National Landscape Conservation System The Conservation, Protection, and Restoration Rattlesnake Arches, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area

Conservation … What does it mean to you?

Definition : Con-ser-va-tion – n., v. 1.the act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation: conservation of wildlife; conservation of human rights. 2. official supervision of rivers, forests, and other natural resources in order to preserve and protect them through prudent management. 3. the careful utilization of a natural resource in order to prevent depletion. - Random House unabridged dictionary, © 2006

“Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given. But up to now he hasn't been a creator, only a destroyer. Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wild life's become extinct, the climate's ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day.” Anton Chekov, Uncle Vanya, 1897

Objective: After returning to their home office, students will be able to discuss and explain the differences between NLCS designations to a non-BLM audience in accordance with Federal law and Bureau policy.

Route: What, why, and how? What, why, and how? Designations Designations The Future The Future

Why should we care about the NLCS? The mission of the NLCS is to conserve, protect and restore nationally significant landscapes recognized for their outstanding cultural, ecological and scientific values.

Why should we care about the NLCS? BMPs, Director’s Priority, Career Opportunities, Current legislative action… The NLCS is BLM’s opportunity to showcase its most spectacular areas and highlight its achievement in progressive and cooperative land management.

In competencies! 5.8 Use appropriate work practices for managing special designations and/or special management areas, including, but not limited to, wilderness study areas (WSAs), wild and scenic rivers, cave and karst systems, national scenic and historic trails, and watchable wildlife areas Facilitate land use plan decisions for Congressional designations. (a, b) Facilitate land use plan decisions and determinations for administrative designations consistent with goals and objectives for the planning area. (a, b, c, d, e, f, g) Make recommendations for river management. (a, b, c, d, e) Make effective planning and management recommendations for cave and karst management. (a, b, c, d, e, f, g) Develop state and national policy for visitor use and management of special designations including wilderness study areas (WSAs), wild and scenic rivers, cave and karst systems, and national scenic and historic trails.

Let’s take a walk through the NLCS! Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

… after we take a quiz!!! What do you know about the NLCS?

The individual before the whole… King Range National Conservation Area Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

led to the National Landscape Conservation System! “to conserve, protect, and restore these nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations." McInnis Canyons NCA

The National Landscape Conservation System WO-170 Elena Daly, Director Vacant, Deputy Director Mala Malhotra, Project Manager McInnis Canyons NCA

National Conservation Area Designated by Congress conservation, use, enjoyment, and enhancement of certain natural, recreational, paleontological, and other resources, including fish and wildlife habitat. 13 NCAs, ~14 million acres Las Cienegas NCA

National Conservation Area Jeff Jarvis, Division Chief Rob Hellie, Senior Natural Resource Specialist Red Rock Canyon NCA Monuments and NCAs Group

BLM’s National Conservation Areas

National Monument Sec. 2. That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments Canyons of the Ancient NM Designated by the President under the Antiquities Act of 1906 or by Congress (one time)

National Monument Monuments and NCAs Group to protect objects of “historic or scientific interest” 15 NLCS NMs, 4.8 million acres

National Monuments AgencyNo. NMs Names Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 15Agua Fria, Grand Canyon-Parashant, Ironwood Forest, Sonoran Desert, Vermillion Cliffs, California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, Canyons of the Ancients, Craters of the Moon, Pompeys Pillar, Upper Missouri River, Kasha- Katuwe Tent Rocks, Cascade-Siskiyou, Grand Staircase-Escalante Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)3Becharof, Yukon Flats, Hanford Reach, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Park Service (NPS) 90Monuments List:. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 1Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Forest Service4Admiralty Island, Giant Sequoia, Misty Fjords, Old Kasaan Cooperative management NPS and BLM2Grand Canyon-Parashant, Craters of the Moon FWS and NOAA1Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine

BLM National Monuments 15 NMs, 4.8 million acres

Wilderness Area Designated by Congress “outstanding opportunities for solitude and a primitive and unconfined type of recreation” “where man is a visitor who does not remain” NLCS – 183 Wilderness areas encompassing 7.7 million acres (~ Maryland) Paria-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness

Wilderness Area Wilderness Act of 1964 FLPMA, Section 603 BLM Handbooks H Management of Designated Wilderness Areas H Land Use Planning Handbook Pollock Canyon, Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

Wilderness Area Dave Harmon, Manager Peter Mali, Wilderness Specialist Chris Barnes, BLM Rep, Carhart NWTC Training (Carhart): National Stewardship Regional Stewardship Unit Workshops Training (VPI) Wilderness Stewardship Free to BLM’ers until May Wilderness, Rivers, and Trails Group Mee Canyon, Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

Wilderness Study Area Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area (BLM-MT) designated by BLM as having Wilderness characteristics managed to preserve its Wilderness character until Congress acts on it NLCS – 604 WSAs totaling ~14 million acres (just smaller than W.Va)

Wilderness Study Area Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area (BLM-MT) H Interim Mgmt Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review (IMP) Training (Carhart) Interim Mgmt Policy

BLM Wilderness Areas and WSAs

National Scenic and Historic Trails designated by Congress under the National Trails System Act NST – extended trail that provides enjoyment of scenic, historical, natural, and cultural resources NHT – extended trail that follows (as closely as possible) the original trail or routes of travel with national historic significance NLCS – 4,264 miles Continental Divide NST

National Historic and Scenic Trails Deb Salt, NHST Lead H WSRs, Policy and Program Direction Continental Divide NST

Wild and Scenic Rivers WSR Act of 1968 Designated by Congress or the Secretary of Interior/Ag. (on behalf of a state) a river or section of river designated to protect outstanding scenic, recreational, and other values and to preserve the river or river section in its free-flowing condition. NLCS – 38 WSRs, 2,052 miles Merced Wild and Scenic River

Wild and Scenic Rivers “wild” = acccesible by trail, essentially primitive “scenic” = accessible by road but largely undeveloped “recreational” = easily accessible by road or trail with some development Merced Wild and Scenic River

Wild and Scenic Rivers Jason Robertson, WSR Lead BLM Manual 8351, Wild & Scenic Rivers Policy and Program Direction for Identification, Evaluation and Management Merced Wild and Scenic River

BLM’s Wild and Scenic Rivers

Other NLCS Special Designations Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (OR) – 428,000 acres Headwaters Forest Reserve (CA) – 7,400 acres White Mountains National Recreation Area (AK) – 998,000 acres Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (OR) – 100 acres

Other NLCS Special Designations

So just how big is the NLCS? NLCS = 66,808 sq. mi. Florida = 65,755 sq. mi.

The NLCS and you! Discuss what NLCS units your office manages What attracts visitors to this area? Why is it unique? Planning status? (RMP, RAMP, other, none) Primary management challenges and opportunities Opportunities to develop partnerships, interpretation, environmental education Select one unit to discuss with the class

Current Legal Status H.R Section 3(a): … In order to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations, there is established in the Bureau of Land Management the National Landscape Conservation System. April 24, 2007 – H.R introduced June 7, 2007 – subcommittee meetings held Identical bill introduced in the Senate (S. 1139) March, 2008 – out of committee (?)

Managing for Excellence NLCS Reorganization Division of the National Landscape Conservation System (Jeff Jarvis, Division Chief) Division of Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships (Mary Tisdale, Division Chief) - Partnerships: Helene Aarons - Interpretation: Amy Galperin

NLCS and the “Purple Book” Obj 2: support sustainable economic growth; help diversify and stabilize local communities Obj 6: enhance and expand interp, info, and EE Obj 7: collaborative partnerships and volunteers Obj 1: enhanced recreation experiences and quality of life

Director Caswell’s Priorities for BLM “… and the fourth is NLCS. There's legislation in play right now, and I'm going to be quite vocal about my support for NLCS lands within the bureau, and I'm hoping we can get that legislation passed. I think it's very critical long term to the bureau and managing the public's resources.” (interview with People, Land, and Water, 9/27/07)

Rerun! What, why, and how? What, why, and how? Designations Designations The Future The Future

Life is good… … so is the NLCS!