You won’t find a list of rules posted anywhere on America’s National Conservation Lands – so we’re here to share things you need to know to enjoy them safely and respectfully.
As the country’s newest designation of protected public lands, National Conservation Lands are among the most essential and spectacular natural, cultural and archaeological places in the country. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, many of these protected lands are beyond and between the National Parks and include:
Led by Conservation Lands Foundation, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and an array of local and other groups, “Respect. Connect. Protect.” is a campaign to support enthusiastic, respectful and safe visits on National Conservation Lands. Record numbers of visitors continue to visit public lands and more people are venturing to the National Conservation Lands that are beyond and between national parks.
The campaign seeks to inspire each of us to be better stewards of the land: empowering visitors to respect the awesome power of nature, connect with the splendor of the land, and protect its beauty. National Conservation Lands don’t typically have services like cell coverage, water stations or rangers to help and our nation’s public lands and visitors have suffered significant and sometimes irreversible harm because visitors are unprepared or ill-informed. This lack of preparation and awareness is leading to two negative and avoidable consequences:
The Respect.Connect.Protect. campaign fills the void to address the safety and other considerations specific to National Conservation Lands. The coalition works collaboratively to expand partnerships and add specific regional guidance for how to make visits safe and enjoyable.
We power a national network of community-led organizations to conserve the largest acreage of public lands in the country that are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and are necessary for healthy people, planet and our ways of life.
An agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management oversees the largest amount of public lands in the United States – nearly 250 million acres – and part of its mission is to protect and conserve these natural areas for future generations. This includes the National Conservation Lands, which currently feature over 900 units covering over 36 million acres designated by Congress and the President to conserve special features and scenic landscapes, from winding rivers to open ranges to mountain vistas.
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