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Petrified Forest National Parklong logs in Rainbow Forest, Photo by Marge Post/NPS
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Petrified Forest National Park
Park Purpose
 

Park purpose statements are based on national park legislation, legislative history, and National Park Service policies. The statements reaffirm the reasons for which the park was set aside as a unit of the national park system and they provide the foundation for national park management and use.

According to the Final General Management Plan Revision/Environmental Impact Statement (May 2004) the purpose of Petrified Forest National Park is to:

  • preserve and protect Petrified Forest, its outstanding paleontologic sites and specimens, its associated ecosystems, cultural and historic resources, and scenic and wilderness values for present and future generations;
  • provide opportunities to experience, understand, and enjoy the Petrified Forest and surrounding area in a manner that is compatible with the preservation of park resources and wilderness character;
  • facilitate orderly, regulated, and continuing research; and
  • promote understanding and stewardship of resources and park values by providing educational opportunities for students, scientific groups, and the public.

Park Significance Statements

badland hill
Park Significance
The significance of the park's resources guides management policies.
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flowers and petrified wood
Primary Interpretive Themes
These ideas and meanings related to the park’s resources are the stories told in the park.
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yellow buckwheat flowers  

Did You Know?
The ecosystem at Petrified Forest National Park is not desert. It's one of the largest areas of intact grassland in the Southwest.
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Last Updated: February 06, 2008 at 16:57 EST