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APPENDIX I. SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR NATURAL 

 AREAS AND STAFF 



Smithsonian Center for Natural Areas 



The Smithsonian Center for Natural Areas was formally established 

 in June 1972, as part of the Ecology Program, Office of Environmental 

 Sciences, in response to urgent requests from various agencies and in 

 recognition of the need to assist in the protection of our natural 

 areas. 



The Center's mission is to work to preserve, protect and increase 

 the quality of our environment for the benefit and enjoyment of urban 

 as well as rural America, in particular for the physical and spiritual 

 welfare of future generations. In our rapidly urbanizing country, this 

 will assure that future generations will have the invaluable heritage 

 of carefully selected plant and animal communities. . .natural areas. 



The Center provides ecological competence in planning and setting 

 priorities for the selection and preservation of natural areas in urban 

 as well as more remote locations. The intent is to bring together on a 

 comprehensive basis the relevant technical and scientific information 

 for sebsequent inclusion in the institutional decision making process, 

 and thereby play an active, instrumental but delicate role in seeing that 

 significant conservation goals are achieved. 



The Center is completing definitive criteria for the establishment 

 of priorities in the selection of natural areas to provide a uniform 

 approach for adoption by public as well as private agencies. The Center 

 has a. natural area registry program which is compiling, evaluating and 

 computerizing a comprehensive inventory of approximately 15,000 natural 

 areas in the United States. Special emphasis is being given to studies 





