Public Lands and Waters for Work, Play and Wonder for All

, and light pollution. To celebrate the spooky season and raise awareness about the importance of bats, the @mypubliclands crowned the victor of its third annual Bat Beauty Contest. Congratulations to Hoary Potter and the Guano of Fire! We look forward to seeing more beautiful bats in next year's contest! #Halloween #publiclands

ll help boost the efforts of community partners working alongside the @mypubliclands , and invest in things like educational programming, improvements to visitor access and experience, and restoration and stewardship efforts. Please put your hands together for our first grant recipient 👏 Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (@riogrande_friends) and their vision for restoring and reopening the La Junta Trail near Taos, NM. In 2018 the La Junta Trail was closed due to erosion and unsafe conditions, cutting off access for the local community to one of the most popular and culturally significant routes within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. This #LandsToLove grant provides matching funds to conduct an engineering plan for the trail – the first step in helping to repair and reopen the trail. The La Junta Trail highlights the critical need for long-term investments in America’s National Conservation Areas – like the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument – and all public lands and waters. “The La Junta Trail is one of the most iconic hikes in New Mexico, accessing that special spot where the Rio Grande and Red Rivers meet, said Nick Streit, Executive Director of the Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. “This section of the Rio Grande was among the first to be designated a Wild and Scenic River and is now part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Rebuilding this trail is a top priority for the BLM, the local community and visitors alike. We are grateful to the Foundation for America’s Public Lands for understanding the significance of this project and for supporting such important work.” Stay tuned for more grantee announcements, and information on how to apply in 2025. #LandsToLove @nmwilderness

ands, the La Junta Trail is the heartbeat of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument - a place of deep cultural significance for the Taos community, rich with history and natural beauty. But today, access to the trail remains cut off. Erosion and rockfalls have made it unsafe, preventing visitors and the local community from enjoying switchbacks, lava fields, and hundreds of miles of river front activities along the Río Grande and Red Rivers. It's time to restore and re-open this important community connector! Learn more about the La Junta Trail and how you can #ShowSomeLove to this, and all of our, public lands and waters. #LandsToLove

des an opportunity to recognize the critical role these communities play in ensuring the health and sustainability of our public lands and waters. In a new blog post, our Strategic Advisor for Native Nations Cheryle “Cookie” Cobell Zwang, shares her story of growing up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and the role public lands and waters played in her community and family. “When we invest in Tribal communities and recognize the value of the participation of Tribal Nations, public lands and waters benefit, as do all people. By creating a sense of community and fostering open dialogue where diverse voices are lifted up, our work becomes not just more collaborative, but exponentially more meaningful and impactful.” Read more from Cookie about how the Foundation is collaborating with Tribal communities here: https://americaslands.org/on-indigenous-peoples-day-we-lift-up-public-lands-and-waters-as-a-thread-connecting-us-and-expanding-our-understanding/

co’s Río Grande del Norte National Monument; @newmexicopubliclands 📍Alaska’s White Mountains National Recreation Area 📍Point Arena-Stornetta @ the California Coastal National Monument Help us celebrate these special places that the @mypubliclands cares for and meet the people and communities that love them. As part of our new public awareness campaign, #LandsToLove, we'll spotlight new locations often and want to hear from you too! What’s your favorite spot? Share your experience on public lands or waters, we’d love to add it to our list. #publiclands

tional Monument! 🪽 Dozens watched with eyes glued to the skies to view the release of four of North America’s largest land bird, the California condor. The open skies made it extra easy to spot these rare birds take flight! See highlights from the release below ✨ #NPLD #NationalPublicLandsDay #publiclands #LandsToLove

y showed up to show some love to our public lands and waters. Check out these highlights ✨ 📍 Penrose Commons OVH, @copubliclands 📍 Biak Training Center, @@blmoregonwashington 📍 @newmexicopubliclands 📍 Wood Hill Mountain Bike Trails, @utahpubliclands 📍 Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, @arizonapubliclands #NPLD #NationalPublicLandsDay #publiclands #LandsToLove

sonal ties. This #NationalPublicLandsDay, we’re turning the spotlight toward America’s public lands and waters with the launch of a new awareness campaign, Lands to Love! It’s about time our public lands and waters, and their amazing caretakers @mypubliclands, get some love for all they do to keep our country ticking. From outdoor recreation to ranching, wildlife protection, energy development...and Burning Man?! Our public lands and waters are as diverse as the communities that call them home, so join us as we celebrate the iconic places and spaces we think you’ll love. Plan a visit, get outside, and tell us your #LandstoLove favorites. Learn more at the link in bio! #publiclands #mypubliclands #bureauoflandmanagement

rtner of the Bureau of Land Management, launched the Drought Resilience Fund, a first-of-its-kind grant program to involve locally-led partnerships with the federal agency. The goal is to combat the severe drought challenges facing public lands and Western communities with an investment of $2.4 million in a pair of inaugural projects in the Colorado River Basin. Two of the seven basin states were selected for the debut of the program as the foundation maps out its priorities: Colorado and Arizona.” @mypubliclands #publiclands #mypubliclands #coloradoriverbasin