Sec. 27.02.05.14. Natural Parks

A. "Natural parks" means areas of natural habitat that provide opportunities for those recreational activities that are compatible with the maintenance of natural conditions.

B. Policy. It is the policy of the Commission to encourage the creation of opportunities for interaction between people and natural environments without destroying the fragile components of natural habitats.

C. Criteria. When planning or proposing development on State-owned lands within the Critical Area, the agency proposing the development shall use all of the following criteria:

(1) The agency shall identify areas within the Critical Area where natural parks could be established, and consider conserving these features through acquisitions, easements, designation, or other appropriate means. Parks should not be chosen to preserve only natural curiosities, but they should be planned to include examples of coastal ecosystems that are found within the State, each with its geological and biological resources intact. Park boundaries should be based on biological necessity rather than administrative convenience.

(2) Any plans developed for the use of parks should recognize that all natural terrain has a finite capacity to tolerate human disturbances and, therefore, should give utmost attention to limiting the number of park visitors in any park at any one time or in the course of a season.