National Conservation Lands Bureau of Land Management - Utah 5-Year Strategy, 2014-2019

This five-year strategy prepared by BLM Utah for Utah’s National Conservation Lands lays out how BLM Utah plans to achieve its legally mandated mission to conserve, protect, and restore these nationally significant lands in BLM’s care. In 2000, under the Clinton Administration, a new national land conservation system was created by order of the Secretary of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was given the honor of managing this new system of public lands. Codified into federal law in the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act enacted by President Barack Obama, it is officially called the National Landscape Conservation System and includes a wide range of special areas, called National Conservation Lands, on the BLM administered public lands throughout the country, mostly in the West. As defined by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, National Conservation Lands include the following areas administered by the BLM: National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic or Historic Trails, and any area designated by Congress to be administered for conservation purposes. Utah has a unique mix of National Conservation Land units including two national monuments, two national conservation areas, 18 designated wilderness areas, 86 wilderness study areas, 19 miles of designated wild and scenic rivers and three national historic trails (see map on page 8). Utah’s National Conservation Lands include unique landscapes which range from red rock deserts to folded and swirling geologic cliffs, to deep river canyons. Native Americans inhabited much of the state and left behind ruins, images on canyon walls and other artifacts. Dinosaur bones continue to be discovered around the state. Every Utah field office includes National Conservation Lands. Management of National Conservation Lands is a critical component of Utah BLM public lands now and into the future.