Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve has the distinction of being the first national historical reserve in the National Park System. Authorized in 1978, the reserve preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Located on Whidbey Island, the largest island in the conterminous United States, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve lies about 43 km (27 mi) north of Seattle. Members of the central Whidbey Island community work together with local, state, and federal governments to manage the reserve and to balance the needs of the community with the protection of the reserve's resources.