{"id":202625,"date":"2026-09-23T09:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T16:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=202625"},"modified":"2026-09-23T09:52:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T16:52:15","slug":"public-land-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/public-land-advocacy","title":{"rendered":"Our Public Lands: What Are They, and How Can We Protect Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"cb-itemprop\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States\u2019 public lands system is complex. It&#8217;s the product of over 150 years of shifting policies, protections and designations, administered by agencies with different mandates for management and developed across 30 presidential administrations.&nbsp;<br><br>If you want to be a better advocate for these precious spaces but struggle with the difference between a national park and a national forest, or can\u2019t remember what BLM stands for, this article is for you.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>As an environmental educator and conservation advocate with 16 years of experience and a master\u2019s degree in environmental policy (MPP), I get a lot of questions about our public lands\u2014especially when there is any regulatory threat to their protections.&nbsp;<br><br>In this guide, we\u2019ll look at some of the most common questions I\u2019m asked:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what-are\">What are &#8220;public lands?&#8221;<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#differences\">What are the differences among national parks, national forests and national monuments?<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#agencies\">What agencies oversee and administer our public lands?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#protections\">How are public lands protected?<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#advocate\">How can we advocate for our public lands?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/ATH_053118_47959_appalachian-trail_dennis-welsh.png?w=1024&#038;resize=1100%2C733\" alt=\"A signpost on the Appalachian Trail, indicating that this trail segment is called Crawford Path and Mount Washington is about 1.4 miles in one direction and Crawford Notch is 6.8 miles in the other.\" class=\"wp-image-202702\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>On the Appalachian Trail. Photo credit: Dennis Welsh | REI Co-op<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-are\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are Public Lands?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This may be the most common question I\u2019m asked: If the government is in charge of public lands, then what do our \u201cpublic hands\u201d have to do with them? In other words, a national park belongs to the National Park Service, right? Not to you and me?<br><br>Here\u2019s a quick, bite-size civics lesson.<br><br><strong>Public land<\/strong> generally refers to property held in trust for use by the people and overseen by government agencies. These lands are specifically designated because they support our way of life and the country&#8217;s broader economy. To that end, they\u2019re typically managed for the purposes of recreation and conservation; scientific, historic or cultural value; and resource use such as grazing, energy or timber.&nbsp;<br><br><strong>Government land<\/strong> can refer to any property managed by federal, state or local governments and operated using taxpayer money. Some examples include military bases, public schools, police stations, libraries, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding &#8220;Public Lands in Public Hands&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. is a representative democracy, meaning voters choose who represents our views and our needs in our government. So yes, public lands are ours; we just elect the federal government to manage them on our behalf.<br><br>For this reason, alterations\u2014positive or negative\u2014to those lands should be mindfully considered by everyone in this country. Indeed, legislative changes to public lands have impacted us all, from eliminated or downsized parks to privatization and intense resource extraction. Without constant vigilance, input and occasional protest, Americans risk losing both our unique heritage of park and wilderness preservation and a chipping away at the foundation of our representational democracy itself. Indeed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/files\/34135\/34135-h\/34135-h.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">President Theodore Roosevelt himself wrote<\/a>, &#8220;The movement for the conservation of wild life and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method.&#8221;<br><br>The rallying cry of \u201ckeep public lands in public hands\u201d (also the name of a <a href=\"\/action\/network\/campaign\/public-hands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bipartisan act introduced in 2024<\/a> to require congressional approval for the sale or transfer of public land) reminds us of our ownership in these lands. Polls show the vast majority of Americans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/media-room\/vast-majority-of-americans-oppose-selling-or-closing-public-lands-new-poll-and-report-reveal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oppose selling off public lands<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/resources\/4301-nobody-wants-this-new-poll-finds-majority-of-americans-oppose-attacks-on\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reducing park budgets<\/a>, two of several recent threats to the quantity and quality of our parks and natural spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/EBP_120919_47254-\u00a9-Arizona-Outback-Adventures.png?w=1024&#038;resize=1100%2C619\" alt=\"A person walks through shallow water at a national monument\" class=\"wp-image-202711\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Grand Staircase\u2013Escalante National Monument. Photo credit: \u00a9 Arizona Outback Adventures<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"differences\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding National Parks, Forest, Monuments, and Other Public Lands and Waters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National parks, national forests, national monuments and national trails are the public lands most of us recreate on\u2014but drawing clean lines between them gets complicated. Different public land classes have different protections and are overseen by different government agencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider the Appalachian Trail, for example: While it is a national scenic trail cooperatively managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy, it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoors.org\/resources\/amc-outdoors\/conservation-and-climate\/public-land-types-what-they-are-and-how-to-protect-them\/\">intersects<\/a> two national wildlife refuges, six national parks, eight national forests, 12 watershed properties and 67 state-owned land areas. Each has different leadership and rules to follow, making management of the trail far more complex than it might seem at first glance.<br><br>Here\u2019s a list of several prominent public land types across the U.S.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National parks<\/strong> are perhaps the most well-known public lands, typically getting all the attention (and Instagram likes). The NPS, a branch of the Department of the Interior, currently manages 63 national parks, including some of the most-visited public lands in the country, like Yosemite, Zion and Great Smoky Mountains. National park designation requires an act of Congress and the president\u2019s signature. Additionally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/aboutus\/national-park-system.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NPS oversees 433 units (also often called parks) and more than 150 related areas<\/a> that include national lakeshores, national military parks and so on.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National monuments<\/strong> are more complicated, namely because they can be managed by the NPS, USFS or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Any place \u201cof historic or scientific interest\u201d can be deemed a national monument by law or presidential proclamation, including areas like mountains, islands, caves, forts, ruins and birthplaces. Many of today\u2019s national parks started as national monuments, such as Joshua Tree, Acadia, Olympic and Grand Canyon.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/managing-land\/national-forests-grasslands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National forests and grasslands<\/a><\/strong> are a class of lands comprising mostly wooded, prairie and forested areas designated as \u201cland of many uses,\u201d including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/emc\/nfma\/includes\/musya60.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sustained yield of products and services<\/a> (e.g., recreation, timber, wildlife, watershed and other purposes). With 154 national forests covering more than 193 million acres, they\u2019re the most accessible public lands in the United States and have the largest workforce (30,000\u201335,000 workers). National forests are created by presidential decree or an act of Congress and are administered by the USFS under the Department of Agriculture. <br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National trails<\/strong> include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/subjects\/nationaltrailssystem\/national-scenic-trails.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national scenic trails<\/a> such as the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails; more than 1,300 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/subjects\/nationaltrailssystem\/national-recreation-trails.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recreational trails<\/a> accessible from urban areas across all 50 states; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/subjects\/nationaltrailssystem\/national-historic-trails.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national historic trails<\/a> that follow significant routes, like the 4,900-mile Lewis and Clark Trail\u2014along with connecting and side trails. Congress established the National Trail System in 1968. While the NPS manages most trails, some agencies, like the BLM, administer others.\u2028<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National wild and scenic rivers <\/strong>are protected free-flowing waters (and their immediate surrounding areas) that have certain value to the U.S. population, typically designated by Congress or, occasionally, the Secretary of the Interior. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 calls for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/rivers\/map\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eligible rivers<\/a> to have \u201cremarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values.\u201d Each is assigned one of three classifications: \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Wild river areas<\/strong> are unpolluted waters with essentially primitive watersheds or shorelines, free of impoundments and accessible only by trail. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scenic river areas<\/strong> are similar to wild river areas but are more accessible by roads and may have limited shoreline development. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recreational river areas<\/strong> are readily accessible by railroad or road, may have some shoreline development, and may have been impounded or diverted at some point. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/rivers\/managing-the-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Designated waters are primarily overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), NPS, BLM and USFS.<\/a><br><br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National marine sanctuaries<\/strong> are marine environments that are protected for conservation, ecological, cultural, historical, recreational, scientific or educational purposes. The <a href=\"https:\/\/sanctuaries.noaa.gov\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Marine Sanctuary System<\/a>, overseen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), comprises nearly 630,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters across 18 underwater parks, such as the Florida Keys.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State, county, city and other local municipality parks<\/strong> are public lands\u2014about 200 million acres&#8217; worth\u2014that are overseen locally rather than federally. They may be funded by city or state taxes, or other means, like conservation advocacy organizations or land trusts.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Some public lands and waters defy simple categorization. <\/strong>When I\u2019m teaching, I sometimes use the unofficial term \u201cnational areas\u201d to capture some of the myriad other public lands found in the U.S. This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usbr.gov\/recreation\/recreationAreas.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national recreation areas<\/a> like the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blm.gov\/programs\/national-conservation-lands\/wilderness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wilderness and wilderness study areas<\/a> like Cactus Plains Wilderness Study Area in Arizona; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/program\/national-wildlife-refuge-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national wildlife refuges<\/a> like Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver; and more. Each one is managed by a different department, sometimes multiple departments, sometimes both federal and state. Each individual managing agency is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/blog\/americas-public-lands-explained\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">primarily determined by an act of Congress<\/a>, based on the people, advocacy groups and politics that led to the land\u2019s preservation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a more comprehensive description of many of these additional types of public lands, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilderness.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/file\/TWS-Public%20Lands%20Curriculum-Module%201.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Wilderness Society website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/Ryan-Valasek_20260513_16060_Moab.png?w=1024&#038;resize=1100%2C733\" alt=\"A photo of three people trail running in front of large red rock formation\" class=\"wp-image-202704\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Trail-running in Arches National Park. Photo credit: Ryan Valasek | REI Co-op<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"agencies\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Primary Agencies Overseeing Our Public Lands and Waters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Agency<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Governmental Dept.<\/th><th>Lands Overseen<\/th><th>Lands Overseen (Acreage)<\/th><th>Purpose<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Bureau of Land Management (BLM)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Interior<\/td><td>\u2022 National monuments<br>\u2022 National recreation areas<br>\u2022 National conservation lands<br>\u2022 National scenic and historic trails<br>\u2022 Wild and scenic rivers&nbsp;<br>\u2022 Wilderness<br><\/td><td>About 250 million acres<\/td><td><br>\u2022 Recreation<br>\u2022 Commercial use such as ranching, energy harvesting, minerals, etc.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National Park Service (NPS)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Interior<\/td><td>\u2022 National parks<br>\u2022 National historic sites and national historical parks<br>\u2022 National monuments<br>\u2022 National recreation areas<br>\u2022 National scenic and historic trails<br>\u2022 Wild and scenic rivers<br>\u2022 Wilderness<br><\/td><td>\u2022 More than 85 million acres<br>\u2022 63 major national parks<br>\u2022 433 national park units<\/td><td>\u2022 Preservation<br>\u2022 Education<br>\u2022 Recreation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">U.S. Forest Service (USFS)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Agriculture<\/td><td>\u2022 National forests and grasslands<br>\u2022 National monuments&nbsp;<br>\u2022 National recreation areas<br>\u2022 National scenic and historic trails<br>\u2022 Wild and scenic rivers<br>\u2022 Wilderness<br><\/td><td>\u2022 154 national forests<br>\u2022 190+ million acres of forest<br>\u2022 4 million acres of grassland<\/td><td>\u2022 Biodiversity<br>\u2022 Productivity (commercial use)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Interior<\/td><td>\u2022 National wildlife refuges<br>\u2022 National monuments<br>\u2022 Wild and scenic rivers<br>\u2022 Wilderness<br><\/td><td>\u2022 760 million marine acres<br>\u2022 95 million land acres<\/td><td>\u2022 Natural resource extraction\/conservation<br>\u2022 Recreation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing who manages various public lands can help you learn the rules and regulations for their use; direct letters of action; follow public comments about policy changes; and inform your voting decisions. There are several agencies that administer federal public lands, but here are some of the biggest by acreage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blm.gov\/about\/what-we-manage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bureau of Land Management<\/a> (BLM)<\/strong>, which falls under the Department of the Interior, manages more public land than any other agency. It oversees land used for both recreational and commercial purposes (e.g., grazing, timber harvesting), totaling some <a href=\"https:\/\/webmaps.blm.gov\/program_apps\/BLM_Natl_Recreation_Opportunities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">250 million acres<\/a> across the country. This is what conservationists are referring to when they use the acronym BLM (not to be confused with Black Lives Matter). \u2028\u2028<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The National Park Service<\/a> (NPS)<\/strong> also sits within the Department of the Interior, but its work focuses more strictly on natural and cultural preservation for public education and recreation. In total, the NPS oversees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/aboutus\/national-park-system.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">433 units (often called parks)<\/a> like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/abli\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park<\/a>, and more than 150 related areas that include national lakeshores, national military parks like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/gett\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gettysburg National Military Park<\/a>, and so on\u2014the equivalent of more than 85 million acres of national park land.\u2028\u2028<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The U.S. Forest Service<\/a> (USFS)<\/strong> falls under the Department of Agriculture, and it administers protected forests and grasslands with an emphasis on biodiversity and productivity. More than 190 million acres of forests and 4 million acres of national grasslands fall under USFS purview. \u2028\u2028<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Another agency under the Department of the Interior, the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/a> (USFWS)<\/strong> oversees the National Wildlife Refuge System, which includes more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/library\/collections\/public-lands-and-waters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">570 sites across all 50 states<\/a>. The USFWS conserves and protects about 760 million marine acres and 95 million land acres for both recreation and natural resource purposes.&nbsp; \u2028\u2028<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional agencies include <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.noaa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NOAA<\/a><\/strong>, which falls under the Department of Commerce, the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usbr.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bureau of Reclamation<\/a><\/strong>, under the Department of the Interior, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usace.army.mil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Army Corps of Engineers<\/strong><\/a> and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1037\" height=\"691\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/SMB_051616_41174_G-Smoky-Mountains.jpeg?w=1024&#038;resize=1037%2C691\" alt=\"A shot between peaks covered in color-changing deciduous trees.\" class=\"wp-image-202705\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Great Smoky Mountains. Photo credit: A Walk in the Woods &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awalkinthewoods.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">awalkinthewoods.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"protections\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Are Public Lands Protected?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Public Land Type<\/th><th>Established By (Act or Law)<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Can It Be Challenged?<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Challenged by Whom?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National Parks<\/td><td>National Park Service Organic Act (1916)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Congress<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National Monuments<\/td><td>Antiquities Act (1906)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Presidential authority to reduce or remove monuments is currently in the courts<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National Forests and Grasslands<\/td><td>\u2022 Forest Reserve Act (1891)<br>\u2022 Organic Administration Act (1897)<br>\u2022 Weeks Act (1911)<br>\u2022 National Forest Management Act (1976)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Congress<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National Trails<\/td><td>National Trails System Act (1968)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Congress<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National wild and Scenic Rivers<\/td><td>Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Congress<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">National Marine Sanctuaries<\/td><td>National Marine Sanctuaries Act (1972)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Congress, Secretary of Commerce<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To advocate for the preservation of our public lands, it helps to understand how they are protected\u2014and how those protections can be challenged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National parks have enjoyed some of the strongest protection of all federal public lands.<\/strong> They\u2019re ubiquitous in our country\u2019s lore, extremely popular to visit and seem politically untouchable\u2014almost. While they can only be created by Congressional act, there have been instances where national park land was changed or deregistered. Like when Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park was flooded to create a reservoir for San Francisco\u2019s water supply (1923), or when the second national park, Mackinac National Park, lost its status and became Michigan state property (1895). Protection can erode in other ways, too: According to the National Parks Conservation Association, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/articles\/11371-president-s-budget-proposal-slashes-national-park-service-funding-amid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than 25% of the NPS workforce has left or been removed from their posts by the Trump administration since January 2025<\/a>. While public backlash over mass NPS firings helped reinstate many rangers\u2019 jobs, the slower process to purge long-term public servants has continued <a href=\"https:\/\/www.afge.org\/article\/proposed-nps-reorganization-will-make-it-harder-for-federal-workers-to-maintain-parks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">throughout 2026 as part of planned reorganization<\/a>.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:#ffffff\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>National monuments are in a more precarious position because they aren\u2019t created by legislative consensus. <\/strong>The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives the president the power to create national monuments, but doesn&#8217;t explicitly grant the ability to rescind them. This hasn&#8217;t stopped some leaders from trying to change established monuments, though. The first Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov\/presidential-actions\/presidential-proclamation-modifying-bears-ears-national-monument\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reduced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah<\/a>, for example. While a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/10\/07\/1044039889\/bears-ears-monument-protection-restored-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">former President Biden issued a declaration to restore the monuments<\/a>, the Justice Department has since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/olc\/media\/1403101\/dl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">issued a memo<\/a> determining the president does indeed have authority over national monuments. Earlier this year, both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2026\/07\/modifying-the-bears-ears-national-monument\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bears Ears<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2026\/07\/modifying-the-grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grand Staircase<\/a> <mark style=\"background-color:#ffffff\" class=\"has-inline-color\">were again reduced by President Trump, by more than 90%<\/mark>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/press-releases\/nrdc-sues-block-trumps-gutting-bears-ears-and-grand-staircase-escalante-national\">National Resources Defense Council<\/a> filed a federal lawsuit in 2026, arguing that the Antiquities Act doesn&#8217;t grant presidential ability to dismantle previously established monuments. Historically, Congress has also stepped into the national monuments debate, like when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/jotr\/learn\/historyculture\/parkhistory.htm?fullweb=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joshua Tree National Monument\u2019s boundary was shrunk by one-third in 1950<\/a> to make way for an iron mine. (The area now has national park designation.) With less consensus and fewer legal protections than national parks, national monuments face greater risk of politicization and upheaval.&nbsp;<\/mark><br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National forests can also be changed or challenged based on decrees around their usage.<\/strong> Because national forests are guided by the principle that they be \u201cland of many uses,\u201d their protection levels can be questionable. Early national forests weren\u2019t set aside to protect nature but to secure lands for resource extraction, like logging. In March 2025, the current Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/03\/immediate-expansion-of-american-timber-production\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed an executive order to increase logging<\/a> in national forests to reduce imports from Canada and prevent fires (science <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biologicaldiversity.org\/programs\/public_lands\/forests\/ecosystem_restoration\/fire-and-forest-management.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doesn\u2019t support logging as a fire prevention strategy<\/a> in most forests). Other presidents have emphasized this \u201cland of many uses\u201d for recreation instead, so how well this public land is protected often depends on elected leadership.<br>\u2028\u2028<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lands protected for commercial use, such as those under BLM oversight, have also seen shifts. <\/strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/articles\/10640-blm-moves-to-roll-back-public-lands-rule-threatening-national-parks-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Lands Rule<\/a> was enacted in 2024 to balance disruptive land use\u2014like drilling, mining, logging and grazing\u2014with conservation and public access. However, under new administrative leadership in 2025, the BLM moved to eliminate the broadly popular rule, further highlighting the need for public vigilance and unity around our public lands.&nbsp;<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State, county, city and other local municipality park protections vary by location and ordinance.<\/strong> While these public spaces are a critical piece of our parks puzzle, this article focuses on federal public lands. That said, understanding your local parks system is critical\u2014many depend on regional and local politics for oversight and funding. For example, in Los Angeles, where I live, funding for our Department of Recreation and Parks is often on the chopping block, requiring our advocacy with city councilmembers and the mayor. Locally, many parks are considered secondary to other municipal problems, so they often need our advocacy just as much as national parks and forests do.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note: <\/strong>The above chart focuses on long-standing expectations about the function of public lands in our federal government. Recent history has proved how rapidly precedent can be upended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/UT_BearsEars_NM_MasonCummings_250510_42.jpg?w=1024&#038;resize=1100%2C733\" alt=\"A photo from an elevated location looking out on some rocky plateaus and buttes.\" class=\"wp-image-202706\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Bears Ears. Photo credit: Mason Cummings | REI Co-op<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"advocate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Becoming a Better Public Lands Advocate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given this level of complexity, it shouldn\u2019t surprise any conservation advocate to learn that while most U.S. residents support our public lands, many don\u2019t know how many differences and nuances there are among them. If we don\u2019t pay attention to our leaders\u2019 actions for or against our public lands, we can miss the chance to advocate for them, and these precious places can be damaged easily\u2014and irreparably. After all, it\u2019s much easier to destroy a landscape than it is to repair it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are many ways we can serve as stewards of our public lands, even without being environmental policy experts. The <a href=\"\/action\/network\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">REI Cooperative Action Network<\/a> is a great place to stay up to date on current challenges and to advocate on behalf of all our parks, monuments, forests and every other cherished public space.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also why we need to vote and hold our elected officials accountable for how they manage the public lands we&#8217;ve entrusted to them, for the benefit of all. Pay attention to the choices they are making and how they will impact the parks you hold dear, and hold them to account whenever they do anything to disrupt, damage or destroy our public lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For even more information about how to protect and advocate for our public lands, visit the websites and resources of some of the co-op\u2019s partners.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanforests.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Forests<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aztrail.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arizona Trail Association<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservationalliance.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Conservation Alliance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.npca.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Parks Conservation Association<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/northcountrytrail.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">North Country Trail Association<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdooralliance.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Outdoor Alliance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pnts.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Partnership for the National Trail System<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpl.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Trust for Public Lands<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And now that you know the diversity of our public lands, you know exactly how to advocate for them. That right there is the most important way we can protect them.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"734\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/Kingman_20260528_1723_Glacier-National-Park.png?w=1024&#038;resize=1100%2C734\" alt=\"A landscape photograph from across a body of water featuring a mountain peak and pine trees in the distance\" class=\"wp-image-202703\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Glacier National Park. Photo credit: Dustin Kingman | REI Co-op<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our Expertise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Alicia Harvie<\/strong> is the senior manager of the REI Co-op community and government affairs team, working closely with aligned partners and nongovernmental organizations as well as the Cooperative Action Network in order to drive lasting, positive change that helps protect our nation\u2019s green spaces and allows more people access to the outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Taldi Harrison<\/strong> is the executive vice president of policy for the American Forest Foundation. Previously, she served as the chief program officer for the Foundation for America\u2019s Public Lands and spent more than 10 years working in community and government affairs as well as cross-sector partnership efforts for REI Co-op.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Jason \u201cJourneyman\u201d Wise<\/strong> is an environmental educator and certified California naturalist with a master\u2019s degree in environmental policy (MPP). REI Co-op Member since 2016.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States\u2019 public lands system is complex. It&#8217;s the product of over 150 years of shifting policies, protections and designations, administered by agencies with different mandates for management and developed across 30 presidential administrations.&nbsp; If you want to be a better advocate for these precious spaces but struggle with the difference between a national [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30740,"featured_media":202707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[637],"tags":[2219,614,727,656,2179],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-202625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stewardship","tag-cooperative-action-network","tag-impact","tag-latest-posts","tag-public-lands","tag-trust-for-public-land"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/public-land-advocacy","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Our 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