Noatak National Preserve, 6,569,904 acres (2,660,811 hectares), N Alaska. The preserve is the largest mountain-ringed river basin in the United States that is still virtually unaffected by human activities. It is a transition zone for plants and animals between arctic and subarctic environments and includes the Grand Canyon of the Noatak River. Proclaimed a national monument in 1978, it was designated a national preserve in 1980. The 330-mi (531-km) Noatak Wild River, authorized in 1980, lies partially within the preserve and partially in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. See National Parks and Monuments (table)national parks and monuments (table).
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