The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves is an agency of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
dedicated to the protection of Kentucky's natural heritage. The agency's primary focus is protecting rare and endangered species habitat. It oversees a statewide program of nature preserves, the Kentucky Wild Rivers Program, and the "Nature's Finest" license plate program of the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board. The program was formerly known as the "Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission", from 1976 until a reorganization in 2018.
As of July 1, 2018, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves programs include:
* 19,217 acres owned by KNP in 41 State Nature Preserves;
* 6,245 acres owned by KNP in 6 State Natural Areas;
* 7,324 acres dedicated by KNP in 22 State Nature Preserves owned by partnering agencies;
* 11,894 acres in conservation easements at 52 KHLCF natural areas owned by local concerns;
* 59,556 acres of deed restricted property in 26 KHLCF natural areas owned by other state agencies;
* 8,260 acres owned by private landowners and other agencies in 59 Registered Natural Areas;
* 26,382 acres owned by private landowners and other agencies in 9 Wild Rivers Corridors.
The grand total of 112,000 acres in these programs is only 0.44% of Kentucky's 25 million acres.
Statewide Nature Preserve / Natural Area List:
*
Abbey of Gethsemane Registered Natural Area
*
Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve
*
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve is a forested gorge covering 2,639 acres (10.68 Km2) near Whitesburg, KY in Letcher County, Kentucky. The deep and narrow gorge, adjacent to the Jefferson National Forest is carved into the face of Pine Mounta ...
*
Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves
*
Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve
Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve is a nature preserve located in Louisville, Kentucky's Poplar Level neighborhood, in roughly the central portion of the city. It is named for Beargrass Creek, the south fork of which passes along the north ...
*Bissell Bluff SNA
*
Blackacre Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead
*
Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve
*
Blue Licks State Nature Preserve
*Boone County Cliffs SNP
*Bouteloua Barrens SNP
*
Brigadoon State Nature Preserve
*
Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument
Camp Nelson National Monument, formerly the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park, is a national monument, historical museum and park located in southern Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States, south of Lexington, Kentucky. The American Civil ...
*Chaney Lake SNP
*Crooked Creek Barrens SNP
*
Cumberland Falls SPNP
*Cypress Creek SNP
*Dinsmore Woods SNP
*Drennon Creek State Nature Preserve
*Eastview Barrens SNP
*Flat Rock Glade SNP
*Floracliff SNP
*Frances Johnson Palk SNP
*Goodrum Cave SNP
*Hi Lewis Pine Barrens SNP
*James E. Bickford SNP
*Jesse Stuart SNP
*Jim Scudder SNP
*John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest SNP
*
John James Audubon State Park
John James Audubon State Park is located on U. S. Route 41 in Henderson, Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River. Its inspiration is John James Audubon, the ornithologist, naturalist, painter, and slaveowner who resided in Henderson from 1810 to ...
State Nature Preserve
*Julian Savanna SNP
*
Kingdom Come State Park State Nature Preserve
*Logan County Glade SNP
*Lower Howard's Creek Heritage Park and SNP
*Martin's Fork SNA
*Metropolis Lake SNP
*
Natural Bridge State Park State Nature Preserve
*Newman's Bluff SNA
*Obion Creek SNP including
Murphy's Pond
*
Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site
Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site is a park near Perryville in Boyle County, Kentucky. The park continues to expand with purchases of parcels by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves' Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund and the ...
WTVQ October 8 2020 '158 years later Perryville Battlefield Park to grow by hundreds of acres'
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* Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve
*Pine Mountain SPNP
*Quiet Trails SNP
*Raymond Athey Barrens SNP
*River Cliffs SNP
*Short's Goldenrod SNP
*Six Mile Island State Nature Preserve
Six Mile Island is a nature preserve in Louisville, Kentucky located on the Ohio River.
About
The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves owns and manages the preserve and was dedicated June 24, 1979.
*Springhouse Barrens SNP
*Stone Mountain SNA
*Terrapin Creek SNP
*Thompson Creek Glades SNP
*Three Ponds SNP
* Tom Dorman SNP
*Vernon-Douglas SNP
*Woodburn Glade SNP
* SNP indicates State Nature Preserve
* SPNP indicates State Park Nature Preserve
* SNA indicates State Natural Area
Projects
*Kentucky River Palisades The Kentucky River Palisades are a series of steep, scenic gorges and limestone outcroppings that stretch for approximately 100 mi (160 km), along the Kentucky River in central Kentucky in the United States.
Geology
The Kentucky Rive ...
References
External links
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Nature Preserves
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
Protected areas of Kentucky