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Newest National Natural Landmark Preserves Clues To The Earth’s Past

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West Bijou Site in Colorado is the 599th national natural landmark designation/NPS

A 7,613-acre site in eastern Colorado that preserves a rich fossil record from Earth’s most recent mass extinction is the newest national natural landmark.

Last week, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell designated the West Bijou Site National Natural Landmark, 31 miles east of Denver, for the critical information it holds for understanding the timescale of the planet’s history. The site features a 1.18-inch band of sediments that marks both the massive extinction of dinosaurs and the dawning of the new Cenozoic Era. This moment in time is called the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and is the most recent of Earth’s five large mass extinctions. The site also contains minerals and metals that support the hypothesis that an asteroid caused the extinctions.

“The information contained in that thin sediment band illustrates the key feature of national natural landmarks as significant natural areas recognized for their irreplaceable features,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a release. “They teach us extraordinary lessons about the world around us. The National Park Service partners with landmark owners in support of their voluntary conservation of these important areas, another important feature of the program.”

Administered by the National Park Service, the National Natural Landmarks Program recognizes and encourages conservation of sites that best illustrate the nation’s biological and geological history. National natural landmarks are owned by a variety of public and private land stewards, and the federal designation imposes no new land use restrictions that were not in effect prior to designation. The NPS works cooperatively with landowners, managers, and partners to promote conservation and appreciation of our nation's natural heritage.

The nonprofit Plains Conservation Center owns the property that contains West Bijou Site. This conservation organization strives to connect people with the natural and cultural history of the high plains through preservation, education, research and nurturing sound conservation and environmental ethics. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program evaluated the area and determined that it meets the criteria for national significance.

The designation of West Bijou Site as a national natural landmark recognizes its incomparable contribution to the Earth’s geologic history through its unique features, including pollen records and vertebrate fossils. Additionally, West Bijou Creek runs through the site, supporting a diverse ecosystem of plant and wildlife communities, including some rare species. West Bijou Site is the 599th national natural landmark designation.

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