The Conservation System is a 26 million acre collection of national monuments, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, trails, and historic sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The National Landscape Conservation System, established by the BLM in 2000 and made permanent by Congress in 2009, encompasses 26 million acres of the best lands and waters in the West. The BLM's Conservation System represents a revolution in managing public lands for conservation, recreation, science and history. Of particular interest to the paddling community are the rivers that are part of this system.
The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for portions of 38 Wild and Scenic Rivers for a combined total of over 2,000 miles. Wild and Scenic Rivers are designated under the authority of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 to protect outstanding scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other values and to preserve the river in its free-flowing condition. There are three classes of protected rivers: Wild, Scenic, and Recreational.
ALASKA
- Beaver Creek
- Birch Creek
- Delta
- Fortymile
- Gulkana
- Unalakleet
CALIFORNIA
- North Fork American
- Eel
- Klamath (also in OR)
- Merced
- Trinity
- Tuolumne
MONTANA
- Missouri
NEW MEXICO
- Rio Chama
- Rio Grande
OREGON
- Crooked (Middle)
- Crooked (North Fork)
- Deschutes (Lower)
- Donner and Blitzen
- Elkhorn Creek
- Grande Ronde
- John Day (Main Stem)
- John Day (South Fork)
- Klamath (also in CA)
- North Umpqua
- Owyhee
- Owyhee (North Fork)
- Powder
- Quartzville Creek
- Rogue
- Salmon
- Sandy
- Wallowa
- West Little Owyhee
- White
- Wildhorse & Kiger Creeks