This tumultuous year marks the 25th anniversary of the National Conservation Lands system, which encompasses 906 units and more than 38 million acres overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.
For Chris Hill, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Conservation Lands Foundation since last September, 2025 has brought both commemoration and rallying cries. She recently helped celebrate the anniversary with former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, who instigated the system during the tail end of the Clinton administration. Dividing her time between Alaska and Washington, Hill has also pushed back against the Trump administration’s public lands policies.
Hill previously worked for the Sierra Club for nearly eight years, including 14 months as the organization’s chief conservation officer. She was the first Black woman to have that responsibility at the environmental organization founded in 1892.
A Washington-area native, Hill graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in broadcasting communications and electronic media. She subsequently earned a law degree from Vermont Law and Graduate School.
