About the National Conservation Lands

Primarily located in the West, the BLM’s National Conservation Lands represent some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes.  They provide abundant recreational opportunities, important scientific research grounds, and outstanding ecological and cultural resources.

These areas are diverse--made up of over 37 million acres of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the California Desert.  They include everything from broad Alaskan tundra, rugged coastlines, and red-rock deserts to historic lighthouses, mountains, and waterways.  National Conservation Lands also work as a unifying and essential link for critical habitat, animal migrations, and public access across the West--pathways that are crucial to the nation’s efforts to conserve our critical natural resources. While many of the National Conservation Lands are remote, others are easily accessible and part of an active, vibrant landscape near communities where people live, work, and recreate.