From the rugged and secluded Brokeoff Mountains in southeast New Mexico, to the scenic Volcanic Hills of Central Nevada, to the world’s oldest known ponderosa pine trees in Utah’s rugged Wah Wah Mountains, the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, oversees some of the nation’s most spectacular wild places. These are America’s shared public lands, but although their scenic, historic, and ecological value may be inestimable, most of these places remain unprotected.
If we are to keep such important areas whole, Americans will need to participate in decision-making about public land use across the West. Achieving a balanced approach to managing these lands could lead to the conservation of millions of acres and ensure that we will have places to hike, bike, boat, fish, hunt, photograph wildlife, or enjoy the solitude of nature.
The Pew Charitable Trusts is working with local organizations throughout the West and in Washington to ensure that planners at BLM recognize the scientific, economic, and cultural imperatives to keep our West wild.