High Plains District
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Collins, | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
Taking the Path Less Traveled: The Trails Center Celebrates the Anniversary of the National Landscape Conservation System with a Guided Hike at Independence Rock
The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) is celebrating the anniversary of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) with a guided hike at Independence Rock on July 11.
Independence Rock was the beacon in the desert for adventurers, explorers, fur traders and emigrants. This granite monolith is one of the most famous landmarks along the historic pioneer trails.
BLM interpreter Jason Vlcan will present a program that includes the sharing of pioneer diary and journal entries. He will discuss the experiences of the pioneers when they passed this landmark over 150 years ago. Vlcan will also lead a guided hike, as the group searches for names of emigrants who carved their names and dates into rock.
The group will leave from the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and return back to Casper by 2:00 p.m. The program is free, but space is limited. To make reservations, contact Alex Rose at 307-261-7780.
This family-friendly hike is part of the BLM’s “Take it Outside” initiative, which encourages families and youth to explore the great outdoors. BLM is hosting this hike in cooperation with the State of Wyoming.
The BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System contains some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes. The NLCS includes wilderness areas, conservation areas, wilderness study areas, along with 16 national monuments, and thousands of miles of scenic and national historic trails.
“These are places that spark the imagination,” said Trails Center Director Mike Abel. “Their spacious beauty has drawn people to the West for generations. The NLCS sustains for the future, and for everyone, these remarkable landscapes of the American people.”
The NHTIC is a part of the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). The areas of the NLCS are specifically designed to conserve, protect and restore the exceptional scientific, natural, cultural, ecological, historical, and recreation values of these treasured landscapes.
The NHTIC is a public-private partnership between the BLM and the National Historic Trails Center Foundation. The facility is located at 1501 N. Poplar Street, Casper, Wyo. The Center is currently operating on summer hours, and is open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
High Plains District 2987 Prospector Drive Casper, WY 82604