Fall colors are in full swing at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge – located in southeast Maine and borders Canada – protects a wilderness of lakes, bogs, forests and more. Wildlife like moose, deer and songbirds thrive in the refuge’s diverse and picturesque habitats. Photos by USFWS.
A colony of bats exit Bracken Cave in Texas. Photo by by Ann Froschauer, USFWS.
The Townsend’s big-eared bat by Ann Froschauer, USFWS.
California leaf-nosed bats by Kristen Lalumiere, National Park Service.
A colony of bats by Alan Cressler, USGS.
Called creepy, scary and spooky, bats often get a bad rap. These little creatures are an important species that impact our daily lives in ways we might not even realize – from pollinating our favorite fruits to eating pesky insects to inspiring medical marvels. We’re celebrating Bat Week and the heroes of the night with 13 awesome bat facts (and amazing photos): http://on.doi.gov/bats
Located in northern Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park is a land of spectacular beauty and rich history. It hugs the outer edges of the northern boreal forest, and its interconnected lakes were once roads for travel and trade. The park is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of a boreal forest, ply the interconnected water routes and view the dark skies. If you’re lucky, you might even see the Northern Lights dancing overhead. Photo courtesy of Jim and Will Pattiz.
When searching for fall colors, don’t forget to look down! This crimson Virginia Creeper lends red hues to a stone wall at Buck Hollow Overlook in Shenandoah National Park. An autumn hike to enjoy changing colors and crisp air is sure to be a soothing tonic any day of the week. Photo by N. Lewis, National Park Service.
Fall can come and go in the blink of an eye at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. This early fall picture captures the beauty of the park in autumn, but snow is already beginning to fall in the upper elevations. Soon, most of the park will be covered in a blanket of white. Photo by Vikas Garg (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
Ferruginous Hawk, Curlew Allotment, BLM Idaho. Photo by Matt Fischer.
Students learn from BLM Colorado employees
Get outside on the Delta Wild and Scenic River in Alaska! Photo by Jeremy Matlock, BLM.
Foliage at John Jarvie Ranch in Utah. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.
These are your lands, America! Celebrate 40 years of enjoying #YourPublicLands!
The Bureau of Land Management was established in 1946, but its roots go back to the years after America’s independence, when the young nation began acquiring additional lands. At first, these lands were used to encourage homesteading and westward migration. The General Land Office was created in 1812 to support this national goal.
Over time, values and attitudes regarding public lands shifted, and Congress merged the GLO and another agency, the U.S. Grazing Service, creating the BLM.
The BLM manages public lands and subsurface estate under its jurisdiction under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act or FLPMA, passed in 1976. Despite the rapidly changing environment in which we work, the BLM remains committed to its core mission mandated by FLPMA – a careful balancing of multiple use and sustained yield.
Our FLPMA Flickr album reflects the BLM’s multiple responsibilities as a federal land management agency, from our beginnings to the present.
Rising like a castle wall above the surrounding desert, the Guadalupe Mountains are an impressive sight on the plains of West Texas. Guadalupe Mountains National Park provides over 80 miles of extraordinary hiking trails through a beautiful and diverse wilderness. Here you can see amazing fossils, take awesome pictures and climb to Guadalupe Peak: the “Top of Texas.” Photo courtesy of Aaron Bates.
A mama moose and her calf in the early morning fog at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming. Photo by Tom Koerner, USFWS.
Happy Alaska Day! On this day in 1867, the Territory of Alaska was formally transferred from Russia to the United States. To celebrate this important day in Alaska history, we’re highlight some of Alaska’s lesser known (but breathtaking) national parks on Instagram. Be sure to follow along all day for amazing photos of Alaska’s wild frontier: http://ift.tt/1lMi3Jl
Photo of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve by by Ken Hill, National Park Service.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a stunning desert landscape in Nevada. The grey limestone of the La Madre Peaks contrasts beautifully with the red sandstone in Rainbow Mountains. About the area, photographer Bob Wick says: “It’s amazing to be in a wilderness setting looking at the Las Vegas Strip just 10 miles away as the crow flies.” Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management (@mypubliclands).
Sig Nordal 