Marietta Eaton
This poster highlights the scope and array of research opportunities on NLCS lands in an effort to elicit further interest from the scientific community. In June 2000, the Secretary of the Interior established the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes recognized for their cultural, ecological, and scientific values. Now totaling over 27 million acres, NLCS lands, the "crown jewels of BLM public lands", were designated by Congress or the President for the protection, conservation and enhancement of those values. Largely situated west of the Continental Divide the units of the NLCS include National Monuments, Natural Conservation Areas, Outstanding Natural Areas, National Historic Trails, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas. Opportunities abound within the NLCS to address a wide range of conservation issues in environments ranging from Arctic tundra to coastal zones, from high desert to redwood groves. NLCS designations reflect a non-traditional philosophy: in order to genuinely conserve sites with exceptional natural and heritage values, their larger contexts—the landscapes in which they are situated—must be protected as well. The NLCS’ science strategy focuses on conservation through facilitation, coordination and collaboration. Spectacularly wild and often dauntingly remote, NLCS landscapes offer scientists and students unparalleled opportunities for research, data collection, and unique discoveries. There is enormous potential to apply understanding gained from science conducted on NLCS units elsewhere, allowing the NLCS to function as an outdoor laboratory for integration of science management practices.
Keywords: CONSERVATION, LANDSCAPE, MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH