The 27 million-acre National Landscape Conservation System includes some of the most spectacular scenic, natural, cultural, historical and archeological places in our country. These National Conservation Lands conserve the essential fabric of the West, by playing a role in protecting lands, water, and wildlife for future generations.
Over the past two years of the Obama Administration, the Interior Department has implemented new policy and land management guidance, managed an oil spill disaster, and kicked off an effort to increase clean energy development on our public lands. We’ve also seated new members in the 112th Congress. All of this has stirred new conversations in the media and on Capitol Hill. The Wilderness Society has been leading the charge to defend our public lands and strengthen protections for threatened places.
In 2025, just 15 years from now, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act will have been guiding the agency’s management for 50 years. In that same year, the National Landscape Conservation System will turn 25.
What should the BLM managed lands look like in 15 years? Our Conservation Vision for BLM Lands in the Year 2025 poses a long term challenge to the BLM to grow its system of National Conservation Lands and to enhance the stewardship of all of the lands under its guardianship.
In 2010 the National Landscape Conservation System marks a 10th anniversary and The Wilderness Society has conducted an assessment of the current management of these valuable conservation lands. Our report documents significant improvement since we first evaluated the program five years ago, in our first assessment, but while laudable, they should be viewed only as a first step.
The Wilderness Society's Campaign Coordinator, M'Shae Alderman, says that the Obama administration should get new conservation ideas from young people during the America's Great Outdoors listening session. The Obama administration wants to hear from all of us! Tell President Obama to protect our public lands by visiting the America's Great Outdoors IdeaJam.
Read more about Outdoor Nation and the youth listening session.
The Wilderness Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation spearheaded an effort to get more than 60 national, regional, and local conservation, preservation, recreation and other organizations to sign a letter to President Obama outlining our strong support for the Antiquities Act. The letter encourages defense of the Act in the face of these legislative efforts and also encourages appropriate use of the Act to protect the nation’s important public land values.
Read the entire letter by clicking on the link below.
Since its passage by Congress in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been a critically important tool for the preservation of our public lands – lands that belong to all Americans. Serving as a vital “insurance policy” for our nation’s natural treasures, the Antiquities Act gives the president the power to grant national monument status to areas possessing significant historical and/or scientific values.
This series of maps illustrates National Landscape Conservation System locations, made up of the gems within our public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
