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The PAD-US geodatabase was originally developed to organize and assess the management status (i.e., apply 'GAP Status Code') of elements of biodiversity protection by identifying species and plant communities not adequately represented in existing conservation lands ( https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project ). In cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), PAD-US also supports global conservation analyses to inform policy decisions ( https://www.protectedplanet.net/country/USA , https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/resources/global-reports ). The dataset is robust and continually expanded to support the recreation, natural resource management, wildfire planning, emergency management, transportation, research, and public health communities. New applications of the data are frequently discovered. Multiple attributes and a flexible database structure provide context for data to be used at local, regional, state, national, and international scales. See https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas-resources for more information. |
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The PAD-US geodatabase was originally developed to organize and assess the management status (i.e., apply 'GAP Status Code') of elements of biodiversity protection by identifying species and plant communities not adequately represented in existing conservation lands ( https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project ). In cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), PAD-US also supports global conservation analyses to inform policy decisions ( https://www.protectedplanet.net/country/USA , https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/resources/global-reports ). The dataset is robust and continually expanded to support the recreation, natural resource management, wildfire planning, emergency management, transportation, research, and public health communities. New applications of the data are frequently discovered. Multiple attributes and a flexible database structure provide context for data to be used at local, regional, state, national, and international scales. See https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas-resources for more information. |
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U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2025, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.1: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P96WBCHS |
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The USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) is the nation's inventory of protected areas, including public land and voluntarily provided private protected areas, identified as an A-16 National Geospatial Data Asset in the Cadastre Theme ( https://ngda-cadastre-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/ ). The PAD-US is an ongoing project with several published versions of a spatial database including areas dedicated to the preservation of biological diversity, and other natural (including extraction), recreational, or cultural uses, managed for these purposes through legal or other effective means.
The database was originally designed to support biodiversity assessments; however, its scope expanded in recent years to include all open space public and nonprofit lands and waters. Most are public lands owned in fee (the owner of the property has full and irrevocable ownership of the land); however, permanent and long-term easements, leases, agreements, Congressional (e.g. 'Wilderness Area'), Executive (e.g. 'National Monument'), and administrative designations (e.g., 'Area of Critical Environmental Concern') documented in agency management plans are also included. The PAD-US strives to be a complete inventory of U.S. public land and other protected areas, compiling “best available” data provided by managing agencies and organizations. PAD-US provides a full inventory geodatabase, spatial analysis, statistics, data downloads, web services, poster maps, and data submissions included in efforts to track global progress toward biodiversity protection.
PAD-US integrates spatial data to ensure public lands and other protected areas from all jurisdictions are represented. PAD-US version 4.1 includes new and updated data from the following data providers. All other data were transferred from previous versions of PAD-US.
Federal updates - USGS remains committed to updating federal fee owned lands data and major designation changes in regular PAD-US updates, where authoritative data provided directly by managing agencies are available or alternative data sources are recommended. Revisions associated with the federal estate in this version include updates to the Federal estate (fee ownership parcels, easement interest, management designations, and proclamation boundaries), with authoritative data from two agencies, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Additionally, unit names were updated to reflect recent name changes to Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, and Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. The federal theme in PAD-US is developed in close collaboration with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Federal Lands Working Group (FLWG, https://ngda-gov-units-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/pages/federal-lands-workgroup/ ). This includes improved the representation of boundaries and attributes for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, in collaboration with agency data-stewards, in response to feedback from the PAD-US Team and stakeholders.
State Updates - USGS is committed to building capacity in the state data steward network and the PAD-US Team to increase the frequency of state land and NGO partner updates, as resources allow. State Lands Workgroup (SLWG, https://ngda-gov-units-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/pages/state-lands-workgroup ) is focused on improving protected land inventories in PAD-US, increase update efficiency, and facilitate local review. This version includes updates and additions from the following two states: Texas (state, local, and nonprofit fee) and Arizona (state, local, and nonprofit fee). All state and NGO easement submissions are provided to NCED. For more information regarding the PAD-US dataset please visit, https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas.
For more information regarding the PAD-US dataset please visit, https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/protected-areas . For more information about data aggregation please review the PAD-US Data Manual available at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/pad-us-data-manual .
A version history of PAD-US updates is summarized below (See https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/pad-us-data-history/ for more information):
1) First posted - April 2009 (Version 1.0 - available from the PAD-US: Team pad-us@usgs.gov).
2) Revised - May 2010 (Version 1.1 - available from the PAD-US: Team pad-us@usgs.gov).
3) Revised - April 2011 (Version 1.2 - available from the PAD-US: Team pad-us@usgs.gov).
4) Revised - November 2012 (Version 1.3) https://doi.org/10.5066/F79Z92XD
5) Revised - May 2016 (Version 1.4) https://doi.org/10.5066/F7G73BSZ
6) Revised - September 2018 (Version 2.0) https://doi.org/10.5066/P955KPLE
7) Revised - September 2020 (Version 2.1) https://doi.org/10.5066/P92QM3NT
8) Revised - January 2022 (Version 3.0) https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q9LQ4B
9) Revised - April 2024 (Version 4.0) https://doi.org/10.5066/P96WBCHS
10) Revised - March 2025 (Version 4.1) https://doi.org/10.5066/P96WBCHS
Comparing protected area trends between PAD-US versions is not recommended without consultation with USGS as many changes reflect improvements to agency and organization GIS systems, or conservation and recreation measure classification, rather than actual changes in protected area acquisition on the ground. |
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The Digital Object Identifier https://doi.org/10.5066/P96WBCHS for PAD-US provides the persistent reference that should be used to obtain the data for use.
The U.S. Geological Survey and all contributing data partners shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. All information is created with a specific end use or uses in mind. This is especially true for GIS data, which is expensive to produce and must be directed to meet the immediate program needs. These data were created with the expectation that they would be used for other applications; however, inappropriate uses are listed below. This list is in no way exhaustive but should serve as a guide to assess whether a proposed use can or cannot be supported by these data. For many uses, it is unlikely that PAD-US will provide the only data needed, and for uses with a regulatory outcome, authoritative agency data and field surveys should verify the result.
PAD-US is recommended for users seeking general information about more than one agency or organization's lands. Users should seek authoritative source data directly to answer questions regarding one agency or those requiring more frequent updates (See PAD-US Steward Reports for contacts and agency data download locations: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-stewards ). PAD-US includes the best available representation of federally owned lands (meaning a federal agency or the U.S. holds the title records), developed from authoritative source data in direct collaboration with federal agency data-stewards. Several ownership related data gaps exist and USGS provides no legal warranty. Agencies are always the official and best source of their land data and some update more frequently than PAD-US. The FGDC Federal Lands Working Group recommends the use of PAD-US to describe federally managed lands (i.e., “Manager Name” not “Owner Name”), unless spatial data inventory completeness is over 95% and appropriate scale for display is 1:24,000 as illustrated in “State of PAD-US Data” (e.g. USFS, USFWS, NPS, BLM, DOD) - a graphical summary of inventory completeness, appropriate scale, and update frequency available at the Federal Lands Workgroup (FLWG) website (https://ngda-gov-units-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/pages/federal-lands-workgroup ) .
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each data user to determine if these data can answer the question being asked. Furthermore, the database is released on condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use.
Inappropriate uses include: Using PAD-US for applications or analyses associated with one agency or a particular unit (agencies are always the best and authoritative source of their land data and many publish updates more frequently than PAD-US). Using data to map small areas, typically requiring mapping resolution at scale finer than 1:24,000, as boundary quality varies by data source (See "State of PAD-US Data") and using aerial photographs or ground surveys in areas where data are incomplete. Combining these data with other data finer than 1:100,000 scale (except for select federal agencies or states identified in "State of PAD-US Data") to produce new hybrid maps or answer queries. Generating specific areal measurements from the data finer than the nearest thousand hectares. Representing boundaries as a legal representation for regulation or acquisition. Establishing definite occurrence or non-occurrence of any feature for an exact geographic area. Determining abundance, health, or condition of any feature. Using the data without acquiring and reviewing the metadata. |
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Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.1 |
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tags:
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["Protected Area","Public Access","Land Manager","GAP Status Code","Land Stewardship","Land Ownership","Gap Analysis","Biodiversity","Conservation","Protection Status","IUCN Category","Federal Lands","Public Lands","Outdoor Recreation","Public Health","Public Open Space","Parks","Governmental Units","State Lands","Private Lands","Local Government Lands","Forest Service","Bureau of Land Management","National Park Service","U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service","Department of Defense","Army Corps of Engineers","National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","Natural Resources Conservation Service","Bureau of Reclamation","Tennessee Valley Authority","Department of Energy","Agricultural Research Service","Census","Veterans Affairs","Geography","Land Use and Land Cover","Protected Area","USGS:652ef930d34edd15305a9b03","United States","Alabama (AL)","Alaska (AK)","Arizona (AZ)","Arkansas (AR)","California (CA)","Colorado (CO)","Connecticut (CT)","Delaware (DE)","Florida (FL)","Georgia (GA)","Hawaii (HI)","Idaho (ID)","Illinois (IL)","Indiana (IN)","Iowa (IA)","Kansas (KS)","Kentucky (KY)","Louisiana (LA)","Maine (ME)","Maryland (MD)","Massachusetts (MA)","Michigan (MI)","Minnesota (MN)","Mississippi (MS)","Missouri (MO)","Montana (MT)","Nebraska (NE)","Nevada (NV)","New Hampshire (NH)","New Jersey (NJ)","New Mexico (NM)","New York (NY)","North Carolina (NC)","North Dakota (ND)","Ohio (OH)","Oklahoma (OK)","Oregon (OR)","Pennsylvania (PA)","Rhode Island (RI)","South Carolina (SC)","South Dakota (SD)","Tennessee (TN)","Texas (TX)","Utah (UT)","Vermont (VT)","Virginia (VA)","Washington (WA)","West Virginia (WV)","Wisconsin (WI)","Wyoming (WY)","American Samoa (AS)","Mariana Islands (MP)","Guam (GU)","Puerto Rico (PR)","U.S. Minor Outlying Islands (UM)","United States Virgin Islands (VI)","United States"] |
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