Missouri Economic Overview

INTRODUCTION  Kansas City Manufacturing is the most important industry to Missouri's economy, with the important products being aerospace and transportation equipment, food products, chemicals, printing and publishing, fabricated metals, and electrical equipment. The two most important commercial centers in the state are Kansas City and St. Louis. St Louis is a base for metal and chemical manufacturing. Kansas City has long been associated with livestock and wheat but is now a strong producer of vending machines, cars, and trucks as well. Coal, lead, zinc, cement, and stone are also produced. The state’s 100,000 farms yield soybeans, corn, wheat, and dairy products and raise cattle and hogs. The resorts and tourist attractions in the Ozark Mountain region further boost state income. Per capital personal income in Missouri is nearly $34,400, and the annual gross state product (GSP) is $237.8 billion. ECONOMIC HISTORY In the mid 1700s, St. Genevieve, the state’s first permanent settlement, was exporting lead, salt, pork, furs, feathers, flour, and grain. Trade was slow until the steamboat era arrived in 1819 and settlement rapidly expanded. Missouri's central location and river access helped it build a strong commercial base. As railroads developed during the 19th century, so did commerce. The river-based economies began to dry up and were replaced by flour and grist mills, breweries and whiskey distilleries, and meat packing plants. Lead mining and tobacco became profitable as well. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in 1904 boosted the economy and industry continued to grow. The state’s economy was hit hard during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when many farms lost their value and banks failed. Following World War II, St. Louis and Kansas City became important transportation centers and Missouri became the second largest producer of automobiles in the U.S. Today’s economy is centered on transportation equipment, printing and publishing, chemicals, and electrical equipment. AGRICULTURE Missouri’s 100,000 farms are spread out over almost 30 million acres and produce income from agriculture worth some $7.5 billion ($4 billion from livestock, poultry, and their products, and $3.5 billion from crops). Grain sorghum production, ranked fourth in the nation, brings in $38 million, cotton brings in $118.6 million, and rice production accounts for $39 million. Other important crops are tobacco, oats, rye, apples, peaches, grapes, watermelons, and various seed crops. Forest products, such as railroad ties, hardwood veneer, lumber, and red cedar novelties, add more than $4.3 billion to the economy. BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES H&R Block World Headquarters, Kansas City Missouri is the only state in the nation to have two Federal Reserve Banks, located in the financial centers of Kansas City and St. Louis. The finance industry employs about 136,000 workers with annual wages of some $7.5 billion. Banks alone generate around $650 million in revenue and employ approximately 18,400 workers. Prominent commercial banks in Missouri include U.S. Bank, Bank of America, and Commerce Bank. COMMUNICATIONS Missouri has a wide-reaching and modern communications network. There are 457 radio stations and over 90 television stations in the state, which produce some $7 million in revenues. There are about 25,200 workers in the telecommunications field, which generates annual revenue of some $20 million. Cable television services generate revenue of approximately $3.2 million, and Internet service providers add roughly $3.9 million to the state economy. CONSTRUCTION Missouri's construction industry suffered during the recent world economic crisis, losing many jobs and state construction projects. The industry now employs some 120,700 workers. Direct construction spending contributes $28 billion to the GSP. Nonresidential construction spending in Missouri totals about $12 billion. Salaries for construction workers add almost $6 billion to the economy. Some 90 percent of Missouri construction firms are small businesses employing fewer than 20 workers. Direct and indirect work associated with nonresidential construction spending supports 244,000 jobs. EDUCATION St. Louis University Nearly 350,000 students are enrolled in Missouri’s 200 colleges and universities. There are more than 5,000 elementary schools and high schools, including both private and public institutions. The state’s more than 160,000 teachers earn an average of $43,000 per year. The state's largest school district, which is in St. Louis, generates revenue of $480 million, with a student population of some 40,900 and 3,100 teachers. The city pays its teachers a total of about $147 million a year. Kansas City, the second largest school district, brings in revenue of approximately $394 million and pays $134 million in salaries to teachers. Prominent institutions of higher learning are the University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri State University, and Saint Louis University. ENERGY The dominant fuel for electricity generation in Missouri is coal. Although Missouri was the first state west of the Mississippi River to produce coal commercially, today only two coal mines remain in operation and 84 percent of the coal used for electricity production is imported from nearby states. Missouri has a single nuclear power plant in Fulton that supplies much of Missouri’s non-coal-generated electricity. Missourians spend about $3,000 per person each year on natural gas for heating, fuel for cars and trucks, and electricity. Revenue from retail sales of electricity is some $5.6 billion. More than 20,000 workers are employed in energy production. ENTERTAINMENT The media industry in Missouri is comprised of businesses predominantly involved in the production of motion pictures, commercial video, Internet publishing and broadcasting, television, subscription programming, and advertising. Filmmakers are attracted to Missouri by an incentive policy. Since 1999, when the incentive was initiated, filmmakers have chosen Missouri as the location for filming 122 movies. The film industry generates some $1.63 billion of the GSP, $809 million in total personal income, and adds $66 million to Missouri’s general revenue fund. The industry provides 17,472 jobs with an average wage of $42,811. INSURANCE The thriving insurance industry in Missouri provides jobs that fuel the capital markets, enhance financial security, and generate income through payment of claims. The 400,000 licensed insurance professionals cover every type of insurance, and revenue from taxes collected on premiums in every insurance sector amounts to approximately $193 million. Life insurance policies issued in Missouri are valued at around $365 billion, with annual premiums amounting to more than $9 billion. MANUFACTURING The Famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales Manufacturing is a key sector in Missouri, employing more than 300,000 workers and paying more than $14.9 billion in salaries. The largest industry is the production of transportation equipment, which each year exports around $5 billion worth of airplanes, barges, railroad cars, trucks, and buses. The second largest manufactured export is chemicals, amounting to nearly $2 billion annually. Other exports are machinery, and electrical equipment, appliances, and components. Food products amount to about $720 million in exports and include such items as pet foods, malt beverages, pasta, poultry, dairy products, roasted coffee, and cereals. Some of the prominent food companies with Missouri locations are Anheuser-Busch, ConAgra Foods, Kraft, Purina, and Tyson. Large chemical companies producing pesticides and fertilizers for export include Monsanto and Bayer Corporation. MINING AND EXTRACTION Missouri accounts for an estimated 3.2 percent of the nonfuel mineral production in the nation. Leading products are crushed stone, portland cement, lead, and lime, with Missouri producing more than half of the nation’s lead output. Other crude materials mined are fire clay, zinc, coal, gravel, barite, copper, silver, and iron. Missouri is also a producer of crude oil, amounting to around 92,000 barrels annually with a value of $4.2 million in sales. The varied mining industry in Missouri generates annual revenue of around $8.5 billion. The mines pay taxes of $68 billion and another $227 million in transportation fees throughout the state, including truck, barge, and rail. Salaries paid to the 5,200 mining workers are nearly $400 million. NONPROFIT Nonprofits in Missouri account for more than 12 percent of the state’s economic output. The nearly 7,500 nonprofit organizations accumulate annual revenue of $26.3 billion. About one-third of Missouri nonprofits are in human services. Health charities account for almost two-thirds of all state nonprofit revenue. Missouri’s nearly 1,200 independent foundations give out some $357 million each year. The nonprofit arts and culture organizations provide jobs for more than 5,300 workers and bring in $9.3 million in local and state government revenue. RETAIL Missouri’s retail trade industry generates more than $45 billion in revenue. Automotive sales account for $2.3 billion in annual sales and apparel sales amount to $1.7 billion. Other major retail industries are building materials ($2.5 billion), eating and drinking establishments ($7.7 billion), food retail sales ($7.6 billion), and furniture ($4.5 billion). The retail industry employs in excess of 316,000 workers who earn annual wages of some $7.5 billion. TECHNOLOGY Doisy Research Center at Saint Louis University Missouri’s expanding technology industry is a boon to the state’s economy as it creates jobs, and strengthens both high-tech industries and research. The information technology industry’s 6,147 firms employ around 95,000 workers, representing annual wages of $6.8 billion. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are an important source of jobs and international exports and are represented by such leading companies as Pfizer Incorporated, Covidien, and Sanofi-Aventis. Agricultural chemical manufacturing is a key growth industry, represented by Monsanto and Bayer Corporation. Biological product manufacturers and organic chemical manufacturers, such as Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, represent the fastest growing sectors in this area. Other large life sciences employers and exporters include biological research, medical research, and medical laboratory services companies. The life sciences industry’s 1,063 firms generate wages of more than $2 billion. In addition, Kansas City is home to one-third of the $15.2 billion global animal health industry. The Missouri Botanical Garden, located in St. Louis, is a major center for botanical research and science education and generates revenue of about $40 million, attracting about one million visitors annually. TRANSPORTATION Freight House in Kansas City Two of the nation's three busiest rail centers are located in Missouri. Kansas City is the second largest freight rail center in the U.S., and both St. Louis and Kansas City are hubs of rail, truck, and airline transportation. Missouri has eight commercial airports served by 19 airlines. The two main commercial airports are Lambert-St. Louis International and Kansas City International. The state transports more than 160,000 tons of cargo by air annually. The aviation industry employs about 16,000 people in Missouri. An estimated 3.42 million visitors arrive through Kansas City International Airport, resulting in direct financial impact of $1.1 billion. Annual earnings of the airport’s 5,845 workers amount to more than $3 million. The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport complex employs over 15,000 people and has an annual impact of $5.1 billion. The Missouri and Mississippi rivers directly connect 21 states. Missouri’s extensive highways, combined with the river network, make the state a prime location for the transportation of cargo. A total of 214 ports are located along Missouri’s waterways. Total annual statewide shipments are valued at approximately $2 billion. TRAVEL AND TOURISM St Louis’ Gateway Arch Many of the popular sites in Missouri are based on Mark Twain’s stories about life in Hannibal. The Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Churchill Memorial in Fulton, and Harry S. Truman Library in Independence are some of Missouri’s historical and tourist sites that host about 35.6 million domestic travelers every year. Total travel revenue is about $5.5 billion and the industry supports more than 192,150 jobs. St Louis’s Gateway Arch and Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza are also popular tourist sites. Branson receives visitors from around the world. They come for the area’s attractions, lake resorts, and music shows. The city contains some 61,000 seats in 50 theaters that host top performers from around the nation. Nearby is Silver Dollar City, a popular theme park depicting life around the turn of the 20th century. The area attracts some eight million visitors each year, who make the tourism industry the top employer in the city. Tourists spend about $1.7 billion in Branson annually, which generates more than $41 million in state sales tax revenue, $14.8 million in city sales tax revenue, and $12.1 million in tourism tax revenue. -World Trade Press

The U.S. National Park System Introduction Nomenclature of Park Areas Natural Wonders - Common Trust Preserving Our History Parks in the Nation's Capital Recreation for the Body and Mind Designation of Wilderness Areas Related Areas Affiliated Areas Wild and Scenic Rivers System National Trails System INTRODUCTION: NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the Act creating the National Park Service, a new Federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 40 national parks and monuments then in existence and those yet to be established. This "Organic Act" of August 25, 1916, states that "the Service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations . . . to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Yosemite National Park, California. Credit: National Park Service. The National Park Service still strives to meet those original goals, while filling many other roles as well: guardian of our diverse cultural and recreational resources; environmental advocate; world leader in the parks and preservation community; and pioneer in the drive to protect America's open space. The National Park System of the United States comprises 388 areas covering more than 80 million acres in every State, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, The Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. These areas are of such national significance as to justify special recognition and protection in accordance with various Acts of Congress. U.S. Virgin Islands National Park Credit: National Park Service. By Act of March 1, 1872, Congress established Yellowstone National Park in the Territories of Montana and Wyoming "as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and placed it "under exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior." The founding of Yellowstone National Park began a worldwide national park movement. Today more than 100 nations contain some 1,200 national parks or equivalent preserves. In the years following the establishment of Yellowstone, the United States authorized additional national parks and monuments, most of them carved from the Federal lands of the West. These, also, were administered by the Department of the Interior, while other monuments and natural and historical areas were administered as separate units by the War Department and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture. No single agency provided unified management of the varied Federal parklands. Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming Credit: National Park Service. An Executive Order in 1933 transferred 63 national monuments and military sites from the Forest Service and the War Department to the National Park Service. This action was a major step in the development of today's truly national system of parks—a system that includes areas of historical as well as scenic and scientific importance. Congress declared in the General Authorities Act of 1970 "that the National Park System, which began with the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, has since grown to include superlative natural, historic, and recreation areas in every region . . . and that it is the purpose of this Act to include all such areas in the System. . . ." Additions to the National Park System are now generally made through Acts of Congress, and national parks can be created only through such Acts. But the President has authority, under the Antiquities Act of 1906, to proclaim national monuments on lands already under Federal jurisdiction. The Secretary of the Interior is usually asked by Congress for other recommendations on proposed additions to the System. The Secretary is counseled by the National Park System Advisory Board, composed of private citizens, which advises the Secretary on possible additions to the System and policies for its management. Longfellow National Historic Site, Massachusetts Credit: National Park Service. back to top NOMENCLATURE OF PARK SYSTEM AREAS The diversity of the parks is reflected in the variety of titles given to them. These include such designations as national park, national preserve, national monument, national memorial, national historic site, national seashore, and national battlefield park. Although some titles are self-explanatory, others have been used in many different ways. For example, the title "national monument" has been given to great natural reservations, historic military fortifications, prehistoric ruins, fossil sites, and to the Statue of Liberty. In recent years, Congress and the National Park Service have attempted, with some success, to simplify the nomenclature and to establish basic criteria for use of the different official titles. Brief definitions of the most common titles follow. back to top NATURAL WONDERS HELD IN COMMON TRUST Areas added to the National Park System for their natural values are expanses or features of land or water of great scenic and scientific quality and are usually designated as national parks, monuments, preserves, seashores, lakeshores, or riverways. Such areas contain one or more distinctive attributes such as forest, grassland, tundra, desert, estuary, or river systems; they may contain "windows" on the past for a view of geological history, imposing landforms such as mountains, mesas, thermal areas, and caverns, and they may be habitats of abundant or rare wildlife and plantlife. Generally, a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources. Hunting, mining and consumptive activities like logging and grazing are not authorized. A national monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. It is usually smaller than a national park and lacks its diversity of attractions. As directed by the Secretary of the Interior, many national monuments established in recent years are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorized the President to declare by public proclamation landmarks, structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest situated on lands owned or controlled by the government to be national monuments. In 1974, Big Cypress and Big Thicket were authorized as the first national preserves. This category is established primarily for the protection of certain resources. Activities such as hunting and fishing or the extraction of minerals and fuels may be permitted if they do not jeopardize the natural values. Many existing national preserves, without sport hunting, would qualify for national park designation. National reserves are similar to the preserves. Management, however, is by local or State authorities. The first reserve, City of Rocks, was established in 1988. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin Credit: National Park Service. Preserving shoreline areas and off-shore islands, the national lakeshores and national seashores focus on the preservation of natural values while at the same time providing water-oriented recreation. Some of these areas are developed while others are relatively primitive. Hunting is allowed at many of these sites. Although national lakeshores can be established on any natural freshwater lake, the existing four are all located on the Great Lakes. The national seashores are on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. National rivers and wild and scenic riverways preserve ribbons of land bordering on free-flowing streams which have not been dammed, channelized, or otherwise altered by man. Besides preserving rivers in their natural state, these areas provide opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, and hunting. More information can be found towards the end of this article. National scenic trails, are generally long-distance footpaths winding through areas of natural beauty. More information can be found at the end of this article. back to top PRESERVING OUR HISTORY Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico Credit: National Park Service. Although best known for its great scenic parks, more than half the areas of the National Park System preserve places and commemorate persons, events, and activities important in the Nation's history. These range from archeological sites associated with prehistoric Indian civilizations to sites related to the lives of modern Americans. Historical areas are customarily preserved or restored to reflect their appearance during the period of their greatest historical significance. In recent years, national historic site has been the title most commonly applied by Congress in authorizing the addition of such areas to the National Park System. Usually, a national historic site contains a single historical feature that was directly associated with its subject. Derived from the Historic Sites Act of 1935, a number of historic sites were established by secretaries of the Interior, but most have been authorized by Acts of Congress. National historical parks are commonly areas of greater physical extent and complexity than national historic sites. The only international historic site, Saint Croix Island, is a site relevant to both U.S. and Canadian history. Various titles—national military park, national battlefield park, national battlefield site, and national battlefield—have been used for areas associated with American military history. In 1958, a National Park Service committee recommended national battlefield as the single title for all such park lands. But other areas such as national monuments and national historical parks may include features associated with military history. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana Credit: National Park Service. There are presently 14 national cemeteries in the National Park System. The title national memorial is most often used for areas that are primarily commemorative. But they need not be sites or structures historically associated with their subjects. For example, the home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, is a national historic site, but the Lincoln Memorial in the District of Columbia is a national memorial. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. Credit: National Park Service. Several areas administered by National Capital Region whose titles do not include the words national memorial are nevertheless classified as memorials. These are the Lincoln Memorial, Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and the Washington Monument. All are in the District of Columbia. back to top PARKS IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL As the Nation's Capital, Washington, D.C., has a unique park system. Most of the public parks are administered by the Federal Government through the National Capital Region of the National Park Service. National Capital Region has inherited duties originally assigned to three Federal Commissioners appointed by President George Washington in 1790. The city's parks were administered by a variety of Federal agencies until this responsibility was assigned to the National Park Service under the Reorganization Act of 1933. Most parklands in the city are included in the Federal holdings, although the District of Columbia also operates parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities. National Capital Region also administers several National Park System units in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. back to top RECREATION FOR THE BODY AND THE MIND Originally, national recreation areas in the Park System were units surrounding reservoirs impounded by dams built by other Federal agencies. The National Park Service manages many of these 12 areas under cooperative agreements. These areas primarily emphasize water-based recreation. The concept of recreational areas has grown to encompass other lands and waters set aside for recreational use by Acts of Congress and now includes 5 major areas in urban centers. Such urban parks combine scarce open spaces with the preservation of significant historic resources and important natural areas in locations that can provide outdoor recreation for large numbers of people. There are also national recreation areas outside the National Park System that are administered by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Washington Credit: National Park Service. National parkways encompass the roads and the ribbons of land flanking the roadways. Providing the opportunity for leisurely driving through areas of scenic interest, these protected corridors often connect cultural sites. They are not designed for high speed travel. Besides the areas set aside as parkways, other units of the National Park System include parkways within their boundaries. One area of the National Park System, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Virginia, has been set aside as America's first national park for the performing arts. Two historical areas, Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, D.C., and Chamizal National Memorial, Texas, also provide facilities for the performing arts. back to top DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS In the Wilderness Act of 1964, Congress directed three Federal agencies, including the National Park Service, to study certain lands within their jurisdiction to determine the suitability of these lands for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia Credit: National Park Service. By subsequent legislation, Congress has designated wilderness areas in many units of the National Park System. This designation does not remove wilderness lands from the parks, but it does ensure that they will be managed to retain their "primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation. . . ." The Act provides, generally, that "there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area . . . and (except for emergency uses) no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation." Wilderness areas are open to hiking and, in some cases, horseback riding, primitive camping, and similar pursuits. back to top RELATED AREAS Besides the National Park System three groups of areas exist—Affiliated Areas, the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and the National Trails System—that are closely linked in importance and purpose to those areas managed by the National Park Service. Except for those wild and scenic rivers administered by the National Park Service, these areas are not units of the National Park System, yet they preserve important segments of the Nation's heritage. Kitchen, Levine Apartment Credit: Lower East Side Tenement Museum, National Park Service Affiliated Area, New York back to top AFFILIATED AREAS In an Act of August 18, 1970, the National Park System was defined in law as "any area of land and water now or hereafter administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the National Park Service for park, monument, historic, parkway, recreational or other purposes." The same law specifically excludes "miscellaneous areas administered in connection therewith," that is, those properties that are neither Federally owned nor directly administered by the National Park Service but which utilize its assistance. The Affiliated Areas comprise a variety of locations in the United States and Canada that preserve significant properties outside the National Park System. Some of these have been recognized by Acts of Congress, others have been designated national historic sites by the Secretary of the Interior under authority of the Historic Sites Act of 1935. All draw on technical or financial aid from the National Park Service. back to top WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM Public Law 90-542, of October 2, 1968, provides for the establishment of a system of rivers to be preserved as free-flowing streams accessible for public use and enjoyment. Components of the system, or portions of component rivers, may be designated as wild, scenic, or recreational rivers. Rivers are classified according to the natural qualities they possess and the evidence, as viewed from the river, of man's presence in the area. Thus, in a wild river there is little evidence of man's presence, the river is free of impoundments (dams), and it is generally inaccessible except by trail. A scenic river is one with relatively primitive shorelines, largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by road. A recreational river has more development, is accessible by road or railroad, and may have been dammed. Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri Credit: National Park Service Once a river area is designated a component of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the objective of the managing agency—local, State, or Federal—is to preserve or enhance the qualities which qualified the river for inclusion within the system. Recreational use must be compatible with preservation. Rivers administered by the National Park Service are units of the National Park System. Those administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are components of the National Wildlife Refuge System. State rivers and streams may become units of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System when established under state laws and developed with river management plans acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary may then designate the appropriate river area as a unit of the system. Federally managed components of the system are designated by Acts of Congress. Usually, Congress first requires, by law, a detailed study to determine the qualification of a river area for the system and then makes the decision. back to top NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM The National Trails System Act of 1968, as amended, calls for establishing trails in both urban and rural settings for persons of all ages, interests, skills, and physical abilities. The Act promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of trails while encouraging greater public access. It establishes four classes of trails: national scenic trails, national historic trails, national recreation trails, and side and connecting trails. North Country National Scenic Trail, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota Credit: North Country Trail Association National scenic trails are to be continuous, extended routes of outdoor recreation within protected corridors. The first two established under the National Trails System Act were the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. They wind through some of the Nation's most striking natural beauty. National historic trails recognize past routes of exploration, migration, and military action. The term national recreation trail is given to an existing trail by the Federal Government, upon application, in recognition of its role as a component of the National Trails System. Today more than 780 of these trails have been designated throughout the country. They are located in every State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, totaling more than 9,000 miles in length. There are 513 trails on Federal lands. For the other trails in the system, 147 are State trails, 82 are local, 31 are on private lands, and 12 are managed by two or more entities. Side and connecting trails provide additional access to and between components of the National Trails System. To date, two have been designated. Since 1963, 33 long-distance trails have been studied for inclusion in the system, and 24 have been designated. The National Park Service administers 17 of them, the Bureau of Land Management administers one (together they jointly administer 2), and the Forest Service administers four. The National Trails System is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Park Service encourages other public and private agencies to develop, maintain, and protect trails. With the cooperation and support of a nationwide trails community, the vision of an interconnected, crosscountry trail system will become a reality. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota Credit: National Park Service back to top

Ecoregions Introduction

Ecoregions are geographic areas with generally similar ecosystems and similar types, qualities, and quantities of environmental resources. Ecoregion boundaries are determined by examining patterns of vegetation, animal life, geology, soils, water quality, climate, and human land use, as well as other living and non-living ecosystem components. Ecoregions are where ecosystems recur in predictable patterns. As a system of land classification, the ecoregion concept offers scientists, ecologists, biologists, and others a valuable tool for research, assessment, monitoring, and management of ecosystems and ecosystem components. Most importantly, ecoregions provide for a more holistic approach to resource management. For example, instead of managing for individual animal and plant species, the ecoregion approach is to manage an entire ecosystem. Who’s Using Ecoregions? National governmental agencies, state/provincial agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) use the ecoregion concept to estimate ecosystem productivity, to determine probable responses to land management practices and other ecosystem disturbances, and to address environmental issues such as air pollution, forest disease, or threats to biodiversity over large areas. In the United States, many federal agencies and private organizations use systems of land classification based on the ecoregion concept. Some of these include USDA Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Nature Conservancy, National Association of State Foresters, Renewable Natural Resources Foundation, American Institute of Biological Sciences, The Wilderness Society and The Sierra Club. Projects include biodiversity analysis, landscape and regional level forest planning, and the study of mechanisms of forest disease. Bailey’s Ecoregion System (U.S. Forest Service) Robert G. Bailey is a noted geographer and mapmaker with a long career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Starting in the late 1960s Dr. Bailey started to develop and refine a system of land classification that took into account not just climate and vegetation, but also animal life, geology, soils, water quality, and human land use. Bailey’s "ecoregions" concept has had a major influence on the adoption of an ecosystem-based approach to managing public land, especially forests. Bailey’s research and ecoregion land classification system is based on three principals: j) Climate is the dominant force that shapes ecosystems. 2) Ecosystems occur in an orderly ranking or hierarchy. 3) Ecosystems occur in orderly, predictable patterns. According to. Bailey, "There is a unity and orderliness in nature. There's a rhyme and reason out there that's discernible and amenable to analysis. A case in point is that all steep slopes have shallow soils. Recognition of this orderliness and unity is a basic tenet of ecogeography." Dr. Bailey’s ecoregion concept presents a holistic view of nature. Importantly, he sees a need for evolutionary change in educational institutions to reduce compartmentalization of academic disciplines. In the U.S. Forest Service, the corresponding problem is separation of functions. "We have a staff set up for wildlife and fisheries, a staff for timber, a staff for recreation, each with its own budget," Bailey explains. "There has been no common unifying framework to bring the functions together." The National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units In early June of 1992 the USDA U.S. Forest Service adopted a policy of ecosystem management that applied to national forests, grasslands, and research programs. By July, an Ecological Classification and Mapping Task Team (ECOMAP) was formed in the Washington, D.C. office to develop a consistent approach to ecosystem classification and mapping at multiple geographic scales. This was identified by the chief of the Forest Service as a critical first step in providing field units with an essential tool and scientific basis to plan for and implement ecosystem management. Soon afterwards a subgroup of ECOMAP was formed with representatives from all Forest Service Regions, two Research Stations, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and The Nature Conservancy. The group met in September in Lincoln, Nebraska, to begin development of a land classification system. The structure of the National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units (see below) was formulated at this meeting and was adopted by the Forest Service on November 5, 1993. Briefly, as described by ECOMAP (1993), the framework: "...is a regionalization, classification, and mapping system for stratifying the Earth into progressively smaller areas of increasingly uniform ecological potentials. Ecological types are classified and ecological units are mapped based on associations of those biotic and environmental factors that directly affect or indirectly express energy, moisture, and nutrient gradients which regulate the structure and function of ecosystems. These factors include climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and potential natural communities." In November 1992, the subgroup began the process of producing a national map of ecological units at the section level of the subregion planning and analysis scale. (See below.) During the process of delineating Sections, ecoregion boundaries were revised. The map "Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States" was compiled by December 1993 and printed in June 1994 (Bailey and Others 1994). The Section map unit descriptions were produced after the map was compiled. A new, revised ecoregion map was also printed in June 1994. Bailey’s publication (Bailey 1980), which describes the Domains, Divisions, and Provinces of the United States is being revised (Bailey, in prep.). In summary, the National Hierarchical Framework provides a scientific basis for regionalization of ecosystems into successively smaller, more homogeneous units. At the Section level, these units allow managers, planners, and scientists in the Forest Service, and in cooperation with other agencies, to study management problems on a multiforest and statewide basis; organize data collected during broad-scale resource inventories; and interpret these data among regions. The framework consists of four major levels or tiers, termed "application scales," each of which nests within a higher tier. Three of the four application scales are subdivided into minor tiers of ecological units, each of which is more homogeneous than higher tiers. The structure of the framework is shown in the following tabulation: The U.S. Forest Service  National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units Planning and Analysis Scale Ecological Units Purpose, Objectives, and General Use General Size Range Ecoregion Domain Broad applicability for modeling and sampling, strategic planning and assessment and international planning Millions to tens of thousands of square miles Continental Division     Regional Province     Subregion Section     Landscape Landtype association Forest, area-wide planning and watershed analysis Thousands to tens of square miles Land unit Landtype Project and management area planning and analysis Hundreds to less than 10 acres   Landtype phase     The appropriate tier to utilize for a task depends on the nature and scope of the issues under consideration, ranging from national to local in extent. The largest classified land units, ecoregions, are appropriate for national-scale applications and are subdivided into three successively smaller ecological units: domains, divisions, and provinces. LEVEL 1 DOMAINS Domains are broad climatic zones or groups of related climates that are differentiated based on precipitation and temperature. Domains have broad applicability for modeling and sampling, strategic planning and assessment, and international planning. There are four domains used for worldwide ecoregion classification, and all four appear in the United States: the Polar Domain, the Humid Temperate Domain, the Dry Domain, and the Humid Tropical Domain. Domain Coding and Naming: Domains have been assigned three-digit numbers in multiples of 100, as follows: Code Domain Name 100 Polar Domain 200 Humid Temperate Domain 300 Dry Domain 400 Humid Tropical Domain LEVEL 2 DIVISIONS The four Domains are divided into 25 Divisions, of which 11 are identified as Mountain Provinces. Divisions represent regional climatic types within domains and are differentiated based on precipitation levels and patterns, temperature, and vegetational affinities. Division Coding and Naming: Divisions within Domains are assigned numbers in multiples of 10, and Mountain Divisions are identified with a capital letter "M" prefix. The example below illustrates the Division coding and naming conventions for the "200 Humid Temperate Domain": Code        Domain Name 210        Warm Continental Division 220        Hot Continental Division M220        Hot Continental Division - Mountain Provinces 230        Subtropical Division M230        Subtropical Division - Mountain Provinces 240        Marine Division M240        Marine Division - Mountain Provinces 250        Prairie Division 260        Mediterranean Division M260        Mediterranean Division - Mountain Provinces LEVEL 3 PROVINCES The 25 Divisions are divided into 52 Provinces. Provinces are differentiated based on dominant potential natural vegetation types and land covers. Mountainous areas that exhibit different ecological zones based on elevation are identified at this level. Province Coding and Naming: Provinces within Domains and Divisions are assigned single digit numbers. The example below illustrates the Province coding and naming conventions for the "220 Hot Continental Division." Code Domain Name 221 Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Oceanic) Province 222 Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Continental) Province LEVEL 4 SECTIONS (EXAMPLE: CALIFORNIA) The 52 Provinces are further divided into 164 Sections. Sections are smaller land areas of relatively homogeneous physical and biological components that interact to form environments of similar productive capabilities, response to disturbances, and potentials for resource management. Sections are subdivisions of Provinces based on terrain features. Section Coding and Naming: Sections are assigned a capital letter suffix. The example below illustrates Section coding and naming conventions for the "M261-Sierran Steppe - Mixed Forest - Coniferous Forest - Alpine Meadow Province" Code Domain Name Section M261A Klamath Mountains Section M261B    Northern California Coast Ranges Section M261C    Northern California Interior Coast Ranges Section M261D    Southern Cascades Section M261E    Sierra Nevada Section M261F    Sierra Nevada Foothills Section M261G    Modoc Plateau

Climate, Vegetation, Land, and Resource Classification Systems

A number of climate, vegetation, land, and resource classification systems have been developed over the years in a broad attempt to better understand what lives and grows upon our planet and how to manage the earth’s resources. While all these systems are related, each was designed with a particular purpose in mind. The goal of many geographers and ecologists (ecogeographers) is to develop a unified system that works across disciplines. While other systems exist, the most notable are those attributed to: Bailey (Ecoregions – U.S. Forest Service) Robert G. Bailey is a noted geographer and mapmaker with a long career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service. Starting in the late 1960s Dr. Bailey developed and refined a system of land classification that took into account not just climate and vegetation, but also animal life, geology, soils, water quality, and human land use. Bailey’s "ecoregions" concept has had a major influence on the adoption of an ecosystem-based approach to managing public land, especially forests. Koppen (Koppen Climate Classification System) In 1884 Russian climatologist Wladimir Koppen published a climate classification system based on the concept that native vegetation is the best expression of climate. The key elements of his system were the effects of temperature and precipitation upon the development of local vegetation. Koppen modified his system in 1918 and 1936, and then collaborated with German climatologist Rudolf Geiger for further refinements. The result is often called the Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification System. Kuchler (Potential Natural Vegetation Types) A.W. Kuchler was a German-born geographer who came to the United States in 1941 and began a distinguished academic career with appointments at the universities of Denver, Wisconsin, Rochester, and Kansas. In 1964 Dr. Kuchler published his "Potential Natural Vegetation Types" in which he mapped the conterminous United States depicting the vegetation that would exist if plant succession were allowed to proceed without human interference. Kuchler is acknowledged as the world’s leading authority on vegetation mapping. Omernik (Ecoregions – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) James M. Omernik is a geographer and scientist working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 1987 Dr. Omernik published an ecoregions map designed as a spatial framework for environmental resource management. His approach was based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of the patterns and composition of environmental factors including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. His system is in use at the U.S. Environmental Protection agency. World Wildlife Fund (Terrestrial, Freshwater and Marine Ecoregions) WWF ecologists have developed a hierarchical system designed to identify terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecoregions for the purpose of supporting the conservation, research, and restoration of the environment. The system identifies eight terrestrial ecozones with 867 smaller ecoregions and 12 marine realms with 62 marine provinces.

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