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U.S. National Ocean Service
NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) Web site. If you are interested in the nation’s oceans, coasts, and marine navigation, you have come to the right place. NOS measures and predicts coastal and ocean phenomena, protects large areas of the oceans, works to ensure safe navigation, and serves the American public in many other ways. We hope that these presentations stimulate your interest in our nation’s oceans and rich maritime heritage and the activities of your National Ocean Service.

Sanctuaries & Reserves
This page includes links to the primary Web sites of all NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) program and staff offices. Some NOS offices keep program information on other sites or may have field offices or regional centers that maintain separate Web sites. Refer to the links that say "Click here for a complete list of Web sites" to access links to these sites.

National Estuary Program
EPA’s National Estuary Program was established by Congress in 1987 to improve the quality of estuaries of national importance. The Clean Water Act Section 320 directs EPA to develop plans for attaining or maintaining water quality in an estuary. This includes protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife, and allows recreational activities, in and on water, requires that control of point and nonpoint sources of pollution to supplement existing controls of pollution. In several cases, more than one State is participating in a National Estuary Program. Each program establishes a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to meet the goals of Section 320.

SF Estuary
San Francisco Estuary Project's home page. The S.F. Estuary Project is one of over 20 Estuary Projects established by the National Estuary Program to protect and improve the water quality and natural resources of estuaries nationwide. Formed in 1987 as a cooperative federal/state/local program to promote effective management of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. In addition to spearheading and participating in a wide variety of projects, the Estuary Project also serves as a clearinghouse for information on the Bay-Delta ecosystem, including such topics as wetlands, wildlife, aquatic resources and land use. The Estuary Project is financed by federal appropriations under the Clean Water Act and matching funds from the state and local entities.

National Park Service Links to the Past
America's cultural resources -- buildings, landscapes, archeological sites, ethnographic resources, objects and documents, structures and districts -- embody a rich heritage of human experiences and cultural identities. They provide information about people from the past and establish important connections to the present. They tell a compelling story of our earlier nations, states, and communities and help us understand how we got where we are today. America's cultural resources also provide evidence about important historical trends and events, reflect people's everyday lives and significant accomplishments, and illustrate distinctive architectural, landscape, and engineering designs.

Muir Woods National Monument
"This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods.  Until the 1800's, many northern California coastal valleys were covered with coast redwood trees similar to those now found in Muir Woods National Monument. The forest along Redwood Creek in today's Muir Woods was spared from logging because it was hard to get to. Noting that Redwood Creek contained one of the San Francisco Bay Area's last uncut stands of old-growth redwood, Congressman William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, bought 295 acres here for $45,000 in 1905. To protect the redwoods the Kents donated the land to the United States Federal Government and, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a national monument. Roosevelt suggested naming the area after Kent, but Kent wanted it named for conservationist John Muir.

John Muir Exhibit
John Muir (1838-1914) was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist. He is one of California's most important historical personalities. He has been called "The Father of our National Parks," "Wilderness Prophet," and "Citizen of the Universe." He once described himself more humorously, and perhaps most accurately, as, a "poetico-trampo-geologist-botanist and ornithologist-naturalist etc. etc. !!!!" Legendary librarian and author Lawrence Clark Powell (1906-2001) said of him: "If I were to choose a single Californian to occupy the Hall of Fame, it would be this tenacious Scot who became a Californian during the final forty-six years of his life."

Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore contains unique elements of biological and historical interest in a spectacularly scenic panorama of thunderous ocean breakers, open grasslands, bushy hillsides and forested ridges. Native land mammals number about 37 species and marine mammals augment this total by another dozen species. The biological diversity stems from a favorable location in the middle of California and the natural occurrence of many distinct habitats. Nearly 20% of the State's flowering plant species are represented on the peninsula and over 45% of the bird species in North America have been sighted. The Point Reyes National Seashore was established by President John F. Kennedy on September 13, 1962.

Redwood National Park
Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors. The parks' mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline. Cultural landscapes reflect American Indian history. The more recent logging history has led to much restoration of these parks.  Three California state parks and the National Park Service unit represent a cooperative management effort of the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation. They are Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National Park, comprising 45 percent of all the old-growth redwood forest remaining in California.  Together these parks are a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, protecting resources cherished by citizens of many nations.  Press the IN DEPTH button for Redwood National and State Parks' extended web pages including information on trip planning, frequently asked questions, area history, cultural and natural resources, kid's games, maps, photo gallery, employment, government documents, and current events.

Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park embraces a spectacular tract of mountain-and-valley scenery in the Sierra Nevada, which was set aside as a national park in 1890. The park harbors a grand collection of waterfalls, meadows, and forests that include groves of giant sequoias, the world's largest living things.  Highlights of the park include Yosemite Valley, and its high cliffs and waterfalls; Wawona's history center and historic hotel; the Mariposa Grove, which contains hundreds of ancient giant sequoias; Glacier Point's (summer-fall) spectacular view of Yosemite Valley and the high country; Tuolumne Meadows (summer-fall), a large subalpine meadow surrounded by mountain peaks; and Hetch Hetchy, a reservoir in a valley considered a twin of Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite Traveler Information
Yosemite.com is your guide to one of America's most renowned parks, Yosemite National Park, and the surrounding area. The Yosemite region has something for everyone. From pristine Yosemite Valley and the Giant Sequoias to the spectacular panoramas and mountain vistas at Glacier Point or Tuolumne Meadows, or the historical communities that surround the park; the Yosemite experience is alive with natural beauty and a strong sense of American history.

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