History
Touren Pope poses for a photo with the fossilized turtle he discovered on BLM with a blue sky

11-year-old Touren Pope discovers ancient turtle fossil on BLM land in Wyoming

Last fall, a routine day of rockhounding on Bureau of Land Management–managed public land in southwest Wyoming turned into an extraordinary discovery. While exploring public lands overseen by the BLM Wyoming Rock Springs Field Office, 11-year-old Touren Pope spotted what would later be identified as a fossilized turtle dating back nearly 48 million years.
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A person standing on scaffolding sprays paint onto a rock face.

Preserving a Legacy in Stone: The Race to Save Pompeys Pillar

Rising 120 feet above the banks of the Yellowstone River, Pompeys Pillar stands as a sandstone sentinel of the American West.
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features a firefighter-archaeologist on a grassy hill. Text asks "ARCHAEOLOGISTS AT WILDFIRES?" and describes how they protect cultural resources.

Firefighters and Archaeologists Collaborate to Protect Historic Mining Site during Monroe Canyon Fire

In August 2025, crews battled the Monroe Canyon fire to save a 1920s mining site. While 4 structures fell, Hotshot Captain Almanzo Wenig and his crew cleared lines and used water drops to save the final miner's cabin.
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Four people stand in front of a large Route 66 Kingman roadside sign with a vintage vehicle display behind them on a sunny day.

Celebrating 100 years of the 'Mother Road’ U.S. Route 66 in northwestern Arizona

America celebrates the 100th anniversary of U.S. Route 66. Often called the “Mother Road,” it connected Chicago to Los Angeles and became a symbol of westward opportunity, mobility and Americana.
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A black and white photo of movie stars dressed up as cowboys

Film legends made movie magic at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in Arizona

In Arizona, the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area offers a cinematic escape where the spirit of the Old West still lives on screen and on public lands.
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Image of two people holding a commemorative America 250 anniversary banner

A Point That Put Idaho on the Map: Celebrating the Boise Meridian Initial Point

In May 2026, the Bureau of Land Management and a broad coalition of partners gathered at a lonely volcanic butte south of Boise to celebrate a point that literally put Idaho on the map—the Boise Meridian Initial Point.
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