about 39,500 acres, or almost 88 percent, of the
state recreation site area in southeastern Wis-
consin, reflecting the extensive state land-
holdings in the Kettle Moraine and Bong
recreational areas. At the other extreme, Milwau-
kee County accounted for only 1 percent of the
state recreation site area in the Region.
Conversely, among the seven counties in the
Region, Milwaukee County had the most exten-
sive county park system. In 1985 Milwaukee
County accounted for 66 percent of all county-
owned recreation sites in the Region and
62 percent of the county-owned acreage. Milwau-
kee County is generally acknowledged to have
one of the finest park and parkway systems in
the United States. The major parks in Milwau-
kee are generally located along rivers and
streams and the Lake Michigan shoreline. Many
smaller recreation areas, however, are distrib-
uted throughout the various communities in the
county in the form of neighborhood and commu-
nity parks.
Privately owned sites accounted for 912 sites, or
about 35 percent of all park and related outdoor
recreation sites in the Region, and encompassed
about 29,900 acres, or about 26 percent of the
total outdoor recreation site acreage. These sites
include a wide range of outdoor recreation areas,
including sites providing opportunities for
camping, golf, picnicking, and swimming; hunt-
ing grounds; nature preserves; and recreation
areas associated with private schools. Many of
the privately owned outdoor recreation areas in
the Region are water oriented sites clustered
along the shores of inland lakes and rivers.
Historic Sites
A variety of inventories and surveys of historic
sites have been conducted by various units and
agencies of government in the Region. The
results of these inventories and surveys, on file
at such agencies as the Wisconsin State Histori-
cal Society, indicate that there are more than
14,000 historic sites in southeastern Wisconsin.
Particularly significant historic sites are listed
on the National Register of Historic Places. As
of 1985, a total of 254 sites and 20 districts in
southeastern Wisconsin were listed on the
National Register (see Table 56 and Map 33).
The 20 historic districts in combination encom-
passed a total of just under 800 acres. Properties
listed on the National Register receive limited
protection from encroachment by federally

Table 56
SITES AND DISTRICTS IN THE
REGION LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER
OF HISTORIC PLACES: 1985
Historic
Districts
Historic
County        Sites    Number    Area
Kenosha  ......     10        --      --
Milwaukee . . ..    95       12       487
Ozaukee  ......     15        1        53
Racine  . . . ....  36        1       164
Walworth  .....     20        - -     --
Washington  . . ..   9        --      - -
Waukesha .....      69        6        79
Region             254       20       783
Source: The State Historical Society of Wisconsin and SEWRPC.
licensed or assisted projects and state facilities.
Moreover, listed properties may receive federal
matching grants for restoration or rehabilitation
as well as certain tax benefits. Careful consid-
eration should be given in any land use plan-
ning and development efforts to preserve and
protect the historic heritage of the Region.
Scientific and Natural Areas
Natural areas, as defined by the Wisconsin
Natural Areas Preservation Council, are tracts
of land or water so little modified by man's
activity, or sufficiently recovered from the effects
of such activity, that they contain intact native
plant and animal communities believed to be
representative of the pre-European settlement
landscape. Natural areas are classified into one
of the following four categories: Designated
State Natural Areas; Natural Areas of Statewide
or Greater Significance; Natural Areas of
Countywide or Regional Significance; and Natu-
ral Areas of Local Significance. Classification of
an area into one of these four categories is based
upon consideration of the diversity of plant and
animal species and community types present;
the structure and integrity of the native plant or
animal community; and the extent of distur-
bance by human activity, such as logging,
grazing, water level changes, and pollution.
While a comprehensive inventory of natural area
sites in southeastern Wisconsin has not yet been
undertaken, several studies have been conducted

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