Template:Protect class

The nature of the protected area is identified using protect_class=1a, 1b, 1 to 99 which are divided into four categories:

• Conservation Land, derived from international definitions (1a, 1b, 1-6)
• Other types of nature conservation (7, 97-99),
• Resources conservation for important single resources(11-19) and
• Social conservation for community and architecture (21-29).
  

Note that values 1 and 7-99 are not based on outside definitions and were invented for OSM.

The tables "Protect classes for various countries" below, provide guidance on the use of protect_class in specific countries.

Note that several of the values were proposed but have been very rarely used (for example, 11, 15, 16, and 26).

In some cases other tags are more common: boundary=national_park instead of 2, and boundary=aboriginal_lands instead of 24.

Nature Protected Area

Protected nature and landscape in ecosystem context, including promoted culture habits. Switch to the table of countries >>

Main Protected Area Categories

Class	Description	Examples	Rendering in osm-carto	Usage
protect_class=1a or protect_class=1	Strict Nature Reserve (IUCN Category Ia): "...strictly set aside to protect biodiversity and also possibly geological/geomorphological features, where human visitation, use and impacts are strictly controlled and limited to ensure protection of the conservation values. Such protected areas can serve as indispensable reference areas for scientific research and monitoring."	Boatswain Bird Island, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha  Horoirangi Marine Reserve, New Zealand  Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, Ghana  Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve, Costa Rica  Reserva natural Rincón de Santa María, Argentina  Sinivuori Strict Nature Reserve, Finland  Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand		protect_class=1a protect_class=1
protect_class=1b or protect_class=1	Wilderness Area (IUCN Category Ib): "...usually large unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural character and influence, without permanent or significant human habitation, which are protected and managed so as to preserve their natural condition."	Kaldoaivi Wilderness Area, Finland  Sandia Mountain Wilderness, United States  Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, Canada  Yellabinna Wilderness Protection Area, Australia		protect_class=1b protect_class=1
protect_class=2	National Park (IUCN Category II): "Large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, species and ecosystems... which also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities." More commonly tagged boundary=national_park	Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia  Serengeti National Park, Tanzania  Torres del Paine National Park, Chile  Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Australia  Yosemite National Park, USA  Zhangye National Geopark, China		protect_class=2
protect_class=3	Natural Monument or Feature (IUCN Category III): "...protect a specific natural monument, which can be a landform, sea mount, submarine cavern, geological feature such as a cave or even a living feature such as an ancient grove. They are generally quite small protected areas and often have high visitor value." Cultural and archaeological important	Balda Canyon Natural Monument, Georgia  Delaware Canal State Park, United States  El mono Hernández Cork Forest Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, Colombia  Jeti-Ögüz Rocks, Kyrgyzstan  Hostivické Ponds, Czech Republic  Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park, Australia		protect_class=3
protect_class=4	Habitat/Species Management Area (IUCN Category IV): "...aim to protect particular species or habitats and management reflects this priority. Many category IV protected areas will need regular, active interventions to address the requirements of particular species or to maintain habitats, but this is not a requirement..."	Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, Australia  Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, United States  Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, India  Khao Khiao–Khao Chomphu Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand		protect_class=4
protect_class=5	Protected Landscape/Seascape (IUCN Category V): "...area where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural and scenic value: and where safeguarding the integrity of this interaction is vital to protecting and sustaining the area and its associated nature conservation and other values."	Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park, Spain  Corroboree Rock Conservation Reserve, Australia  Dartmoor, United Kingdom  Granite-steppe lands of Buh, Ukraine		protect_class=5
protect_class=6	Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources (IUCN Category VI): "...conserve ecosystems and habitats, together with associated cultural values and traditional natural resource management systems. They are generally large, with most of the area in a natural condition, where a proportion is under sustainable natural resource management and where low-level non-industrial use of natural resources compatible with nature conservation is seen as one of the main aims of the area." For small areas and single-value-protection see also resources-protected-area: protect_class=11 to 19.	Auatí-Paraná Extractive Reserve, Brazil  Bascombe Well Conservation Park, Australia  Delaware State Forest, United States  Shilanda-Nagdemra Dolphin Sanctuary, Bangladesh  Xe Pian National Protected Area, Laos		protect_class=6

Other Nature Protected Area Categories

Class	Description*	Examples	Rendering in osm-carto	Usage
protect_class=7	nature-feature area: similar to 4. but without IUCN-level. Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value: For geological sites, see geological=palaeontological_site For nature reserves, see leisure=nature_reserve	Some habitats are protected by local- or district-law: areas to protect one specie, special cover of vegetation, geological site, ...	(not rendered)
protect_class=97	A protected area protected by international continental agreements. They often cover sites already protected by national law. Used for the following conventions and treaties:  Natura 2000(bg cs de es fr it nl), ref:natura2000=*:  Birds Directive (Council Directive 2009/147/EC)  Emerald network  Habitats Directive  Site of Community Importance  Special Area of Conservation  Special Protection Area  European Green Belt(de pt)  Alpine Convention(de es fr it nl) Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value: For  ASEAN Heritage Parks, see: International Heritage Registration Organisation		(not rendered)
protect_class=98	A protected area protected by intercontinental treaties or conventions. They often cover sites already protected by national law. Does not include a cross-border national park (which would be tagged protect_class=2). Used for the following conventions and treaties:  Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)  The Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region  Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat – ramsar=yes  World Network of Biosphere Reserves  UNESCO Global Geoparks Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value: For  UNESCO World Heritage Convention, see: International Heritage Registration Organisation		(not rendered)
protect_class=99	other continental or international, not yet classified.		(not rendered)	protect_class=99

Resources-protected-area

Protected areas with a focus on single natural resources, including human living space itself, because of an important natural material or characteristic. Mostly appointed on community level. Switch to the table of countries.

Class	Description	Rendering in osm-carto	Usage
protect_class=12	water: water protection area, fresh water, drinking water, springs, ... Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value: For springs, see natural=spring For reservoirs, see water=reservoir For drinking water, see drinking_water=* For drinking water storage tanks, see man_made=storage_tank + content=water For rainwater management, see basin=* For reservoir watershed protection areas, see landuse=reservoir_watershed For water protection areas, see boundary=water_protection_area
protect_class=14	species: no fishing, protected for fishery, protected for hunting, plants, ... Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value: For no fishing areas, see fishing=no For fishing access, see leisure=fishing For fish hatcheries, see landuse=fishfarm or landuse=aquaculture For plant nurseries, see landuse=plant_nursery For managed forests, see landuse=forest and Forest	(not rendered)
protect_class=15	location condition: floodwater retention area, protection forest, grazing land, ... Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value: For livestock grazing, see landuse=meadow, landuse=farmland, landuse=animal_keeping, and animal_keeping=* For managed forests see landuse=forest and Forest. For flood-prone areas see flood_prone=* For floodwater management infrastructure, see waterway=ditch, waterway=drain, waterway=ditch and tunnel=culvert.	(not rendered)
protect_class=19	other national, This tag was used by an import in Poland for "Użytek ekologiczny" areas Instead of this value, consider using protect_class=6 for areas protected for "sustainable use of natural resources"	(not rendered)

Social-protected-area

Important social interests. Visualize sociopolitical assets. Switch to the table of countries.

Class	Description	Rendering in osm-carto	Usage
protect_class=21	Community life: religious, sacred areas, gathering places, recreation (this sense of "recreation" has given rise to value 21 being assigned to state parks in New York, USA) Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value. For religious areas, see landuse=religious, landuse=cemetery, amenity=place_of_worship, or amenity=grave_yard. For gathering places, see Square, place=square, landuse=village_green, leisure=park, or highway=pedestrian+area=yes. For recreational areas, see landuse=recreation_ground and/or leisure=park.	(not rendered)	For example Jones Beach State Park
protect_class=22	Cultural assets (cultural assets and - efforts, districts historical heritage, monument conservation): protection of sites with special architecture or historic interest, designed and created intentionally by people: urban layout, buildings, landscape, gardens, art-goods, ... More commonly tagged with: historic=* and/or heritage=*	(not rendered)
protect_class=24	Political protection: Consider using plain-English tagging alternatives instead of this value. For reservation / indigenous area / aboriginal: self-governing communities with land + indigenous, see boundary=aboriginal_lands. For boundaries of states and administrative subdivisions, see boundary=administrative. For political/electoral districts, see boundary=political.	(not rendered)
protect_class=27	Currently used only for Norwegian "Friluftsområde", a category of outdoor space accessible made publicly accessible by Norwegian law.	(not rendered)

Discouraged, legacy, and unused values of protect_class=*

Legacy values of protect_class=*

Class	Description*	Rendering in osm-carto	Usage
protect_class=11	soil: crop yield, erosion protection, ... [This tag was proposed but never used]	(not rendered)
protect_class=13	climate and -air: gasper supply/cold air, ... [This tag was proposed but never used. See boundary=low_emission_zone (LEZ).]	(not rendered)
protect_class=16	longtime hazard area: contamination, earth-moving area, "problem sites" ... Formally deprecated by hazard=*.	(not rendered)
23	Protection in favor of economics: special economic zones. Formally deprecated by boundary=special_economic_zone.	(not rendered)
25	Military areas: military refuges, test area, ... See military=*, landuse=military and Map_Features#Military instead. Formally deprecated by landuse=military and military=*.	(not rendered)
26	Historic: "for colonial-era entities and protectorates". More commonly tagged with: historic=* and/or heritage=*.	(not rendered)
29	other social, not yet classified for ID 21 to 28. [This tag was proposed but has never been used]	(not rendered)