Road to 30: BLM National Conservation Lands
Introduction
Across America, natural areas that we rely on for clean air and water, biodiversity, outdoor recreation, and local economies are disappearing. From habitat fragmentation to the widespread impacts of climate change, lands and waters throughout the country are being lost to development and degradation every day.
To combat this crisis, scientists are urging that we conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030—a goal that can help save nature, strengthen local economies, and improve public health.
There is not just one path to conservation. Finding diverse and innovative ways to protect landscapes that support local communities and preserve the land’s specific values will be critical in achieving the “30x30” goal .
Today's protected and public lands are the traditional homelands of indigenous peoples. As the 30 by 30 effort moves forward, collaborative conservation led by indigenous communities will be essential to its success.
Currently, about 12 percent of American lands are protected. While we still have a ways to go, strong leadership and grassroots momentum are bringing us closer to the goal.
GAP Status 1 & 2 areas are those having permanent protection and mandated management plans that do not allow extractive uses.
This story map is the next installation of our ongoing “Road to 30” series exploring the vision of protecting 30 percent of our land and water by 2030. Here we will look at how the Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands (formally known as the National Landscape Conservation System) can play an important role in protecting America's land while also increasing recreation access and supporting the outdoor recreation economy that drives local communities. This system is an innovative model of diverse land protections held under a single umbrella.
National Conservation Lands
The Bureau of Land Management and the National Landscape Conservation System
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages over 40 percent of all federal public land in the nation, or about 13 percent of America’s land area. With such a large footprint, protecting lands managed by the agency is essential to the bold goal of protecting 30 percent of America by 2030.
BLM land protection is performed under the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) , more commonly referred to as National Conservation Lands.
The BLM has historically sold off federal land or managed landscapes for extractive use, such as mining, logging, grazing, or oil and gas development.
However, Congress acknowledged the value of long-term conservation, science, and recreation on bureau lands with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act ( FLPMA ) in 1976. FLPMA ended the disposal of agency land and governs the management of BLM lands via a multiple use mandate to serve both present and future generations.
In an effort to further enhance conservation on BLM lands, Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt established the National Landscape Conservation System in 2000. The system offers protection for BLM-managed land and was permanently signed into law in 2009.
Most lands in the NLCS were designated as protected areas before their inclusion in the National Landscape Conservation System; however, the system results in additional management benefits. For example, the system mandate includes language directing the BLM to work with adjacent public and private landowners to enhance wildlife movement and conservation.
Today, the NLCS is a 35-million acre collection of nearly 900 federally recognized areas across 13 states, representing about 10 percent of the land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
National Conservation Land units are protected under 10 different federal conservation designations, which provide a range of opportunities, experiences, and conservation benefits, contributing to the 30x30 goal in different ways. The system as a whole provides an innovative model of diverse protected lands existing under a broad umbrella.
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National Conservation Land units range from small to large, near-urban to remote, and contain ecosystems from tundra to forest. Some are conserved specifically for cultural preservation, others as unmodified wilderness, and still others are developed as recreational and interpretive sites.
An important path toward 30x30 is expanding the NLCS, as was envisioned by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt upon the system’s creation: “...there is every reason to believe—and expect—that Presidents and the Congress will continue to expand the system, just as the national park system and the refuge system have been continuously expanded to meet the needs of our nation.”
Nevada is an excellent example of the opportunity for protecting Bureau of Land Management land: 67 percent of the state is managed by the agency. Just in Nevada, BLM National Conservation Lands include a wide variety of units. Learn about a few of them here.
Case Studies
Red Rock National Conservation Area
The Red Rock National Conservation Area is located just 17 miles from the Las Vegas strip, and was the seventh National Conservation Area to be designated.
Compared to many National Conservation Lands, Red Rock Canyon is easily accessible, providing quality nature access to urban Nevadans. The Conservation Area also provides numerous educational programs and resources for teachers interested in bringing students to the unit.
At the same time, it contains two highly protected and less accessible Wilderness Areas. Red Rock demonstrates how protecting BLM lands near population centers can increase access to nature and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities while also preserving biodiversity with strong protections.
Red Rock National Conservation Area has been used by humans for thousands of years. Over the centuries, numerous Native American cultures have made use of the region, including the Anasazi and Southern Paiute. These people have left their mark on the landscape in the form of cultural artifacts and structures, which are now protected as part of our American heritage.
Today, the conservation area boasts world-class rock climbing and outdoor recreation, supporting Nevada’s booming outdoor recreation economy that generates $12.6 billion annually, maintains 87,000 direct jobs, and contributes over a billion dollars in state and local tax revenue.
Basin and Range National Monument
The Basin and Range National Monument protects a vast region of nearly undisturbed public land, more than 3.5 times the size of Red Rock NCA.
The 704,000 acre monument was the first monument managed by the BLM in Nevada, and contains a more highly protected wilderness area. It is an example of landscape-scale conservation under the NLCS.
Nearly 4.5 hours from Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon, the monument is remote and offers no amenities, paved roads, or designated trails. It’s this vast remoteness that makes Basin and Range both starkly beautiful and invaluable for conservation.
Basin and Range protects an intact basin and range landscape, including the pristine Garden and Coal valleys; a conservation exception, as most protected areas in the region focus solely on mountain ranges.
The sweeping landscape ensures migration routes for far-ranging species such as pronghorn and mule deer, as well as habitat for diverse species from rattlesnakes to the imperiled Greater Sage-grouse.
Basin and Range National Monument has been threatened by Trump administration attacks on public lands. In 2017 it was among 27 monuments that President Trump instructed then Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to consider shrinking or eliminating to accommodate the fossil-fuel industry and other private development. Utah's Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monuments were reduced significantly as a result.
Thankfully, full protection for the Basin and Range National Monument remains intact. The area contains limitless opportunities for the intrepid explorer, including climbing, hiking, bicycling, camping, hunting, and OHV riding. Its aptly named Leviathan Cave with a 160x80 ft opening is ideal for spelunking.
The monument preserves priceless pieces of human history, ranging from 4,000-year-old prehistoric rock art to 19th century ranching sites. It is also the site of a much more recent addition to culture and history: a monumental earthen work of art titled “City.” Constructed by artist Michael Heizer, “City” is inspired by Native American mound building traditions and pre-Colombian ritual cities of Central and South America. The piece is on private land now under a BLM conservation easement .
The Bureau of Land Management National Landscape Conservation System is an innovative model of diverse land protections held under a single umbrella.
With this model, BLM lands offer opportunities for extensive land protection across the country, each tailored to the appropriate protection designation for its location and unique situation. As National Conservation Lands in Nevada demonstrate, these units can be incredibly diverse, contributing to nature access, outdoor recreation, and the bold goal of protecting 30 percent of America by 2030.
