What You Can Do
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11 Most Endangered
National Landscape Conservation System
Year Listed: 2005
Location: , Wyoming
Current Status: Favorable
Threat: Development, Poor Public Policy
Painted Hand Pueblo in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Cortez, Colorado.
Credit: National Trust for Historic Preservation
Significance
Encompassing 26 million acres in 12 Western states, the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) includes dozens of national monuments, conservation and wilderness areas, historic trails, and wild and scenic rivers, embracing an incredible array of historic sites ranging from Native American pueblos to traces of frontier-era migration routes. Managed by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the system was established to conserve, protect, and restore natural and cultural landscapes that offer visitors a chance to see the West through the eyes of the first Americans, as well as the explorers and homesteaders. However, BLM's ability to provide this protection is seriously hampered by chronic understaffing and underfunding. As a result, fragile resources are being threatened or destroyed, often before they can be studied or even inventoried. In Arizona, for example, off-road vehicles are imperiling scores of prehistoric sites scattered across the desert and canyons at Agua Fria National Monument, which draws increasing numbers of visitors from nearby Phoenix. Meanwhile, on the Mormon Trail in Wyoming, BLM authorities are scrambling to inventory historic and cultural sites before they are lost to mismanaged grazing, mineral exploration, unauthorized land use, theft and vandalism. Unless BLM gets the funding and staffing it needs for the National Landscape Conservation System, irreplaceable treasures will continue to be lost or destroyed, and important chapters in America's story will be erased.
Learn more about protecting our public lands.
Updates
January 13, 2009 -- The National Trust for Historic Preservation has played a lead role in the effort to permananetly establish the National Landscape Conservation System. Working closely with a broad coalition, the Conservation System Alliance, the Trust has advocated for the System which is comprised of 26 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. If codified, this system, rich in cultural and historic resources, would be the newest public lands system in America. Legislation to Congressionally establish the System was introduced in 110th Congress. National Trust President Richard Moe testified in support of the bill in both chambers and was pleased to see the bill pass overwhelmingly in the House. The Senate passed the bill out of Committee but was unable to move the bill to the floor prior to adjournment. Now, at the start of the 11th Congress, the bill is packaged along with may other important land protection provisions. An initial procedural vote on that package was won late last week and further action is expected on the Senate floor this week.
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