They also provide for timber resources while preserving natural areas and the scenic value of the land. A state park sticker or fee is required at designated public use areas including various trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds. State natural areas were acquired to protect the state's natural diversity, provide sites for research and environmental education and serve as benchmarks for assessing and guiding use of other lands in the state. Natural areas are defined as tracts of land or water which have native biotic communities, unique natural features or significant geological or archeological sites. Generally, natural areas are remnant areas which largely have escaped disturbances since settlement or which exhibit little recent disturbance so that recovery has occurred and presettlement conditions are approached.
Natural areas provide an important reservoir of our state's genetic or biologic diversity.
They act as important reserves for native biotic communities and provide habitat for endangered, threatened or critical species or other species of special concern to scientists. They often include areas with highly significant geological or archaeological features. They tend not to have much facility development, though there may be a designated trail or two on site. Some properties allow limited hunting. Most sites described in this publication provide wildlife watching opportunities to one degree or another.