A National Heritage Site in the United States is a location important to the cultural heritage of a particular state that has been promoted to national status, as well as sites that have been deemed nationally important by central heritage agencies.

Types of protection

* The

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

(NRHP) is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation. It includes the complete list of

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

s. * The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

(NPS) is the U.S. federal agency reporting to the

United States Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the ma ...

that manages all parks that have been assigned the national park status. * The NPS also administers many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties (

national preserve There are 21 protected areas of the United States designated as national preserves. They were established by an act of Congress to protect areas that have resources often associated with national parks but where certain natural resource-extract ...

s, national historic sites) with various title designations. It was created on August 25, 1916, by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

through the

National Park Service Organic Act The National Park Service Organic Act,An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes. . or simply "the Organic Act" within the National Park Service, conservationists, etc., is a United States federal law that established the ...

.{{cite web, url=http://www.nps.gov/legacy/organic-act.htm, title=The National Park Service Organic Act, publisher=National Park Service, accessdate=2011-07-16 * The

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

(FWS) is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and habitats. * The

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

(USFS) oversees "forest reserves" and protects them from fire and other dangers from multi-use of trails. Though much of their administrative duties overlap with the NPS, the USFS reports to the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

, and not of the Interior. *

National Heritage Area In the United States, a National Heritage Area (NHA) is a site designated by Act of Congress, intended to encourage historic preservation of the area and an appreciation of the history and heritage of the site. There are currently 62 NHAs, some ...

s are created by Congress. They are usually administered by State-owned parks services, where the NPS has an advisory role. * The National Association of State Park Directors is an organization that coordinates state parks at the federal level. * Though not a specific "site", the

National Trails System The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

administers the right of way and upkeep of national scenic and historic trails, such as the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

References

Cultural heritage of the United States Law of the United States Historic sites in the United States

Types of protection

See also

References