| Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve |
Website Links For Tallgrass Prairie |
Information AboutTallgrass Prairie National Preserve |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT TALLGRASS PRAIRIE NATIONAL PRESERVE | |
| 1996 establishments | |
| chase county, kansas | |
| national preserves of the united states | |
| prairies | |
| recreational areas in kansas | |
| landforms of kansas | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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On November 12 , 1996 , legislation was passed creating Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills region of Kansas . A new superintendent was assigned to the site in February 1997, and planning activities for the preserve are now underway. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass 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 National Park Trust , which purchased the land in 1994, and The Nature Conservancy . 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 National Park Trust. On September 20 , 2002 , approximately 32 acres (129,000 m²) were donated to the National Park Service from the National Park Trust. This area includes the 1881 historic ranch house, limestone barn and outbuildings, and one-room schoolhouse. This is a new park under development with visitor opportunities being expanded. There are currently a few hiking trails. During the summer, narrated bus tours of the prairie are offered. EXTERNAL LINKS
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