Policy Handbook (October 2025)

This comprehensive Policy Handbook details the foundation and future vision for the  National Conservation Lands

National Conservation Lands Policy Handbook (Updated October 2025)

This comprehensive Policy Handbook details the foundation and future vision for the  National Conservation Lands (NCL), which currently encompasses over 38 million acres across 906 units—roughly 15 percent of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) surface estate.

This handbook serves as an essential resource, providing historical context, detailing key policy achievements (like the groundbreaking tribal co-management agreement at Bears Ears National Monument and the historic Public Lands Rule). It offers a technical overview of various NCL designations, including National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Scenic and Historic Trails.

The document outlines the critical planning processes and management practices used to govern these landscapes, such as Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) framework. It clarifies that, unlike other public lands, NCL units operate under a distinct conservation mandate that prioritizes the protection and enhancement of nationally significant resources over general multiple-use management.

This is a useful tool to underscore the vital role of the Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) and the Friends Grassroots Network in advocacy, local stewardship, and securing the robust funding necessary for a resilient, ecologically robust, and widely supported NCL system.

Access the Policy Handbook here.