Natural Areas

In 1978, the State of Delaware enacted the Natural Areas Preservation System (7 Del. Code, Chapter 73) for the purpose of establishing an inventory of natural areas statewide and a system of nature preserves. A "natural area" as defined by the law is an "area of land or water, or of both land and water, whether in public or private ownership, which either retains or has reestablished its natural character (although it need not be undisturbed), or has unusual flora or fauna, or has biotic, geological, scenic or archaeological features of scientific or educational value. This data set depicts the current Natural Areas as identified by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.1978年，特拉华州（State of Delaware）颁布《自然区域保护体系》（7 Del. Code, Chapter 73），旨在建立全州范围内的自然区域名录与自然保护地系统。该法律所定义的“自然区域”，指无论公有或私有权属的陆地、水域或水陆复合区域：要么保留或已恢复其自然属性（即便不必完全未受人为干扰），要么拥有特殊的动植物区系，或是具备科学或教育价值的生物、地质、景观或考古特征。本数据集呈现了由特拉华州自然资源与环境保护部（Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control）认定的当前有效自然区域。