The National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) is a 27 million acres (110,000 km) collection of the lands considered to be the “crown jewels” of the American west. These lands represent 10% of the 258 million acres (1,040,000 km) managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM is the largest federal public land manager and is responsible for over 40% of all the federal public land in the nation. The other major federal public land mana...
more
The National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) is a 27 million acres (110,000 km) collection of the lands considered to be the “crown jewels” of the American west. These lands represent 10% of the 258 million acres (1,040,000 km) managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM is the largest federal public land manager and is responsible for over 40% of all the federal public land in the nation. The other major federal public land managers include the US Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Over the years, the Bureau of Land Management has had to adjust its approach to public land management to fit the changing needs of the nation. The BLM historically has managed lands under its jurisdiction for extractive uses, such as mining, logging, grazing, and oil and gas production. In 1996, President Clinton significantly shifted this role when he established the first national monument to be administered by the BLM--the...
less
