I bet you’ve heard of the National Park Service. Or the US Forest Service which manages all of our National Forests.

But did you know that there is another land management agency that manages more public land than either the National Parks or National Forests? This overlooked agency is the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM.

Josh Jackson has become one of the BLM’s top enthusiasts, with a huge following on his forgottenlandscalifornia instagram. He’s also a writer and conservationist, and is working on a new book all about BLM lands.

Today we dig into what turned Josh on to these fascinating places. He gives us a nice overview of what they’re like, the amazing sites and plants and animals you may see, and how you can enjoy them too. 

We also learn about his upcoming book, to be published with Heyday Books. It sounds intriguing , and aims to fill a major gap in the literature. You can find volumes about national and state parks and national forests - but try to find similar literature on BLM lands. Good luck on that!

I strongly suggest you follow Josh on his forgottenlandscalifornia instagram to see and hear about some of these amazing places.

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS
People and Organizations
Baba Dioum
Bureau of Land Management's visitors website
Heyday Books
Obi Kaufmann

Books and Other Things
California Desert Plants, by Kauffmann, Rundel, and Gustafson
Federal Land Policy and Management Act
In Defense of Public Lands, by Steven Davis
Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold
These American Lands: Parks, Wilderness, and the Public Lands, by Zaslowsky and Watkins
The Trouble With Wilderness - William Cronon's essay

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

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