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Abstract
The Bureau of Land Management administers over 256 million surface acres, more than any other U.S. public agency, the vast majority of which is in the western half of the United States. A land protection system was initiated in 1970 with the creation of the King Range National Conservation Area. In 1976, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (http://www.blm.gov/flpma/) changed the BLM's mission from land disposal and management for resource production to uses that included protective designations including Wilderness. In 2000, the BLM responded to the growing concern over management of protected areas with creation of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) (http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/NLCS.html). Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, National Conservation Areas, National Monuments, Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Scenic and Historic Trails are all components of the NLCS. In 2009, legislation codified the NLCS, and gave it permanence under the law. Pure, unmodified wilderness occupies one end of the spectrum. At the other end of the spectrum, National Monuments, National Conservation Areas and similar designations can be found, containing recreational and interpretive developments to facilitate public understanding and appreciation of protected landscapes. These different protective designations provide a range of opportunities and experiences to the public and to generations to come. When a decision must be made on how to proceed with conservation of natural areas, the NLCS provides a helpful example of a range of possible designations.
Parent Publication
Keywords
wilderness,
biodiversity,
conservation,
protected areas,
economics,
subsistence,
tourism,
traditional knowledge,
community involvement,
policy,
stewardship,
education,
spiritual values,
National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS)
Citation
Harmon, Dave; Jarvis, Jeff. 2011. The National Landscape Conservation System: A model for long term conservation of significant landscapes. In: Watson, Alan; Murrieta-Saldivar, Joaquin; McBride, Brooke, comps. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Ninth World Wilderness Congress symposium; November 6-13, 2009; Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Proceedings RMRS-P-64. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 185-189.
