The United States is a land of great natural beauty and environmental and ecological importance. Each state in the nation contains numerous unique places - often hidden away from the vast populace - that are significant for their biodiversity, ecology, habitats for rare and endangered species, or other reasons that make them unique places that are valuable to preserve. These places can range from nature preserves, natural areas, state or national parks, wildlife areas, ecosystems that provide a home to diverse flora and fauna, or even just scenic vistas. ^IAmerica's Natural Places: Pacific and West^R examines over 50 of the most spectacular and important areas of this region, with each entry describing the importance of the area, the flora and fauna that it supports, threats to the survival of the region, and what is being done to protect the place. Organized by state within the volume, this work informs readers about the wide variety of natural areas across the western part of the United States and identifies places that may be near them that demonstrate the importance of preserving such regions.The United States is a land of great natural beauty and environmental and ecological importance. Each state in the nation contains numerous unique places - often hidden away from the vast populace - that are significant for their biodiversity, ecology, habitats for rare and endangered species, or other reasons that make them unique places that are valuable to preserve. These places can range from nature preserves, natural areas, state or national parks, wildlife areas, ecosystems that provide a home to diverse flora and fauna, or even just scenic vistas. ^IAmerica's Natural Places: Pacific and West^R examines over 50 of the most spectacular and important areas of this region, with each entry describing the importance of the area, the flora and fauna that it supports, threats to the survival of the region, and what is being done to protect the place. Organized by state within the volume, this work informs readers about the wide variety of natural areas across the western part of the United States and identifies places that may be near them that demonstrate the importance of preserving such regions.