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The New Jersey Pinelands, an expanse of over one-million acres of forests, wetlands and rural settlements, was designated by Congress in 1978 as the country's first National Reserve. The Reserve, which is neither federally owned nor directly administered by the National Park Service, receives federal assistance and oversight and is described as an affiliated area of the National Park System. As such, it differs from a traditional national park in that its primary goal is to protect and preserve the areas natural and cultural resources through state and local management as an alternative to direct, large-scale federal acquisition and administration. Through state and local implementation of a federally approved land use management plan, development is limited in areas designated for preservation, forest and agriculture, while growth is directed and encouraged in and around already developed areas. In addition, as a United States Biosphere Reserve, the intent is to foster harmonious relationships between humans and the environment through a program of research that integrates social, physical and biological sciences. Desginations
November 10, 1978 - National Reserve
1983 - Biosphere Reserve
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