The Best of the West: BLM’s Conservation System
Recognizing the need to protect the BLM lands with the greatest richness of natural and historical resources, in 2000 the Clinton Administration designated 26 million acres as the National Landscape Conservation System. BLM’s 15 National Monuments are some of the best-known areas in the System—places like Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante and Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients, with the nation’s highest density of archaeological sites. The System also includes National Conservation Areas, wilderness, wilderness study areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Scenic and Historic Trails (see map at http://www.discovernlcs.org/TheNLCS/index.cfm).
Other beloved and awe-inspiring parts of the System include portions of the Pacific Crest Trail, Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area in Colorado, Oregon’s Steen’s Mountain, and California’s Headwaters Forest and King Range National Conservation Area. Residents of every western state--and all Americans who appreciate wildlife, great western landscapes, and history—benefit from BLM’s Conservation System. In fact, a 2004 study by Sonoran Institute found that BLM lands like National Monuments are increasingly important to western economies.
BLM’s Skewed Policy Agenda
There’s growing awareness that BLM lands, particularly the National Landscape Conservation System, are rich in wildlife, clean water, cultural and historic relics, open space, spectacular vistas, and soul-nourishing solitude. But can a federal agency historically attuned to maximizing resource development adequately address the challenge of conservation?
Our recent assessment, the State of the NLCS, found plenty of reasons for concern, including an understaffed Conservation System. A ranger in the NLCS patrols, on average, 200,000 acres. In some places visitor numbers have quadrupled in the past five years. Illegal off-road vehicle use and looting are serious problems. Most areas lack full time public education staff, archaeologists, and biologists.
Similarly, a May 2006 study by the National Trust for Historic Preservation found that the BLM's hundreds of thousands of cultural sites—from entire ancient villages to historic spots traversed by pioneer wagons—are in danger of destruction due to a dearth of funding for research, site stabilization, and protection.
Meanwhile, BLM focuses its strategic plan, funding, and leadership attention on energy development. The energy and minerals management budget dwarfs the National Landscape Conservation System budget. And the Government Accountability Office found last year that BLM’s rush to drill keeps the agency too busy to monitor and enforce clean air and water laws. Their report noted that BLM staffers were too busy processing drilling applications to have time to develop resource monitoring plans.
A Call to Action from Congress
This summer, several leaders on Capitol Hill established a bipartisan “NLCS congressional caucus.” Legislators who join the caucus will work collaboratively to encourage BLM efforts to protect and enhance its Conservation System. Caucus priorities include increasing the System’s funding, improving BLM accountability for the System, expanding science and research opportunities, improving visitor management, and educating others about the important opportunities BLM lands offer for conservation and communities.
Members of Congress also have drafted a letter to the new Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, asking him to make protection of BLM’s Conservation System an agency priority. They’re requesting his support for critical needs in the NLCS, including funding, land restoration, road closures, wildlife and historic site protection.
What you can do!
Please help us put pressure on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne by clicking on the back button and sending a letter asking him to make the NLCS a priority.
NLCS Caucus as of July 31, 2006
Co-Chairs
Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA-45)
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ-1)
Rep. James Moran (D-VA-8)
Members
Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM-1)
Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA-25)
Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY-19)
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ-8)
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL-10)
Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM-3)
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA-23)
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO-1)
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-2)
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22)
Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ-12)
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI-2)
Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA-1)
