Federal Land Management Agencies

The federal government owns 655 million acres (29%) of the nearly 2.3 billion acres of land in the United States. Four agencies administer 628 million acres (96%) of this land: the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture, The Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service, all in the Department of the Interior. The majority of these lands are in the West. They generate revenues for the US Treasury, some of which are shared with states and localities. These agencies receive funding from annual appropriations laws, and from trust funds and special accounts (including the Land and Water Conservation Fund). The lands administered by the four agencies are managed for a variety of purposes, primarily related to conservation, preservation, and development of natural resources. Yet, each of these agencies has distinct responsibilities for the lands and resource it administers. This new book provides an overview of how federal lands and resources are managed, the agencies that manage the lands, the authorities under which these lands are managed, and some of the issues associated with federal land management. The book is divided into nine chapters. In the conclusion of the book, is an appendix of acronyms used in the text, and another defining selected terms used in the report.

"This paper explains the nature of Federal land holdings and Federal land management policy. It also examines the interpretations of that policy made by some of the major land holding departments in the administration of their programmes. The purpose of this paper is to provide information as a basis for making recommendations about the role of Federal land in shaping land use patterns"--Introduction.

Broad discretion is granted at all levels throughout federal land management agencies regarding compliance with the National Environ. Policy Act (NEPA). The authors explored the diversity of procedures employed in NEPA processes across four agencies, the Forest Service, the Nat. Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Eng. There is a lack of consistency not only between, but also within, agencies with regard to how NEPA is implemented. This report focuses on how successful NEPA processes are defined within each agency and what strategies are the most or least beneficial to positive NEPA outcomes. Also identifies unresolved questions about NEPA processes and presents a research strategy for addressing them.

The federal government owns roughly 640 million acres, about 28% of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Four agencies administer 608.9 million acres of this land: the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Park Service (NPS) in the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Forest Service (FS) in the Department of Agriculture. Most of these lands are in the West and Alaska. In addition, the Department of Defense administers 14.4 million acres in the United States consisting of military bases, training ranges, and more. Numerous other agencies administer the remaining federal acreage. The lands administered by the four land agencies are managed for many purposes, primarily related to preservation, recreation, and development of natural resources. Yet each of these agencies has distinct responsibilities. The BLM manages 247.3 million acres of public land and administers about 700 million acres of federal subsurface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM has a multiple-use, sustained-yield mandate that supports a variety of uses and programs, including energy development, recreation, grazing, wild horses and burros, and conservation. The FS manages 192.9 million acres also for multiple uses and sustained yields of various products and services, including timber harvesting, recreation, grazing, watershed protection, and fish and wildlife habitats. Most of the FS lands are designated national forests. Wildfire protection is increasingly important for both agencies. The FWS manages 89.1 million acres of the total, primarily to conserve and protect animals and plants. The National Wildlife Refuge System includes wildlife refuges, waterfowl production areas, and wildlife coordination units. The NPS manages 79.6 million acres in 401 diverse units to conserve lands and resources and make them available for public use. Activities that harvest or remove resources generally are prohibited. Federal land ownership is concentrated in the West. Specifically, 61.2% of Alaska is federally owned, as is 46.9% of the 11 coterminous western states. By contrast, the federal government owns 4.0% of lands in the other states. This western concentration has contributed to a higher degree of controversy over land ownership and use in that part of the country. Throughout America's history, federal land laws have reflected two visions: keeping some lands in federal ownership while disposing of others. From the earliest days, there has been conflict between these two visions. During the 19th century, many laws encouraged settlement of the West through federal land disposal. Mostly in the 20th century, emphasis shifted to retention of federal lands. Congress has provided varying land acquisition and disposal authorities to the agencies, ranging from restricted to broad. As a result of acquisitions and disposals, federal land ownership by the five agencies has declined by 23.5 million acres since 1990, from 646.9 million acres to 623.3 million acres. Much of the decline is attributable to BLM land disposals in Alaska and also reductions in DOD land. Numerous issues affecting federal land management are before Congress. They include the extent of federal ownership, and whether to decrease, maintain, or increase the amount of federal holdings; the condition of currently owned federal infrastructure and lands, and the priority of their maintenance versus new acquisitions; the optimal balance between land use and protection, and whether federal lands should be managed primarily to benefit the nation as a whole or instead to benefit the localities and states; and border control on federal lands along the southwest border.

Ownership and use of federal lands have stirred controversy for decades. Conflicting public values concerning federal lands raise many questions and issues: how much land the federal government should own, how managers should balance conflicting uses, whether Congress should designate specially protected areas, and when and how agencies should collect and distribute fees for land and resource uses. Congress continues to examines these questions, particularly in assessing the various uses that might be made of the federal lands, through legislative proposals, program oversight, and annual appropriations for the four major federal land management agencies. This book provides an overview of how federal lands and resources are managed, the agencies that administer the lands, and the authorities under which these agencies operate.

Growing ecological challenges ranging from wildland fires to climate change have revived interest in moving the Dept. of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service into the Dept. of the Interior. The Forest Service manages almost a quarter of the nation's lands but is the only major land mgmt. agency outside Interior. This is a report on the potential effects of moving the Forest Service into Interior and creating a new bureau equal to Interior's other bureaus, such as the Bureau of Land Mgmt. (BLM). This report identifies factors that should be considered if such a move were legislated and mgmt. practices that could facilitate a move. Nazzaro analyzed five historical proposals to reorganize fed. land mgmt. agencies. Illustrations.

Four fed. agencies -- the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Mgmt., the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Nat. Park Service -- are responsible for managing federal lands, enforcing fed. laws governing the lands and their resources, and ensuring visitor safety. There are illegal activities occurring on these lands. This report examined: (1) the types of illegal activities occurring on federal lands and the effects of those activities on natural and cultural resources, the public, and agency employees; (2) how the agencies have used their law enforcement (LE) resources to respond to these illegal activities; and (3) how the agencies determine their LE resource needs and distribute these resources. Illustrations. This is a print on demand publication.