Bi-Partisan Congressional Legislation Estabilishes New, Permanent System of Public Lands in the American West
26 Milliona Acre National Landscape Conservation System Encompasses the "Crown Jewels" of BLM Lands
Posted March 30, 2009 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
With broad, bipartisan support in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, Congress today approved legislation to permanently establish a new system of public lands, ensuring that millions of acres—including some of the last places Americans can experience the history and grandeur of the American West—are preserved for the use and enjoyment of future generations. Officially called the National Landscape Conservation System, it is comprised of the best lands, waterways and cultural resources managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), from National Monuments to National Conservation Areas to Wild and Scenic Rivers.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, working with The Wilderness Society and a coalition of more than eighty groups, has spearheaded the effort over the past several years to make the Conservation System permanent. Today, National Trust President
“This action by Congress creates the first major system of
“The 26 million acres included in the National Landscape Conservation System are truly the ‘crown jewels’ of the lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and by making it a permanent system, Congress has ensured that these wild, majestic lands are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations,” Moe said. “From red rock canyons to rugged mountains to landscapes filled with irreplaceable cultural artifacts, these are places where Americans can escape the crowds and create their own outdoor adventures.”
With more than 866 individual units, the Conservation System comprises 26 million acres—about 10 percent of all the land managed by the BLM. While each of the National Monuments, Wilderness Areas, National Scenic Trails and other units within the Conservation System have been informally organized as a system for several years, until now it has not been established by statute as a coherent unit.
Specifically, the legislation passed today will:
Provide a Congressional stamp of approval for the System. While the System has been administratively supported by recent Republican and Democratic administrations, until now it had not received formal congressional authorization.
Unify Separate Units into a Coherent System. The legislation codifying the system recognizes the 866 units of the Conservation System as a single, unified system within the BLM, ensuring consistent management in keeping with the System’s conservation mission. The legislation will also facilitate more efficient communications and management within the BLM, as BLM now has clear direction from Congress to manage these lands and waters as a system.
Ensure Permanence. The legislation prevents any future attempts to dissolve the system, permanently establishing and protecting what is perhaps the last great American system of protected lands.
Enhance the Conservation System’s Stature Within the Department of the Interior. Congressional approval of the System ensures that it will be recognized as a priority program within the BLM.
The Conservation System is especially focused on preserving intact Western landscapes with historical antiquities in their original settings. Richard Moe said the land’s encompassed in the system complement other federally managed systems, like the National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, but also noted that the Conservation System reflects a newer approach to the conservation of land and preservation of cultural resources.
“The System-protected areas reflect a more recent understanding of how land is conserved and how public lands are interpreted for the enjoyment of the public,” Moe said. “Essentially, we have learned that a more comprehensive approach to conservation—one that encompasses entire landscapes, ecosystems and archeological communities—gives people a better understanding of the natural character of these lands. Rather than preserving small, isolated tracts surrounded by development, the Conservation System lands are an opportunity for people to experience the remote, undisturbed beauty of the American West.”
For more information about the National Landscape Conservation System, please visit www.PreservationNation.org/
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
