#wilderness50

[stickwiththeplansoup]

"The earth is our oyster and we're gonna slurp it down with a little hot sauce and throw away the shell" -Dave Foreman @ the Wilderness Conference

[mypubliclands]

New Mexico provides a stunning backdrop from the National Wilderness Conference this week!  The BLM manages five Wilderness areas in New Mexico: Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, Cebolla Wilderness, Ojito Wilderness, Sabinoso Wilderness, and West Malpais Wilderness. 

The 41,170-acre Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a remote desolate area of steeply eroded badlands which offers some of the most unusual scenery found in the Four Corners region. 

BLM's Cebolla Wilderness, located within the El Malpais National Conservation Area, includes 61,600 acres of sandstone mesas, canyons and grassy valleys characterize the area.

An hour northwest of Albuquerque is the Ojito Wilderness, a high desert landscape of wide open spaces and exceptional beauty. This area of steep-sided mesas, remote box canyons, meandering arroyos, and austere badlands offers solitude, tranquility, and escape from the congestion of the city.

The 16,030-acre Sabinoso Wilderness is a remote area in the northeastern portion of New Mexico. The Wilderness includes a series of high, narrow mesas surrounded by cliff-lined canyons.

BLM’s West Malpais Wilderness, located within the El Malpais National Conservation Area, includes 39,540 acres. It encompasses grassland, pinon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine parkland, and basalt lava fields. 

Learn more about BLM New Mexico wilderness. And then check out the 57 Wilderness Study Areas managed by BLM New Mexico.

[mypubliclands]

Gearing up to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act at the National Wilderness Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico! Today I had the unique opportunity to join a diverse group of wilderness advocates, stewards, educators, students and researchers on a hike into Ojito Wilderness north of town. 

Sponsored by the Great Old Broads for Wilderness and led by the BLM, our group hiked through a high desert landscape filled with incredible geological resources and features toward a hoodoo and low elevation ponderosa pine area. Filled with steep-sided mesas, remote box canyons, meandering arroyos, and austere badlands, the Ojito Wilderness offers solitude, tranquility, and escape from the congestion of the city.

Arriving at our destination, we all shared insights into our roles in managing and caring for wilderness and the importance of future collaboration and stewardship of such treasured landscapes.

The National Wilderness Conference kicks off today and is the first gathering of its kind in 25 years! I feel incredibly fortunate to be attending such an important gathering. Follow my experience on Twitter @BLMUtah or by using the #Wilderness50 hashtag.

-Chad Douglas, BLM Utah

[gov-info]

DOI & BLS Gov Doc: Spire Mountain Wilderness Study Area, CA

photo by Bob Wick, BLM

via mypubliclands

[mypubliclands]

The 19,410-acre Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness is 120 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona in Graham and Pinal counties. The wilderness includes the 11-mile long Aravaipa Canyon, as well as, the surrounding tablelands and nine side canyons. Within the colorful 1,000-foot canyon walls, outstanding scenery, wildlife, and rich history are all protected. Seven species of native desert fish, desert bighorn sheep, and over 200 species of birds live among shady cottonwoods along the perennial waters of Aravaipa Creek. A permit is required to enter Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness. Use is limited to 50 people per day; this provides solitude for the visitor and reduces impacts to the environment.

Plan your visit: http://on.doi.gov/1esTgAt

Photos by Bob Wick, BLM

[mypubliclands]

Wishing all of you a wonderful #NPLD weekend from Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Mount Logan Wilderness Area

This 14,650-acre wilderness lies 45 miles south of Colorado City, Arizona, just north of the Grand Canyon in Mohave County.

Mount Logan is an area of interesting volcanic activity. It includes basalt ledges, cinder cones, ponderosa pine forests, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and a large, colorful, naturally eroded amphitheater known as Hells Hole. The area provides habitat for deer, turkey, and Kaibab squirrels.

Hiking, camping, scenic vistas, watching wildlife and hunting are some of the prime recreational opportunities found in this wilderness.

Photos by Bob Wick, BLM