BLM emblem and 25th Anniversary of National Conservation Lands wordmark on top of photo of McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area in Colorado

National Conservation Lands 25th Anniversary

In 2025, join the Bureau of Land Management in celebrating 25 years of National Conservation Lands!

These ruggedly beautiful wonders, located primarily in the West, feature some of the nation’s most spectacular landscapes including national monuments, national conservation areas, wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, wild and scenic rivers, and national scenic and historic trails. Designated by Congress and the President to conserve special features, the National Conservation Lands encompass 906 units covering more than 38 million acres – from red-rock deserts and winding rivers to historic lighthouses and mountain vistas.

This year marks a special occasion worth celebrating: the 25th anniversary of BLM’s National Conservation Lands.
National Conservation Lands: 25 years – and eons – in the making
A red lighthouse stands next to a body of water at sunset.
Part 1 of 2: In 2025, the Bureau of Land Management will celebrate 25 years since the creation of the National Landscape Conservation System in 2000. But to appreciate the breadth of National Conservation Lands, you actually need to go back more than 50 years.
Listen: BLM looks back on more than 50 years of managing conservation areas
A colorful sunset over a long line of cliffs disappearing into fog. Bright white, red, and green foliage frame the foreground.

Anniversary Stories

National Office
A hand holding a cell phone with the Agents of Discovery app open on it

Your Junior Ranger mission, should you choose to accept it: Virtually explore our National Conservation Lands!

The Bureau of Land Management has released a new Junior Ranger mission focused on our National Conservation Lands, exploring and celebrating some of the nation’s most spectacular landscapes.
Alaska, Fairbanks DO, Eastern Interior FO
A wide river at the bottom and center of the image, gentle ripples on its surface and a shallow gravel bar just visible in the bottom left. On either side of the river, there is a bright green boreal forest mostly comprised of tall conifers and shorter, leafier trees. Above and reflected on the water, the sun is setting with yellow-orange clouds scattered across an otherwise bright blue sky. 

Far more than a few beavers

From hulking glaciers scattered around the state, to the towering mountains that surround our cities, Alaska’s landmarks are a sight to behold. One such landmark is the Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River.
National Office
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA

National Conservation Lands: 25 years – and eons – in the making

This year, 2025, marks a special occasion worth celebrating: the 25th anniversary of BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, also known as National Conservation Lands.

Upcoming events in 2025

California, Northern California DO
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A line of hikers wander through a dense redwood forest.
BLM announces summer activities in Headwaters Forest Reserve
Opportunities to explore stunning scenery and learn about ecology and history await outdoor enthusiasts, as the Bureau of Land Management offers events through the spring and summer at the Headwaters Forest Reserve near Eureka.
Montana-Dakotas, North Central DO
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Photo. A view of the entrance to the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center. The building structure was designed to represent the Missouri River’s famous White Cliffs area and layers of different-colored sediment found in other portions of the cliffs along the river. The blue roof represents the sky.
Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center announces June events
Rangers with the Bureau of Land Management’s Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center invite the public to attend FREE, family-friendly fun activities during June.