Its protection level is set so that new and unregistered users can't edit it. That way we don't get random people dropping a bunch of, say, Thomas the Tank Engine badfics on it, which no active PPCers want, so they sit there pointlessly cluttering up the page until they're all removed in the next cleanup. (Yes, true story.)

The Claimed list doesn't seem to have a problem with non-PPCers claiming things, hence the lack of protection.

That sort of thing is always up for discussion, if anyone thinks either situation is terrible.

(Being thorough is never bad advice, though.)

~Neshomeh