Preservapedia:WikiProject Cultural landscapes/Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located on 10,894 acres, 44.1 square km near the city of Emporia, Kansas, United States. It is a United States National Preserve located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, north of Strong City. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Of the 400,000 square miles (1,000,000 km2) of tallgrass prairie that once covered the North American continent, less than 4% remains, primarily in the Flint Hills. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a new kind of national park. The preserve is 10,894 acres (44 km2), but most of that land will remain under the ownership of the The Nature Conservancy, which purchased the land in 2005. The National Park Service may own up to 180 acres (0.7 km2), yet the legislation calls for the entire area to be managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the The Nature Conservancy. On September 20, 2002, approximately 32 acres (129,000 m2) were donated to the National Park Service from the National Park Trust who was the private landowner at the time. This area includes the 1881 historic ranch house, limestone barn and outbuildings, and one-room schoolhouse. Tallgrass Prairie is the nation's second newest national preserve and the park is still under development with visitor opportunities continually being expanded. There are currently five maintained hiking trails in the preserve allowing visitors access to the tallgrass prairie. During the summer, narrated bus tours of the prairie are offered. On January 29, 2008, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was named as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. In 2009, The Nature Conservancy introduced a small herd of bison into the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Issue
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was established by legislation on land in private ownership with management responsibilities shared by a private organization, the National Park Trust, and a federal agency, the National Park Service. The National Park Service realized that the success of the park would depend on building a strong relationship with local communities, and that input from local people and organizations would be important in developing the park's general management plan. The process used to develop the plan integrated research and expertise from outside experts and incorporated input from an advisory committee and local communities.

Treatment
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Challenges & Successes
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Post Treatment and Maintenance Plan
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