated annually.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using Socrata's API and Kaggle's API. Socrata has assisted countless organizations with hosting their open data and has been an integral part of the process of bringing more data to the public.

Cover photo by Viktor Kiryanov on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. This dataset is a shapefile of the mapped trails in NYS Parks.

This data publication describes the condition, use, and management of the two wilderness areas within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI). The project examined local/experiential knowledge collected through oral history interviews in 2010 to track how the character and quality of the Parks' wilderness, as well as visitors' uses and experiences have changed over time. Included are recordings of the actual interviews, the field notes taken during the interview, as well as a transcript of the audio interviews.This record was taken from the USDA Enterprise Data Inventory that feeds into the https://data.gov catalog. Data for this record includes the following resources: ISO-19139 metadata ArcGIS Hub Dataset ArcGIS GeoService For complete information, please visit https://data.gov.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.From the famed Bethpage Black, to the rolling terrain of the Robert Trent Jones' designed 18-hole course at Green Lakes State Park, New York's state park golf courses rank among the best public courses in the world. For more information, visit http://nysparks.com/golf-courses/

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.New York's historic sites tell the story of our rich cultural heritage. Visitors to state historic sites experience the many facets of New York State history through tours, storytelling, exhibits, cooking demonstrations, military drills and encampments. For more information, visit http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. The New York State Historic Preservation Office maintains the list of New York State’s National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( Federal Regulation 36 CFR 60 ) the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. To be considered eligible, a building, district, structure or object must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the property’s age, integrity, and significance. Please see metadata for additional information, including how to access the agency’s Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) which provides access to the agency’s database of historic records associated with each project listing in this dataset.

The National Park Service has long recognized freedom of speech, press, religion and public assembly. However, the courts have held that certain activities associated with exercising these rights may be reasonably regulated to protect park resources and the public's legitimate use of the park's resources.First Amendment activities may require a special use permit in advance of the activity and the park may regulate the time, place and manner of the activity in accordance with court and public law guidelines.The necessity of a permit to conduct First Amendment activities is determined by the group size.A small group is defined as “25 people or less.” A “small group” is not required to obtain a First Amendment Permit if they are located within a park designated First Amendment site (see link to map below) and have no more than leaflets, booklets and/or hand held signs. A permit is required for any small group that:wants to hold a demonstration or distribute and/or sell printed matter somewhere outside a designated First Amendment area.wants to use equipment (i.e. tables, banners, platforms, etc.) even if it is within a designated area.is merely an extension of another group already availing itself of the 25 person maximum.wants to guarantee they will have priority for the use of a location, including the designated First Amendment areas.A large group is defined as “more than 25 people” and is required to obtain a First Amendment Permit even if they are utilizing a park designated First Amendment site.Specific examples of activities that fall under First Amendment rules include the following:Distribution of printed matterPolitical speechesReligious servicesPublic assembliesCollecting signatures for petitionsAll requests for similar activities are treated equally. As long as permit criteria and requirements are met, no group wishing to assemble lawfully will be discriminated against or denied the right of assembly.

Data Download: The Secured Areas 2024 dataset is also available as an ESRI polygon geodatabase dataset.The secured areas dataset shows public and private lands that are permanently secured against conversion to development, GAP 1-3, through fee ownership, easements, or permanent conservation restrictions. It also includes a set of more temporary easement and GAP 4 open space lands not permanently secured for nature conservation. TNC compiled these data from state, federal, and private sources and assigned a GAP Status and other standard attribute fields to the best of our ability. The Secured Areas dataset is a TNC product created primarily for estimating current extent and status of secured lands with a conservation focus, GAP 1-3. The non GAP 1-3 lands are less comprehensively mapped given the lack of their inclusion in some primary source datasets, but they are included as available in our source datasets. Any updates, corrections, or discrepancies with respect to official versions of source federal, state, or local protected areas databases should be viewed as provisional until such time as such changes have been reviewed and accepted by the official data stewards for those other protected areas databases.GAP STATUS GAP status is a classification developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to reflect the intent of the landowner or easement holder. GAP 1 and 2 are commonly thought of as “protected” for nature", while GAP 3 are “multiple-use” lands. Other temporary conservation easement lands and/or protected open space without a conservation value or intent are assigned GAP 4. (Citation: Crist, P.J., B. Thompson, T. C. Edwards, C. G. Homer, S. D. Bassett. 1998. Mapping and Categorizing Land Stewardship. A Handbook for Conducting Gap Analysis.) In addition to GAP 1-3 lands, in our TNC secured areas product we classified six additional classes of open space lands (permanent agricultural easements, temporary conservation easements, temporary agricultural easements, urban parks, state board lands, other GAP 4 lands). The following definitions guided our assignment of lands into the following nine classes:TNC CLASS CODE (fields TNCCLASS, TNCCLASS_D)1 = GAP 1: Permanently Secured for Nature and Natural Processes. Managed for biodiversity with all natural processes, little to no human intervention. Primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for biodiversity, nature protection, natural diversity, and natural processes. Land and water managed through natural processes including disturbances with little or no human intervention.Examples: wilderness area, some national parks2 = GAP 2 = Permanently Secured for Nature with Management: Managed for biodiversity, with hands on management or interventions. Primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for biodiversity conservation, nature protection, and natural diversity. Land and water managed for natural biodiversity conservation, but may include some hands on manipulation or suppression of disturbance and natural processes. Examples: national wildlife refuges, areas of critical environmental concern, inventoried roadless areas, some natural areas and preserves3 = GAP 3: Permanently Secured for Multiple Uses, including nature: Primary intention of the owner or easement holder for multiple uses. Strong focus on recreational use, game species production, timber production, grazing and other uses in additional to these lands providing some biodiversity value. May include extractive uses of a broad, low-intensity type (e.g. some logging. grazing) or of a localized intense type (e.g. mining, military artillery testing area, public access beach area within large natural state park). Examples: recreation focused protected areas such as state parks, state recreation areas, wildlife management areas, gamelands, state and national forests, local conservation lands with primary focus on recreational use.38 = State Board Lands and State Trust Lands: Lands in western and some southern states that are owned by the state and prevented from being developed, but which are managed to produce long term sustained revenue for the state’s educational system. These lands were separated from other protected multiple use lands in GAP 3. Most of these lands are subject to timber extraction and management for profitable forest product production. Some also have agricultural use and revenue generated from grazing and/or agricultural production leasing. These lands are not specifically managed for biodiversity values, and some are occasionally sold in periodic auctions by the state for revenue generation. Note this type of land is most commonly assigned GAP 3 in the PAD-US GAP classification.39 = Permanent Agricultural Easements: Conservation land where the primary intent is the preservation of farmland. Land is in a permanent agricultural easement or an easement to maintain grass cover. The land will not be converted to a built or paved development. Example: vegetable farm with permanent easement to prevent development. Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.4 = GAP 4: Areas with no known mandate for permanent biodiversity protection. Municipal lands and other protected open space (e.g. town commons, historic parks) where the intention in management and the use of the open space is not for permanent biodiversity values. It was beyond our capacity to comprehensively compile these GAP 4 lands, and as such, they are included only where source data made it feasible to easily incorporate them. 5 = Temporary Natural Easements: Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.6 = Temporary Agricultural Easements: Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.9 = Urban Parks: While unlikely to have biodiversity value, urban parks provide important places for recreation and open space for people. We went through and identified parks whose name is recreation based (i.e. Playground, Community garden, Golf, fields, baseball, soccer, Mini, school, elementary, Triangle, Pool, Aquatic, Sports, Pool, Athletic, Pocket, Splash, Skate, Dog, Cemetery, Boat). Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.OWNERSHIP DEFINITIONSThe type of owner or interest holder for each polygon was assigned to a set of simple reporting categories as follows (see fields = Fee_Own_T and InterstH_T )TVA -Tennessee Valley Authority, BLM -Bureau of Land Management, , BOR- Bureau of Reclamation, FWS - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, UFS - Forest Service, DOD - Department of Defense, ACE - Army Corps of Engineers , DOE - Department of Energy, NPS - National Park Service, NRC - Natural Resources Conservation Service, FED – Federal Other, TRB - American Indian Lands, SPR - State Park and Recreation , SDC - State Department of Conservation, SLB - State Land Board , SFW - State Fish and Wildlife, SNR - State Department of Natural Resources, STL -State Department of Land, STA - Other or Unknown State Land, REG - Regional Agency Land, LOC – Local Government (City, County), NGO - Non-Governmental Organization, PVT- Private, JNT - Joint , OTH- Other , UNK - UnknownPROTECTION TYPE DEFINITIONS: (see field PRO_TYPE_D)DesignationEasementEasement and DesignationFeeFee and DesignationFee and EasementFee, Easement, and DesignationDATA SOURCES: The 2024 CONUS Secured Areas dataset was compiled by TNC from multiple sources. These include state, federal, and other non-profit and land trust data. The primarily datasets are listed below. 1. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2022. Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 3.0: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q9LQ4B.) Downloaded 1/10/2024 Note this dataset was used as the primary source outside of the Northeast 13 states. For the Northeast states, please see more detailed source information below.2. National Conservation Easement Database (NCED) https://www.conservationeasement.us/ Downloaded 1/12/2024. Note this dataset was used outside the Northeast 13 states. For Northeast states, please see more detailed source information below. 3. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Easements. 2024. Downloaded 1/12/2024 https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/4. Conservation Science Partners, Inc. 2024. Wild and Scenic River corridor areas. Dataset compiled by Conservation Science Partners, Inc. for American Rivers as of 2/14/2024 (per. Communication Lise Comte , Conservation Science Partners, Inc. 2/14/2024)5. The Nature Conservancy. 2024. TNC Lands. Downloaded 3/1/2024.6. The Nature Conservancy Center for Resilient Conservation Science. 2021. Military Lands of the Southeast United States. Extracted from Secured areas spatial database (CONUS) 2021. https://tnc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e033e6bf6069459592903a04797b8b07.7. The Nature Conservancy Center for Resilient Conservation Science. 2022. Northeast States Secured Areas. https://tnc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fb80d71d5aa74a91a25e55b6f1810574

Welcome to the Great Koala Count!

The Great Koala Count is an exciting large-scale Citizen Science survey being run by National Parks Association, in partnership with the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. The Great Koala Count is running from the 7th to the 17th of November and everyone is invited to join! The aim of the Count is to create a comprehensive picture of Koala numbers and locations across the landscape by engaging the community directly in a once-a-year survey. With sufficient support, it is hoped the Count will be replicated each year to show trends in Koala populations, movement and habitat use over time.

A free GPS enabled smartphone app 'BioTag' which links to the Atlas of Living Australia has been developed specifically for the Count. BioTag will enable participants to easily record the location of each Koala they see, along with a series of observational questions about the Koala and its habitat. This will result in the generation of scientifically robust data and will serve to complement existing Koala records. The survey breaks new ground by allowing anyone to record and share their own ecological data, as well as to view the data collected by others. People who do not own a Smartphone can upload their sightings directly to the Koala Count data portal.

The Count includes two surveys, one for Koala sightings and one to record other common species sighted during your Koala search. Knowing that no Koala sightings have been made in a survey area is as important as surveys that locate Koalas, as it helps to build a more complete picture of Koala distribution. We would like you to record as many of the common species as you see so we know where you were looking.

How will counting Koalas help?
By participating in the Great Koala Count, you will help build a more detailed picture of Koalas and their habitat use, providing a valuable resource for planning future Koala conservation projects and helping to make a difference to this unique Australian animal. The more people that get involved, the more valuable data we will generate and therefore the more successful the survey will be.

Long-term aims
The long-term aim is to repeat the Count annually so that changes in populations and the effectiveness of conservation efforts, along with the impact of events such as drought and fire, can be monitored over time. The analysis of this monitoring can be used to inform decisions about future conservation effort.

How to get involved
Getting involved is quick and easy and anyone can join. To participate, simply register as an NPA Citizen Scientist here. Once you have registered, you can download BioTag, our Citizen Scientists Smartphone App which is available from Google Play and iTunes. Once you have downloaded BioTag you are free to practice with it anytime up until the start of the Count, after which you are ready to start recording your Koala sightings. We will delete all records entered before the Count so don't worry about making a mistake or entering test data. At the end of the Count participants will each receive a report of the Great Koala Count survey findings.

To share your stories and experiences about the Count, and to be kept up to date with what is happening, join our new Koala Count Facebook page www.facebook.com.au/KoalaCount.

Background: Overharvesting of resources has been identified as a global driver of environmental change, which along with several other drivers is resulting in large-scale biodiversity loss. The primary international approach attempting to slow this loss and maintain fully functional ecosystems is the designation of “protected areas” that restrict certain human activities. Like other areas globally, protected areas in South Africa are also undergoing expansion. However, this expansion is happening against the backdrop of high unemployment and poverty and in certain instances disputed or changing land rights and ownership. South Africa has a population of approximately 50 million people of which 32 million are eligible to work, yet only 13 million are currently formally employed. Many South African’s rely directly on natural resources for subsistence and to generate an income. The socio-economic context of protected areas is therefore very complex with the conservation ideal of preserving South Africa’s impressive biodiversity (ca 23 000 plants, 3 700 vertebrates and 70 000 invertebrates and two of the world’s 25 ‘hotspots’) being traded-off against people-based conservation outcomes (tourism, income generation, benefit sharing and sustainable livelihoods). The potential conflict between these outcomes increases as protected areas expand to cover the majority of unconverted / undegraded land. Given this delicate situation, baseline data to better understand the dynamics of what is currently protected, what it is that people desire and the costs and benefits of granting these desires is essential to the development of management plans and maintaining support for protected areas. Methods: Data was collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to all national parks for completion by section rangers and park management. Questionnaire completion was assisted by scientists and emphasis was placed on all resource use – authorized and unauthorized – as we sought to describe all resources that are currently of interest to people or might be threatened by harvest. Summary statistics on the number of resources used in each park, the quantities used (or knowledge of quantities used), purposes for which resources were used and the level of authorization of use were compiled and where possible these were compared with existing estimates of resource use from the literature to assess the likelihood that lists of harvested species were complete for each park. The conservation status of all harvested species was researched as one measure of assessing the likely sustainability of harvest. No social impact assessments were carried out during this project. Major findings: A large number of resources (383) are harvested from national parks. The biological resources harvested from parks belong to over 150 families and are used to meet a wide variety of human needs. This indicates that there is a relatively high demand for natural resources. Most of these resources are used to meet the basic human requirements of food (36%) and health (34%). A large proportion of resource use (42% of all used resources), takes place without park authorization. An even larger proportion (69%) of resources have no IUCN Red-List status and while there are more resources that have been assigned a national conservation status, 81% of marine resources have no IUCN Red-List or national conservation status. In addition, very little information emerged on the harvest quantities of each resource. Using the data and species knowledge currently available, it is not possible to determine whether resource use in national parks is sustainable. The high demand for resources is also unlikely to decrease given a growing human population, making future sustainability even more uncertain. Although the resource list documented here represents a valuable first step in documenting resource use across national parks, it is likely to be incomplete. For example, other studies have reported many additional species harvested in protected areas or sold along their boundaries. An additional concern is that there is currently no ownership of the challenges associated with resource use. Monitoring, management and policy implications: The Biodiversity Monitoring System: Resource Use programme covers all the relevant theory behind monitoring resources as well as social needs and benefits. Although the programme provides guidelines for the monitoring of resources (in terms of the ecological dimension of sustainability), monitoring is species/product specific and the details in terms of methods have to be developed for each species which will require applied research as well as staff capacity. Research is also needed to prioritize species and areas for monitoring and to contribute additional essential baseline information to inform sustainable yields. The database generated in this repor... Visit https://dataone.org/datasets/nicolavw.6.4 for complete metadata about this dataset.

The data included in this publication include visitor characteristics, attitudes towards the wilderness experience, and use patterns for wilderness visitors to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC) in 1982. Visitors were asked to provide contact information for a mail-back survey. Questions included that of age, education, types of groups, club memberships, attitudes such as satisfaction with wilderness experience, as well as use pattern questions such as method of travel, length of stay, and activities engaged in during trip. Over 700 responses were obtained. In part, the data were collected to replicate a 1970 study in the same area. The format of the surveys and data was informed by the earlier study for later trend anaylsis.This record was taken from the USDA Enterprise Data Inventory that feeds into the https://data.gov catalog. Data for this record includes the following resources: ISO-19139 metadata ArcGIS Hub Dataset ArcGIS GeoService For complete information, please visit https://data.gov.