Editing Louisiana (section)

===Publicly owned land===
{{See also|List of Louisiana state parks|List of Louisiana state historic sites}}[[File:New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America Population Density and Low Elevation Coastal Zones (5457913950).jpg|thumb|283x283px|Population density and low elevation coastal zones in the Mississippi River Delta. The Mississippi River Delta is especially vulnerable to [[sea level rise]].]]

Owing to its location and geology, the state has high biological diversity. Some vital areas, such as southwestern prairie, have experienced a loss in excess of 98 percent. The pine flatwoods are also at great risk, mostly from [[Wildfire suppression|fire suppression]] and [[urban sprawl]]. There is not yet a properly organized system of natural areas to represent and protect Louisiana's biological diversity. Such a system would consist of a protected system of core areas linked by biological corridors, such as Florida is planning.<ref>Florida Greenways Commission. 1994. Report to the Governor. Creating a statewide greenways system: For people{{spaces}}... for wildlife{{spaces}}... for Florida. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, FL.</ref>

Louisiana contains a number of areas which, to varying degrees, prevent people from using them.<ref>Lester, G. D., S.G. Sorensen, P. L. Faulkner, C. S. Reid and I. E. Maxit. 2005. ''Louisiana Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy''. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA</ref> In addition to [[National Park Service]] areas and a [[United States National Forest]], Louisiana operates a system of [[List of Louisiana state parks|state parks]], [[List of Louisiana state historic sites|state historic sites]], one [[Louisiana State Arboretum|state preservation area]], one [[Alexander State Forest|state forest]], and many [[Wildlife Management Area]]s.

One of Louisiana's largest government-owned areas is [[Kisatchie National Forest]]. It is some 600,000 acres in area, more than half of which is [[flatwoods]] vegetation, which supports many rare plant and animal species.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hyatt|first=Phil|date=November 20, 2020|title=Story of Kisatchie Botany|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kisatchie/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=fsbdev3_024695|access-date=November 20, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154051/https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kisatchie/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=fsbdev3_024695|url-status=live}}</ref> These include the [[Louisiana pinesnake]] and [[red-cockaded woodpecker]]. The system of government-owned [[Cypress dome|cypress swamps]] around [[Lake Pontchartrain]] is another large area, with southern [[wetland]] species including egrets, alligators, and sturgeon. At least 12 core areas would be needed to build a "protected areas system" for the state; these would range from southwestern prairies, to the Pearl River Floodplain in the east, to the Mississippi River alluvial swamps in the north. Additionally, the state operates a system of 22 state parks, 17 state historic sites and one state preservation area; in these lands, Louisiana maintains a [[Fauna of Louisiana|diversity of fauna]] and flora.

====National Park Service====
Historic or scenic areas managed, protected, or recognized by the National Park Service include:
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* [[Atchafalaya National Heritage Area]] in Ascension Parish;
* [[Cane River National Heritage Area]] near Natchitoches;
* [[Cane River Creole National Historical Park]] near Natchitoches;
* [[Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve]], headquartered in New Orleans, with units in St. Bernard Parish, Barataria (Crown Point), and Acadiana (Lafayette);
* [[Poverty Point National Monument]] at Delhi, Louisiana; and
* [[Saline Bayou]], a designated [[National Wild and Scenic River]] near [[Winn Parish]] in northern Louisiana.
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====U.S. Forest Service====
* [[Kisatchie National Forest]] is Louisiana's only national forest. It includes more than 600,000 acres in central and northern Louisiana with large areas of flatwoods and longleaf pine forest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kisatchie National Forest|url=https://www.natchitoches.com/listing/kisatchie-national-forest|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-08|website=Natchitoches, Louisiana Travel & Tourism|date=October 29, 2013|language=en|archive-date=December 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208005503/https://www.natchitoches.com/listing/kisatchie-national-forest}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kisatchie National Forest – National Forest Foundation|url=https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/find-a-forest/kisatchie-national-forest|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-08|website=National Forest Foundation|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209194903/https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/find-a-forest/kisatchie-national-forest}}</ref>