National Conservation Lands: 25 years – and eons – in the making

National Conservation Lands: 25 years - and eons - in the making

Jan 7, 2025

This year, 2025, marks a special occasion worth celebrating: the 25th anniversary of BLM's National Landscape Conservation System, also known as National Conservation Lands. The places that make up this system are ruggedly beautiful wonders, primarily located in the West, featuring some of the nation's most spectacular landscapes. Designated in recent decades by Congresses and Presidents of both parties, these places conserve and protect special natural features, including winding rivers and red-rock deserts to historical sites and mountain vistas.

Trinity Wild and Scenic River, California. Photo by Bob Wick.

The National Conservation Lands are currently comprised of 905 units covering more than 37 million acres, including:

• 30 National Monuments

• 25 National Conservation Areas and similar designations

• 263 Wilderness Areas

• 487 Wilderness Study Areas

• 19 National Scenic and Historic Trails totaling nearly 6,000 miles

• 81 Wild and Scenic Rivers totaling nearly 2,700 miles

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona. Photo by Bob Wick.

Of course, while the system of National Conservation Lands is 25 years old, the landscapes themselves have been around since time immemorial. National Conservation Lands are also the current and ancestral homelands of Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, many of whom have deep cultural, historic, and spiritual connections to these places. BLM respects these connections and actively seeks partnerships with Tribal Nations to collaboratively manage these natural and cultural treasures for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

National Conservation Lands support the health, wealth, and well-being of communities across the United States by providing a range of ecosystem services. They are also important to local economies, often supporting recreation-focused businesses and providing working landscapes where grazing and other traditional public land uses coexist. In addition, they provide abundant opportunities for historical and scientific research on topics including geology, paleontology, archaeology, biology, botany, and more.

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, Colorado. Photo by Bob Wick.

These are also places where people can really get deep into the great outdoors. BLM is seeing significantly increased demand for outdoor recreation on public lands in recent years, and the National Conservation Lands are a key part of meeting that demand. Visitors seek out these places for a wide range of activities such as hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing, and more. Along with breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife habitat, and important cultural resources, many National Conservation Lands offer a less curated, more self-directed backcountry outdoor experience than more developed and crowded outdoor recreation areas.

As BLM begins its yearlong celebration of these special places, we invite you to join us. We'll share stories and hold events throughout the year. You can follow along at https://www.blm.gov/NLCS25. Also check out our latest On the Ground podcast episode, which begins a series of audio stories on the National Conservation Lands, starting with a fascinating look back at how the system got started. In addition to our own celebration, partner organizations such as the Conservation Lands Foundation and local friends' groups will be joining in the fun, and we welcome you to check out their postings as well.

Iditarod National Scenic and Historic Trail, Alaska. Photo by Bob Wick.

We encourage you to make time this year to visit some of these amazing places yourself. Find more information on how and where to do so at https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands.

When you go, be prepared. Many of these sites are in extremely remote, rugged areas with no amenities, cell signal, or emergency services. Please help protect and conserve these special places for current and future generations by treading lightly and leaving no trace. You can find more information on how to safely and responsibly enjoy the National Conservation Lands at https://www.respectconnectprotect.org/.

Hope to see you out on the trail in 2025!