Cultural Heritage and Paleontology
Touren Pope poses for a photo with the fossilized turtle he discovered on BLM with a blue sky

11-year-old Touren Pope discovers ancient turtle fossil on BLM land in Wyoming

Last fall, a routine day of rockhounding on Bureau of Land Management–managed public land in southwest Wyoming turned into an extraordinary discovery. While exploring public lands overseen by the BLM Wyoming Rock Springs Field Office, 11-year-old Touren Pope spotted what would later be identified as a fossilized turtle dating back nearly 48 million years.
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a group of four people, two with shovels, peer into a hole dug along a dirt track road

It’s a Hard Rock Life for Buffalo FO Archeological Project Volunteers

This past July, eight volunteers spent four full-sun summer days in the wilds of Wyoming to document archeological sites including rock shelters, rock art, and areas where people used to make stone tools.
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photo of a woman pointing to an illustrated dinosaur scene on a laptop computer screen

Local Paleoartist Captures BLM Dinosaur Death Struggle

Meet "MOR 1627"—an entire Edmontosaurus head on display at the Museum of the Rockies (MOR). MOR 1627’s crown jewel is a snapped T. rex tooth stuck in the bridge of its snout.
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Person dressed in colonial attire walking along a path in a grassy field with autumn-colored trees in the background.

Framed for Freedom: Bureau of Land Management Eastern States and the Legacy of National Historic Trails

Across the Eastern States region of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), four nationally significant trails—each rich in culture, ecology, and history—invite visitors to walk, ride, or paddle through landscapes that have shaped America’s identity.
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features a firefighter-archaeologist on a grassy hill. Text asks "ARCHAEOLOGISTS AT WILDFIRES?" and describes how they protect cultural resources.

Firefighters and Archaeologists Collaborate to Protect Historic Mining Site during Monroe Canyon Fire

In August 2025, crews battled the Monroe Canyon fire to save a 1920s mining site. While 4 structures fell, Hotshot Captain Almanzo Wenig and his crew cleared lines and used water drops to save the final miner's cabin.
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A woman demonstrates printmaking techniques to a small group gathered around a table filled with art prints and supplies in a bright room.

Artist in Residence celebrates ‘place of special value’ in southwest Colorado

For two weeks, the 2026 Artist-in-Residence Vicki Conley created four artworks inspired by the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument’s rich landscape and hosted two public outreach programs.
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