Research Natural Area

The United States Forest Service and other agencies establish these areas to typify certain types of important forest, shrubland, grassland, aquatic, geological, alpine, or similar environments that have unique characteristics of scientific interest.

The areas "contain important ecological and scientific values and are managed for minimum human disturbance".

[1] According to the Bureau of Land Management, the objectives of the RNA program are "(1) To preserve examples of all significant natural ecosystems for comparison with those influenced by man; (2) to provide educational and research areas for ecological and environmental studies; and (3) to preserve gene pools of typical and endangered plants and animals.

Research natural areas are intended to represent the full array of North American ecosystems with their biological communities, habitats, natural phenomena, and geological and hydrological formations."

[4] As of 2018[update], there were 571 US Forest Service RNAs (Note that these are not complete lists): These areas are established under the Organic Act of 1897.