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The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves is an agency of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States dedicated to the protection of Kentucky's natural heritage.[1] The agency's primary focus is protecting rare and endangered species habitats. [2] 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.[3]
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 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 [4]
Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve
Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves
Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve
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
Chaney Lake SNP
Crooked Creek Barrens SNP
Cumberland Falls SPNP
Cypress Creek SNP
Dinsmore Woods SNP
Drennon Creek State Nature Preserve [5]
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 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[6]
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
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
^Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves
^The Lexington Herald-Leader "How Kentucky selects state nature preserves, December 18, 2020"
^The Lane Report "Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves Established, June 7, 2018"
^The Lane Report 2019 State Establishes Abbey of Gethsemane Registered Natural Area
^‘Extraordinary property.’ Kentucky adds its first new nature preserve in a decade. Lexington Herald Leader Dec 28, 2020
^WTVQ October 8 2020 '158 years later Perryville Battlefield Park to grow by hundreds of acres'
and 28 Related for: Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves information
The OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves is an agency of the Commonwealth ofKentucky in the United States dedicated to the protection ofKentucky's natural...
It is owned by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves and the LNC assists with management. The preserve includes 2 miles (3.2 km) of walking trails, which...
Kentucky NaturePreserves' Wild Rivers Program. Because of its unusual and rugged nature, the Red River Gorge features a remarkable variety of ecological...
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features a 15-acre (6.1 ha) naturepreserve containing a cedar glade, managed by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves. This glade was previously maintained...
also legally designated a Kentucky Wild River by the Kentucky General Assembly through the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves' Wild Rivers Program. The...
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States Department of Agriculture. Rodgers, Devin; Littlefield, Tara; McDonald, Kendall (2022). "OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreservesKentucky Rare Plant List"...
a nature reserve on February 20, 1991. An additional 312 acres (1.3 km2) was dedicated on December 11, 2001. The OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves has...
owned by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves, and encompasses 880 acres (3.6 km2) of cliffs, bluffs, and bottomland. In 2007, the Kentucky State Parks...
connect Bad Branch State NaturePreserve and many other natural areas owned by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves. As of May 2014, the trail is completed...
Register of Historic Places in 1988. Most of the park has been dedicated as a state naturepreserve by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves, which also...
waterfall is the central feature of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and is part of the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves designated Wild River System...
portion of the park is legally dedicated as a naturepreserve by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves. When Pine Mountain State Resort Park was established...
Island is a naturepreserve in Louisville, Kentucky located on the Ohio River. The OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves owns and manages the preserve and was...
NaturePreserve is a state naturepreserve located in Barren County, Kentucky adjacent to Barren River Lake. The OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves purchased...
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2007. Retrieved November 29, 2006. "Bad Branch State NaturePreserve". Kentucky State NaturePreserves Commission. August 14, 2006. Archived from the original...
land was given to the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves by Judge Macauley and Mrs. Emilie Smith creating the first naturepreserve in the Commonwealth's...
mountain lake. The section of the park is also a legally dedicated state naturepreserve by the OfficeofKentuckyNaturePreserves. Raven Rock is a naturally...
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