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 group of people in uniform posing for a photo

Women surveyors make their mark on an ancient profession

During March, we’ll be commemorating Women’s History Month 2023 by telling the stories of some of the women who have helped shape the Bureau of Land Management's mission, vision and values for

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A large pillar of stone sticking out of the earth in Leslie Gulch.

Drawing lightning and inspiration in southeastern Oregon

Hiram E. Leslie lay suffering in what was then called Dugout Gulch by everyone in southeastern Oregon. Lightning had reached out and touched the accused cattle rustler after he had declared his innocence to friends. “If I’m guilty of stealing my neighbor’s cattle, may the Lord strike me dead on the spot,” Mr. Leslie fumed.
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Spodumene ore, a source of lithium

Lode & Placer: 150 years of mining claims on public lands

On May 10, 1872, President Ulysses Grant signed An Act to promote the Development of the mining Resources of the United States, which Congress had passed the previous month. It declared "all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States ... free and open to exploration and purchase ... by citizens of the United States and those who have declared their intention to become such ... ." 
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Katherine Fenton Nutter profile

Utah's cowbelle: Katherine Fenton Nutter

Story by Angela Hawkins, Public Affairs Specialist. Photo courtesy of the Utah Historical Society.

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The Yaquina Head headland jutting out into the sea with the Yaquina Lighthouse on top. The sun is setting and the light is a deep blue.

The race to save Yaquina Head

Since the lighthouse was built in 1871, Yaquina Head has been a landmark and navigational beacon. But it wasn’t always protected by public land. When a nearby quarry threatened the lighthouse and the very rock it stood on, two local women banded together to preserve the outstanding natural area for future generations.
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