National Register of Geoheritage Sites

A central aspect of many heritage programs is documenting resources and site conditions as part of a formal registry. Registries such as the National Register of Historic Places, established under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, provide an important accounting of heritage resources and values being conserved.

Currently, there is no comprehensive national registry that includes all geologic heritage sites in the United States. Establishing a national registry, which requires community support, will help strengthen the connections between geologic heritage sites and ensure that best management practices are applied nationwide. Click here for the Unofficial National Register of Geoheritage Sites.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Geoheritage in U.S. National Parks

Yellowstone National Park

Geoheritage sites can be found throughout the US National Park System. The National Park System contains 266 parks with fossil resources, 94 parks with 4,700 known caves, and another 59 parks with known karst systems. Ninety-seven parks protect 7,500 miles of shoreline, 25 parks contain geothermal systems, 38 parks have volcanoes as a major feature, and 37 have active glacial features. Parks also contain a tremendous diversity of landforms including dunes, arches, canyons, buttes, and escarpments. Park museum collections have more than 35,000 geological specimens and nearly 416,000 paleontological specimens.

The National Parks preserve spectacular icons of our nation's geologic heritage and contain some of the world's finest examples of geologic phenomena. From glaciers to barrier islands, from volcanoes to dinosaurs, the parks have it all including arches, canyons, caves, mountains and sand dunes. Click here for information in National Parks.

 

 

America’s Geoheritage - Education Resources :

America's Geologic Heritage: An Invitation to Leadership (American Geosciences Institute / US National Park Service)


Series: Values Embodied in Geoheritage (US National Park Service)

America's Geoheritage II: Identifying, Developing, and Preserving America's Natural Legacy: Proceedings of a Workshop  (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)


Geoheritage Position Statement (Geological Society of America)


“Geoheritage: Preserving Earth’s Legacy,” (EARTH Magazine)


World Heritage in the United States (US National Park Service)

US Geoheritage and Geoparks Advisory Group

The US Geoheritage and Geoparks Advisory Group is sponsored by the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Geological Sciences (USNC/IUGS) which serves as a focal point for U.S. discussions on how to best maintain the viability and relevance of the geological sciences in the U.S. and internationally. The U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Geological Sciences (USNC/IUGS) is hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine - Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO).

The Advisory Group's mission is to:

  • Promote the recognition and conservation of significantly important geoheritage sites within the U.S.;
  • Develop and present educational workshops, meetings, and publications regarding geoheritage;
  • Establish partnerships in collaboration and support for a robust U.S. geoheritage program.

    Click here for the list of Advisory Group Members.