Editorial

Arizona Republic

From the breathtaking formations of the Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona to the historic Lewis and Clark Trail in Idaho, the Bureau of Land Management oversees extraordinary Western treasures. While amazingly varied, these places need to be organized in a coherent system.

Then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt started the ball rolling in 2000, establishing the National Landscape Conservation System by decree.

Now, Congress should make it a formal, permanent designation akin to the national parks and national forests. The legislation (HR 2016 and S 1139) would sharpen the focus on 26 million acres of federal land in 13 states.

It doesn't include any new funding. But it at least sets the stage for putting more resources into caring for these jewels.