Pacific and West

193 Pages·2009·12.308 MB·English

by  Methea Kathleen Sapp

America’s Natural Places
Regional Volumes in A merica’s Natural Places
East and Northeast, Donelle Nicole Dreese
Pacifi c and West, Methea Kathleen Sapp
Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, Kelly Enright
South and Southeast, Stacy Kowtko
The Midwest, Jason Ney and Terri Nichols
America s
’
Natural Places
Pacific and West
Methea Kathleen Sapp
Stacy Kowtko, General Editor
G P
REENWOOD RESS
An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC
Copyright 2010 by Methea Kathleen Sapp
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for
the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in
writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sapp, Methea Kathleen.
America’s natural places. Pacifi c and West / Methea Kathleen Sapp.
p. cm. — (Regional volumes in America’s natural places)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-313-35088-7 (set hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-313-35089-4 (set ebook) —
ISBN 978-0-313-35318-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-313-35319-2 (ebook)
1. Protected areas—Pacifi c States. 2. Protected areas—Southwest, New. 3. Protected areas—
Alaska. 4. Protected areas—Hawaii. 5. Endangered ecosystems—Pacifi c States. 6. Endangered
ecosystems—Southwest, New. 7. Endangered ecosystems—Alaska. 8. Endangered ecosystems—
Hawaii. I. Title.
S932.P33S27 2010
333.780979—dc22 2009032365
14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5
This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook.
Visit www.abc-clio.com for details.
ABC-CLIO, LLC
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Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
Contents
Series Foreword ix
Preface xiii
Introduction xvii
A 1
LASKA
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve 2
Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory 4
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 6
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve 7
Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge 8
Gustavas Forelands 10
Homer Airport Critical Habitat Area 11
Katmai National Park and Preserve 12
Kenai Fjords National Park 13
Kootznoowoo Wilderness 15
McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge 17
National Petroleum Reserve 18
Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary: Round Island 20
v
vi Contents
A 23
RIZONA
Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch 24
Aravaipa Canyon 25
Buckelew Family Lands 27
Hassayampa River Preserve 29
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge 30
Sierra Vista Wastewater Wetlands 32
C 35
ALIFORNIA
Ballona Wetlands 36
Catalina Island 38
Cosumnes River Preserve 39
Crestridge Ecological Reserve 41
Death Valley National Park 43
Farallon Wilderness 44
Foote Botanical Preserve 46
Kern River Preserve 47
McCloud River Preserve 48
Merced Grasslands 50
Mount Hamilton 51
Pinnacles Wilderness 53
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve 54
Waddle Ranch 56
H 59
AWAII
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve 60
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 62
Kahoolawe Island Reserve 63
Kanaele Bog 65
Ka‘u¯ Preserve 66
Contents vii
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Reserve 68
Palmyra Atoll 69
Papaha¯naumokua¯kea Marine National Monument/Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands National Monument 71
Pu‘u Kukui Watershed Preserve 72
N 75
EVADA
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge 76
Black Rock Desert 78
Jarbidge Wilderness 80
McCarran Ranch 82
Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge 83
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge 84
Pyramid Lake 85
N M 89
EW EXICO
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness 90
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge 91
Gila River Preserve 93
Ojito Wilderness 94
Otero Mesa 95
Placitas Open Space 97
Santa Fe Canyon Preserve 99
West Malpais Wilderness 100
O 103
REGON
Audubon Sanctuary 104
Boardman Grasslands 105
Cascade Head Experimental Forest and Scenic Research Area 107
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument 108
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge 110
viii Contents
Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge 112
Owens Farm 113
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 115
Steens Mountain Wilderness 118
Table Rocks 120
Tom McCall Preserve 122
W 125
ASHINGTON
Desert Wildlife Area 126
Ellsworth Creek Preserve 128
Halliday Fen 130
Julia Butler Hansen Refuge 131
Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve 133
Moccasin Lake Ranch 135
Moses Coulee–Beezley Hills 136
Port Susan Bay 137
Rose Creek 139
Wenas Wildlife Area 141
Glossary 143
Bibliography 147
Index 157
Series Foreword
The United States possesses within its borders some of the most diverse and beautiful
natural wonders and resources of any country on earth. Many of these valuable natural
places exist under a constant threat of damage from environmental pollution, climatic
change, and encroaching civilization, just to name a few of the more destructive forces.
Some natural areas enjoy the care and protection of neighboring human societies, but
some have fallen to the wayside of concern. This series of reference volumes represents
a collection of distinct areas of preservation concern in the following fi ve geographical
divisions of the United States: the East and Northeast, the Pacifi c and West, the Rocky
Mountains and Great Plains, the South and Southeast, and the Midwest. The goal is
to present representative challenges faced across the country, providing information on
historical and ongoing preservation efforts through the process of identifying specifi c
sites that representatively defi ne the United States as an environmental entity. Indi-
vidual entries were chosen based on the following criteria: biodiversity, ecology, rare or
endangered species habitats, or unique environmental character. Many of the entries are
nature preserves, state or national parks, wildlife habitats, or scenic vistas. Each selection
focuses on a particular area and describes the site’s importance, resident fl ora and fauna,
and threats to the area’s survival, along with historical and current information on pres-
ervation efforts. For sites that are physically accessible, there is information on location,
access methods, and visiting tips. Although each volume is organized by state, many
natural places cross state borders, and so the larger focus is on environmental ecosystem
representation rather than state defi nition. The goals are to inform readers about the
wide variety of natural places across the country as well as portray these natural places as
more than just an exercise in academic study. The reality of natural preservation in the
United States has an immediate impact on everyone.
ix