St. Catherines Island is privately owned and maintained by the St. Catherines Island Foundation. The island may be best characterized by the delicate and uniquely inviolate natural ecosystems and historical and archaeological remains present. Many common and rare varieties of flora and fauna coexist on the island in harmony with hard sand beaches, dunes, open meadows, forests, tidal flats, and wetlands. Further, the island is a historical repository of pre-colonial Indian, colonial Spanish and English, and American Revolutionary archaeological remains and artifacts. In consideration of the island’s historical significance and pristine natural condition, the United States Department of the Interior designated it as a National Historic Landmark. To maintain this gentle equilibrium, public access to the island is not permissible.