National Landscape Conservation System
The public lands of the American West present rugged and remarkable landscapes for the use and enjoyment of all Americans.
Among the most spectacular of these natural treasures are the national conservation areas, national monuments, wild and scenic rivers, national scenic and historic trails, wilderness areas and wilderness study areas that comprise the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS).
Including:
· 15 National Monuments;
· 13 National Conservation Areas;
· Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area;
· Headwaters Forest Reserve;
· 38 Wild and Scenic Rivers;
· 175 Wilderness Areas;
· 5,327 miles of National Historic and Scenic Trails;
· more than 600 Wilderness Study Areas.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (Colorado) — This 164,000-acre national monument includes the densest concentration of Anasazi Indian sites in America—totaling more than 6,000 recorded sites so far.
Report Finds BLM’s Finest Western Lands Suffering
Inadequate funding, staffing, monitoring, and accountability cited in first assessment of National Landscape Conservation System
Considered by many to be the “hidden treasures of the American West,� the lands and waters of the National Landscape Conservation System are experiencing rapidly increasing visitor numbers. For example, the number of visitors to the five BLM National Monuments in Arizona has doubled since 2000. Some of the fastest growing urban areas in the West border or surround NLCS lands, including Palm Springs, Tucson, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
Many NLCS lands are threatened by excessive road networks that fragment wildlife habitat and bring motorized vehicles perilously close to cultural resources, such as archeological sites that, in most cases, have not yet been studied by the BLM. On average, 50 percent of the land in NLCS monuments and conservation areas is within one-half mile of a road or travel route, and 90 percent is within two miles of a road or route.