San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains
Special Resource Study

What is a special resource study?

The purpose of a special resource study is to determine whether an area is eligible to be designated as a unit of the national park system. These studies are completed by the National Park Service (NPS) when directed by Congress.

A special resource study:

(1) assesses resources in a given study area to determine whether they meet the criteria for addition to the national park system, and

(2) offers recommendations for resource protection and public use and enjoyment (see study process for a description of the criteria).

The study report provides recommendations to Congress on whether an area should be added to the national park system. It may make other recommendations for local, state, federal, or private actions to conserve resources or provide for public enjoyment. Recommendations may consider the entire study area or only portions of it.

The study process provides an opportunity for the NPS and a local community to think creatively about how to care for the resources that they value in their community, how to tell the stories of the important events that occurred there, how to protect significant natural and cultural resources while providing for a high quality of life, and how to highlight the uniqueness and vitality of a given area.