BLM's National Conservation Lands

Feb 26, 2017 ∞

National Conservation Lands: a series of underappreciated destinations

Our National Parks are often—and justly—referred to as crown jewels of our nation's public lands. They are simply amazing slices of our public lands.

But BLM's National Conservation Lands are among the least heralded and most underappreciated protected landscapes in the country. Many even rival the national parks we love so much.

The newest system of protected public lands

BLM (occasionally referred to by its full name, the Bureau of Land Management) traditionally wasn't known as a federal public lands manager with a strong commitment to conservation. But after the establishment of the National Landscape Conservation System—what we now call the National Conservation Lands—in 2001, that's starting to change.

More than 36 million acres, or about 10% of BLM's vast holdings, are now part of the system. That includes 27 national monuments and 22 national conservation areas (or similar designations), plus hundreds of BLM-managed wilderness and wilderness study areas. The system also includes the BLM-managed stretches of wild and scenic rivers and national scenic and historic trails. Needless to say, there's something for everyone in the National Conservation Lands.

If you're not familiar with the system, don't worry. I'll be writing about the National Conservation Lands here quite a bit.

A different kind of experience

Most areas in the National Conservation Lands offer a far different experience than the national parks. The vast majority have no visitor center in the unit, nor the regular ranger-led tours or programs. There aren't many visitor services to be found, and often not much interpretation either.

This lack of development allows for a much different visitor experience. Instead of being led down the path, visitors are forced to rely on their own preparation. That means you get to interact with the lands in a more intimate way. Instead of staying on the gravel trail and behind the fence, you can walk right on up to the pueblo ruin. You can pick up (and put down!) the pottery sherds, inspect the rock art up close (but don't touch it!), and generally experience the place on your own terms. Well, as long as you plan head at least.

Add these places to your bucket list

For now, you should immediately include these places in your to-visit list. Seriously, do it now. Right now.

As you travel the country in search of our nation's most important natural and cultural resources, make sure that you include the National Conservation Lands.

If you'd like to support the National Conservation Lands, please check out the Conservation Lands Foundation, and as well as the local groups in their network. The Wilderness Society also plays an important role nationally in defending the system.

Jun 8, 2013 ∞

Happy birthday to the Antiquities Act!

Today is the anniversary of Antiquities Act of 1906. Not many people know much about this law, even though it probably ranks as the most important conservation tool in our nation's history. Not only did it, for the first time, protect historical and prehistoric structures and artifacts, but it gave the President the authority to designate national monuments, helping to effectively preserve so much of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of these places have since been incorporated into larger national monuments or national parks, and many of them form the basis for the National Conservation Lands.

I've been lucky enough to visit darn near 100 of these places.

Update: I've actually visited more than 100. Here's the updated total from my National Monuments quest.

There have also been a number of additional designations since this was originally posted.

9/24/06 Devils Tower, WY*
12/8/06 El Morro, NM*
12/8/06 Montezuma Castle, AZ*
12/8/06 Petrified Forest, AZ
3/11/07 Chaco Canyon, NM
5/6/07 Cinder Cone, CA
5/6/07 Lassen Peak, CA
11/16/07 Gila Cliff Dwellings, NM*
12/19/07 Tonto, AZ*
1/9/08 Muir Woods, CA*
1/11/08 Grand Canyon, AZ
1/16/08 Pinnacles, CA*
2/7/08 Jewel Cave, SD*
4/16/08 Natural Bridges, UT*
9/15/08 Tumacacori, AZ
12/7/08 Wheeler, CO
3/2/09 Mount Olympus, WA
3/20/09 Navajo, AZ*
7/12/09 Oregon Caves, OR*
7/31/09 Mukuntuweap, UT
9/21/09 Shoshone Cavern, WY
11/1/09 Gran Quivira (now Salinas Pueblo Missions), NM*
5/30/10 Rainbow Bridge, UT*
6/23/10 Big Hole Battlefield, MT
5/24/11 Colorado, CO*
7/6/11 Devils Postpile, CA*
10/14/13 Cabrillo, CA*
1/31/14 Papago Saguaro, AZ
10/4/15 Dinosaur, UT-CO*
11/30/15 Walnut Canyon, AZ*
2/11/16 Bandelier, NM*
8/9/16 Capulin Mountain (now Capulin Volcano), NM*
3/18/18 Zion, UT (incorporated Mukuntuweap NM)
8/3/18 Casa Grande (now Casa Grande Ruins), AZ*
12/12/19 Scotts Bluff, NE*
12/12/19 Yucca House, CO*
1/24/22 Lehman Caves, NV
10/14/22 Timpanogos Cave, UT*
1/24/23 Aztec Ruin (now Aztec Ruins), NM*
3/2/23 Hovenweep, UT-CO*
5/31/23 Pipe Spring, AZ*
6/8/23 Bryce Canyon, UT
10/25/23 Carlsbad Cave, NM
4/18/24 Chiricahua, AZ*
5/2/24 Craters of the Moon, ID*
10/15/24 Castle Pinckney, SC
10/15/24 Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos), FL*
10/15/24 Fort Matanzas, FL*
10/15/24 Fort Pulaski, GA*
12/9/24 Wupatki, AZ*
2/26/25 Meriwether Lewis, TN
11/21/25 Lava Beds, CA*
4/12/29 Arches, UT
5/26/30 Sunset Crater (now Sunset Crater Volcano), AZ*
3/17/32 Great Sand Dunes, CO*
12/22/32 Grand Canyon, AZ
1/18/33 White Sands, NM*
2/11/33 Death Valley, CA-NV
3/1/33 Saguaro, AZ
3/3/33 Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO
4/26/33 Channel Islands, CA
8/22/33 Cedar Breaks, UT*
1/4/35 Fort Jefferson, FL
8/10/36 Joshua Tree, CA
1/22/37 Zion, UT
4/13/37 Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ*
8/2/37 Capitol Reef, UT
7/16/38 Fort Laramie, WY
5/17/39 Santa Rosa Island, FL
7/24/39 Tuzigoot, AZ*
3/15/43 Jackson Hole, WY
10/25/49 Effigy Mounds, IA*
1/18/61 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, MD-WV
5/11/61 Russell Cave, AL*
1/20/69 Marble Canyon, AZ
9/18/96 Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 Grand Canyon-Parashant, AZ* (Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 Agua Fria, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 California Coastal, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/10/00 Pinnacles, CA (Expansion)
4/15/00 Giant Sequoia, CA (Expansion—-Forest Service)
6/09/00 Ironwood Forest, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
6/09/00 Canyons of the Ancients, CO* (Bureau of Land Management)
11/9/00 Craters of the Moon, ID* (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
11/9/00 Vermilion Cliffs, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Carrizo Plain, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Minidoka Internment, ID
1/17/01 Pompeys Piller, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Sonoran Desert , AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
12/05/08 World War II Valor in the Pacific (Incorporated USS Arizona Memorial), HI
11/01/11 Fort Monroe, VA
9/21/12 Chimney Rock, CO (Forest Service)
3/25/13 Río Grande Del Norte, NM (Bureau of Land Management)

Wow, it's impossible to count how many amazing memories I've created in all of these places. Thanks to the many Presidents, both Republican and Democratic, that took action to protect these American treasures for all time.

Take a look at the full list of national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act and leave me a comment about how many you've been to.

Jun 8, 2012 ∞

National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act

The Antiquities Act of 1906 was the first piece of legislation to protect ruins and artifacts of Native American cultures. However, the law also gave the President authority to designate national monuments on federal lands—a powerful and important tool for protecting some of our nation's most important treasures.

This authority has been used more than a hundred times by a total of seventeen Presidents—nine Republican and eight Democratic.

Many of the national monuments established under the Antiquities Act have later been expanded, merged, or converted into national parks (asterisks show ones that have retained their national monument status); several have also been renamed over time. While most of the national monuments are managed by the National Park Service, several are managed by other federal agencies, most notably the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Conservation Lands (I've displayed those in italics).

Below is the list of designations. I've had the pleasure and good fortune of visiting nearly all of these places. You should too.

Theodore Roosevelt (18)

9/24/06 Devils Tower, WY*
12/8/06 El Morro, NM*
12/8/06 Montezuma Castle, AZ*
12/8/06 Petrified Forest, AZ
3/11/07 Chaco Canyon, NM
5/6/07 Cinder Cone, CA
5/6/07 Lassen Peak, CA
11/16/07 Gila Cliff Dwellings, NM*
12/19/07 Tonto, AZ*
1/9/08 Muir Woods, CA*
1/11/08 Grand Canyon, AZ
1/16/08 Pinnacles, CA*
2/7/08 Jewel Cave, SD*
4/16/08 Natural Bridges, UT*
5/11/08 Lewis and Clark Cavern, MT
9/15/08 Tumacacori, AZ
12/7/08 Wheeler, CO
3/2/09 Mount Olympus, WA

William Howard Taft (10)

3/20/09 Navajo, AZ*
7/12/09 Oregon Caves, OR*
7/31/09 Mukuntuweap, UT
9/21/09 Shoshone Cavern, WY
11/1/09 Gran Quivira (now Salinas Pueblo Missions), NM*
3/23/10 Sitka, AK
5/30/10 Rainbow Bridge, UT*
6/23/10 Big Hole Battlefield, MT
5/24/11 Colorado, CO*
7/6/11 Devils Postpile, CA*

Woodrow Wilson (14)

10/14/13 Cabrillo, CA*
1/31/14 Papago Saguaro, AZ
10/4/15 Dinosaur, UT-CO*
11/30/15 Walnut Canyon, AZ*
2/11/16 Bandelier, NM*
7/8/16 Sieur de Monts, ME
8/9/16 Capulin Mountain (now Capulin Volcano), NM*
10/25/16 Old Kasaan, AK
6/29/17 Verendrye, ND
3/18/18 Zion, UT (incorporated Mukuntuweap NM)
8/3/18 Casa Grande (now Casa Grande Ruins), AZ*
9/24/18 Katmai, AK
12/12/19 Scotts Bluff, NE*
12/12/19 Yucca House, CO*

Warren G. Harding (8)

1/24/22 Lehman Caves, NV
10/14/22 Timpanogos Cave, UT*
10/21/22 Fossil Cycad, SD
1/24/23 Aztec Ruin (now Aztec Ruins), NM*
3/2/23 Hovenweep, UT-CO*
3/2/23 Mound City Group, OH
5/31/23 Pipe Spring, AZ*
6/8/23 Bryce Canyon, UT

Calvin Coolidge (13)

10/25/23 Carlsbad Cave, NM
4/18/24 Chiricahua, AZ*
5/2/24 Craters of the Moon, ID*
10/15/24 Castle Pinckney, SC
10/15/24 Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos), FL*
10/15/24 Fort Matanzas, FL*
10/15/24 Fort Pulaski, GA*
10/15/24 Statue of Liberty, NY*
12/9/24 Wupatki, AZ*
2/26/25 Glacier Bay, AK
2/26/25 Meriwether Lewis, TN
9/5/25 Father Millet Cross, NY
11/21/25 Lava Beds, CA*

Herbert Hoover (9)

4/12/29 Arches, UT
5/11/29 Holy Cross, CO
5/26/30 Sunset Crater (now Sunset Crater Volcano), AZ*
3/17/32 Great Sand Dunes, CO*
12/22/32 Grand Canyon, AZ
1/18/33 White Sands, NM*
2/11/33 Death Valley, CA-NV
3/1/33 Saguaro, AZ
3/3/33 Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO

Franklin D. Roosevelt (11)

4/26/33 Channel Islands, CA
8/22/33 Cedar Breaks, UT*
1/4/35 Fort Jefferson, FL
8/10/36 Joshua Tree, CA
1/22/37 Zion, UT
4/13/37 Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ*
8/2/37 Capitol Reef, UT
7/16/38 Fort Laramie, WY
5/17/39 Santa Rosa Island, FL
7/24/39 Tuzigoot, AZ*
3/15/43 Jackson Hole, WY

Harry S. Truman (1)

10/25/49 Effigy Mounds, IA*

Dwight D. Eisenhower (2)

7/14/56 Edison Laboratory, NJ
1/18/61 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, MD-WV

John F. Kennedy (2)

5/11/61 Russell Cave, AL*
12/28/61 Buck Island Reef, VI*

Lyndon B. Johnson (1)

1/20/69 Marble Canyon, AZ

Jimmy Carter (15)

12/1/78 Admiralty Island, AK* (US Forest Service)
12/1/78 Aniakchak, AK*
12/1/78 Becharof, AK
12/1/78 Bering Land Bridge, AK
12/1/78 Cape Krusenstern, AK*
12/1/78 Denali, AK
12/1/78 Gates of the Arctic, AK
12/1/78 Kenai Fjords, AK
12/1/78 Kobuk Valley, AK
12/1/78 Lake Clark, AK
12/1/78 Misty Fjords, AK* (US Forest Service)
12/1/78 Noatak, AK
12/1/78 Wrangell-St. Elias, AK
12/1/78 Yukon-Charley, AK
12/1/78 Yukon Flats, AK

William J. Clinton (21)

9/18/96 Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 Grand Canyon-Parashant, AZ* (Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 Agua Fria, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 California Coastal, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/10/00 Pinnacles, CA (Expansion)
4/15/00 Giant Sequoia, CA (Expansion—-US Forest Service)
6/09/00 Hanford Reach, WA (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
6/09/00 Ironwood Forest, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
6/09/00 Canyons of the Ancients, CO* (Bureau of Land Management)
6/09/00 Cascade-Siskiyou, OR* (Bureau of Land Management)
7/07/00 President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home (Armed Forces Retirement Home)
11/9/00 Craters of the Moon, ID* (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
11/9/00 Vermilion Cliffs, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Carrizo Plain, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Minidoka Internment, ID
1/17/01 Pompeys Pillar, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Sonoran Desert, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Upper Missouri River Breaks, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Virgin Islands Coral Reef, VI*
1/20/01 Governors Island, NY*

George W. Bush (3)

2/27/06 African Burial Ground, NY*
6/15/06 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine (renamed Papahanaumokuakea Hawaii Islands Marine), HI
12/05/08 World War II Valor in the Pacific (incorporated USS Arizona Memorial), HI*

Barack Obama (32)

11/01/11 Fort Monroe, VA*
4/20/12 Fort Ord, CA (Bureau of Land Management)
9/21/12 Chimney Rock, CO (US Forest Service)*
10/08/12 César E. Chávez, CA*
3/25/13 Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers, OH*
3/25/13 First State, DE*
3/25/13 Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad, MD*
3/25/13 Río Grande del Norte, NM (Bureau of Land Management)*
3/25/13 San Juan Islands, WA (Bureau of Land Management)*
10/28/13 Military Working Dog Teams, TX (Department of Defense)
5/21/14 Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, NM (Bureau of Land Management)*
10/10/15 San Gabriel Mountains, CA (US Forest Service)*
12/19/14 Tule Springs Fossil Beds, NV*
2/19/15 Browns Canyon, CO (Bureau of Land Management)*
2/19/15 Honouliuli, HI*
2/19/15 Pullman, IL*
7/10/15 Basin and Range, NV (Bureau of Land Management)*
7/10/15 Berryessa Snow Mountain, CA (US Forest Service/BLM)*
7/10/15 Waco Mammoth, TX*
2/12/16 Mojave Trails, CA (Bureau of Land Management)*
2/12/16 Sand to Snow, CA (US Forest Service, BLM)*
2/12/16 Castle Mountains, CA*
4/12/16 Belmont-Paul Womens Equality, DC*
6/24/16 Stonewall, NY*
9/15/16 Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument* (Atlantic Ocean)
12/28/16 Bears Ears, UT (Bureau of Land Management)*
12/28/16 Gold Butte, NV (Bureau of Land Management)*
1/12/17 Freedom Riders, AL*
1/12/17 Montgomery Civil Rights, AL*
1/12/17 Reconstruction Era, SC*
1/12/17 California Coastal, CA (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
1/12/17 Cascade-Siskiyou, OR (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)

Donald Trump (1)

10/26/18 Camp Nelson, KY

Some additional notes on these designations:

Congress has transferred 10 national monuments (Lewis and Clark Cavern, Wheeler, Shoshone Cavern, Papago Saguaro, Old Kasaan, Verendrye, Fossil Cycad, Castle Pinckney, Father Millet Cross, Holy Cross) to other federal, state, or local jurisdictions.
Congress has limited Antiquities Act powers in two states: Wyoming and Alaska.
The largest designation has been Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument at 140,000 square miles; the smallest was Father Millet Cross National Monument at 0.0074 acres.

Apr 2, 2011 ∞

Caves I've visited

One of the natural features I often enjoy visiting on my travels are caves. I'm not a caver, but I seem to find myself in many places that have caves and cave tours, and it's rare for me to pass up an opportunity to explore yet another one. In fact, I've been to more than 20 of them—including most of the public caves in the National Park System. In no particular order, here's the list:

Bear Gulch Cave, Pinnacles National Monument (California)
Crystal Cave, Sequoia National Park (California)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Russell Cave National Monument (Alabama)
Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
Peppersauce Cave (Arizona)
Fort Stanton Cave, Ft Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (New Mexico)
Timpanogos Cave National Monument (Utah)
Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)
Lehman Cave, Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Kartchner Caverns State Park (Arizona)
Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark (County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland)
Sea Lion Caves (Oregon)
Grand Canyon Caverns (Arizona)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
Colossal Cave (Arizona)
Mitchell Cavern, Providence Mountains State Rec Area (California)
Lava tubes, Lava Beds National Monument (California)
Oregon Caves National Monument (Oregon)
Lava tube near Flagstaff (Arizona)
Lava tubes, El Malpais National Monument (New Mexico)
Lava tubes, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Idaho)
Lava tube, Mojave National Preserve (California)
Thurston Lava Tube, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park (Montana)

This list is current as of August 2019.

The links above are to photos I've taken at each place—though mind you, it's not always easy to take good snapshots inside a cave. I have several more albums to post, and I'll update the links once I get those photos up.

My favorite caves include Carlsbad Caverns (there really isn't one that can compare to it), Kartchner Caverns (Arizona's best state park), and the Sea Lion Caves (great childhood memory and my only sea cave). I enjoy the occasional lava river tube, but I've seen enough of them now that each new one is less and less exciting. Of all of them, I think I was most disappointed with the world's longest: Mammoth Cave. I attribute that to high expectations and the fact that we took a 4-mile, 4.5 hour tour where we only saw great formations in the last 200 yards or so. Several of these caves are less than spectacular, but still make for a fun stop if you're driving by.

I have the distinct pleasure of working with the folks at the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project on the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (an area of the National Conservation Lands) and there's some great science happening there.

Note that several of these parks—particularly the ones with lava tube formations—have several separate caves that I've wandered through, but I'm only counting them as one for this list.

What's your favorite cave? Which one should be on my list?

Feb 17, 2011 ∞

Urgent Call to Action: Vote in D.C. today to defund our National Conservation Lands

Dear Friends,

I am contacting you today with an urgent request. Please take the next five minutes to contact your Congressperson today to urge her/him to vote against Continuing Resolution Amendments No. 92, 203 and 515. Each of these amendments would compromise our National Conservation Lands (formally known as the National Landscape Conservation System) by eliminating funds to properly manage the lands and by eliminating an important conservation tool to expand the National Conservation Lands. The vote is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. EST today. You can reach the US House of Representatives switchboard operator at 202-224-3121. You can also find the number for your individual representatives at http://clerk.house.gov.

Amendment 515 was introduced late Tuesday evening by Rob Bishop (R-UT). This amendment would completely eliminate funding for the National Conservation Lands. This means NO funding for more than 27 million acres of the BLM’s most prized lands. Pat Williams from the Friends of Red Rock Canyon explained to the media yesterday, if this amendment passes, “Red Rock Canyon would close to the public.” This means no rangers, no sign & trail maintenance, no hunting and fishing permits, etc.

When introducing his amendment, Rep. Bishop said, “I have yet to see a compelling example of how our nation benefits from adding another expensive layer of bureaucracy to the management of our public lands. Millions of dollars are wasted each year at the NLCS to fund a superfluous and unnecessary bureaucracy.”

Amendments 92 and 203 would effectively eliminate one of our nation’s greatest conservation tools – the Antiquities Act. The Antiquities Act is deeply rooted in American history. Since it was first used by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been utilized (most recently by President George W. Bush) to protect our nation’s most recognizable public treasures from the Grand Canyon to the Statue of Liberty. The President’s authority to create new National Monuments on public land already owned and used by the American people should not be curtailed or compromised.

Thank you for your ongoing support and prompt response to this request.

Sincerely,

Danielle

Danielle C. Sandstedt Conservation Lands Foundation, Development Director W 970-247-0807 Ext. 14 www.ConservationLands.org

To learn more about the actions taken by the Conservation Lands Foundation to mobilize our network of local partners to take action, please read on:

CLF drafted and circulated a sign-on letter against all three amendments. In less than 24 hours, 30 groups from across the nation signed on to the letter. This letter was distributed to the entire House of Representatives on Wednesday morning. Read the Sign On Letter.

CLF held a call with the press on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. EDT. We briefed and assembled spokespeople to discuss how Amendment No. 515 would be devastating to their communities and the National Monuments/National Conservation Areas they work to protect. We invited reporters from across the nation to join the call. Read our Press Advisory. We are continuing to see media outlets pick up this story. Groups Blast Bishop Over ‘Gutting’ Landscape Conservation