The major land conservation bill signed into law yesterday by President Obama not only gives the highest level of wilderness protection to 2 million acres, but also permanently establishes a new system of public lands.
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.
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.
"Thanks to President Obama, today we see the creation of the first
major system of U.S. public lands in nearly a half century," said
Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
"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."
The National Trust for Historic Preservation worked over the past several years with The Wilderness Society and a coalition of more than eighty groups in an effort to make the Conservation System permanent.
Specifically, the legislation signed yesterday 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.
- Ensure Permanence. The legislation prevents any future attempts to dissolve the system, permanently establishing and protecting the 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 visit the link below.
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