DID YOU KNOW THAT the federal

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1 Public Lands DID YOU KNOW THAT the federal government is managing roughly 670 million acres of land for U.S. citizens? That is about 30 percent of all the territory in the country. As you can imagine, managing that amount of land is a huge task. This unit looks at public lands and the agencies responsible for managing them. Objective: Explain public lands management and classification. Key Terms: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bureau of Reclamation impoundment land management moderately-restricteduse lands multiple-use lands National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Park Service National Trails System National Wild and Scenic Rivers System National Wilderness Preservation System public lands restricted-use lands U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Department of Defense U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service Public Lands in the United States Land management is the process of handling the use and development of land resources. Sustainability is an important aspect of land management. Lands managed by agencies of the government federal, state, county, city are called public lands. The greatest portion of public lands is held in trust for U.S. citizens by the federal government. Page 1

2 FEDERAL LANDS The federal government owns and manages about million acres (29.6 percent) of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Of public lands, 73 percent are in Alaska, and 22 percent are in the western states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior take on most of the land management responsibilities. However, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Defense also have responsibilities. FIGURE 1. Twenty-two percent of federal public lands are in the western states. (Courtesy, U.S. DOI and USGS) U.S. Department of the Interior The U.S. Department of the Interior is responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. It is also in charge of the administration of programs pertaining to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial affairs, and unincorporated territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Secretary of the Interior is a member of the President s Cabinet. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages about 253 million acres of America s public lands. This is equivalent to about one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The Page 2

3 BLM also manages 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state, and private lands. BLM lands are used for the extraction of oil, coal, gas, and minerals. Rangeland for livestock is also maintained. The National Park Service manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historic properties. The National Park System consists of all the units managed by the National Park Service. The Bureau of Reclamation oversees water resource management. It is most closely associated with the oversight and/or operation of projects involving water diversion, water delivery, water storage, and hydroelectric power generation. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages fish, wildlife, and habitats. The mission of the agency involves working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. U.S. Department of Agriculture The U.S. Forest Service, under the Department of Agriculture, manages the nation s 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres. The public lands managed by the Forest Service are known collectively as the National Forest System. National forests are managed for logging, farming, mining, rangeland, oil and gas extraction, recreation, hunting, and fishing. U.S. Department of Commerce The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitors conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. A scientific agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, its tasks include issuing warnings of dangerous weather, charting seas and skies, guiding the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conducting research to improve stewardship of the environment. U.S. Department of Defense The U.S. Department of Defense oversees land pertaining to FIGURE 2. The Badlands of South Dakota are managed by the National Park Service. (Courtesy, National Park Service) What s Your Profile? Interested in the information presented in this? You might make a great Conservationist! Check out: Looking for something a little different? Explore your options! Visit: Page 3

4 national security and the U.S. Armed Forces. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a part of the Department of Defense, is involved with dams, canals, and flood protection in the United States. The Corps of Engineers offers outdoor recreation opportunities to the public and provides 24 percent of the country s hydropower capacity. SPECIAL LAND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FIGURE 3. The Kentucky Lock is under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers. (Courtesy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Three special land management systems that involve lands from more than one agency are the National Wilderness Preservation System, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and the National Trails System. BROADENING AWARENESS AMAZING ASPECTS: Where Are Federal Lands? If you want to experience federally owned and managed lands, go west. Of public lands, 73 percent are in Alaska, and 22 percent are in the western states. Another way to look at federal lands is the percentage in each state. The top 10 states with the highest percentage of federally owned lands are: 1. Nevada 84.5% 6. Arizona 48.1% 2. Alaska 69.1% 7. California 45.3% 3. Utah 57.4% 8. Wyoming 42.3% 4. Oregon 53.1% 9. New Mexico 41.8% 5. Idaho 50.2% 10. Colorado 36.6% Also interesting to look at is the contrast between the states with the highest and lowest percentages of federal land ownership. The U.S. government owns 84.5 percent of Nevada but only 0.4 percent of Rhode Island and Connecticut. The lowest-percentage states are mainly in the East, but some are also in the Midwest and in the South: 1. Connecticut 0.4% 6. Kansas 1.2% 2. Rhode Island 0.4% 7. Nebraska 1.4% 3. Iowa 0.8% 8. Alabama 1.6% 4. New York 0.8% 9. Ohio 1.7% 5. Maine 1.1% 10. Illinois 1.8% Page 4

5 National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System protects and preserves public lands in their natural condition. It was established with the passage of the Wilderness Act in The act defines wilderness as undeveloped federal land without permanent improvements. Thus, permanent improvements, such as buildings and roads, and activities that significantly alter existing natural conditions, such as timber harvesting, are generally prohibited. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System preserves selected free-flowing rivers for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. It was established in 1968 by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Three classes of rivers established under the act are wild, scenic, and recreational. Wild rivers are free from impoundments. An impoundment is a structure, such as a dam or diversion, that forces the accumulation of water. Wild rivers also tend to be inaccessible except by trail. The watersheds are primitive, and the shorelines are essentially undeveloped. Scenic rivers are free from impoundments in generally undeveloped areas but are accessible in places by roads. Recreational rivers are readily accessible by roads, have some shoreline development, and may have undergone some impoundment in the past. National Trails System The National Trails System provides recreation and access to outdoor areas and historic resources through a national system of trails. It was created in 1968 by the National Trails System Act. The National Trails System includes four classes of trails. National scenic trails (NST) provide outdoor recreation and the conservation and enjoyment of significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities. National historic trails (NHT) follow travel routes of national historic significance. National recreation trails (NRT) are in, or reasonably accessible to, urban areas on federal, state, or private lands. Connecting or side trails provide access to or among the other classes of trails. FIGURE 4. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail extends from Maine to Georgia. Page 5

6 NEW PUBLIC LANDS Any creation of new public lands, such as national parks, must be approved by Congress. An exception is that the President may designate national monuments without congressional authorization. FEDERAL LANDS CLASSIFICATION Three categories of federal lands are multiple-use lands, moderately-restricted-use lands, and restricted-use lands. Multiple-Use Lands Multiple-use lands are designated to meet the diverse needs of people. The goal is to achieve quality land management under the sustainable multiple-use management concept. The uses within the multiple-use definition include recreation, mining, grazing, logging, farming, gas and oil extraction, conservation of watershed, and wildlife habitat. The nation s 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service, are classified as multiple-use lands. National resource lands, under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, also fall into this category. Moderately-Restricted- Use Lands Moderately-restricted-use lands consist primarily of national wildlife refuges and are managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. These lands may be used for wildlife habitat protection, hunting, fishing, oil and gas development, logging, grazing, military purposes, and farming. Restricted-Use Lands FIGURE 5. A snowy egret in flight over Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida. Restricted-use lands include those lands managed by the National Park Service and the National Wilderness Preservation System. The National Park System consists of 54 major parks. It also contains 324 other sites, including national recreation areas, monuments, battlefields, memorials, seashores, and parkways. Page 6

7 The National Wilderness Preservation System is composed of 630 areas within national parks and national forests. Human activities on these lands are restricted to non-motorized recreation, such as backpacking, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding, to scientific research, and to other noninvasive activities. PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT ISSUES Demands on public land resources are diverse, and often conflict arises as to how land should be managed. As a result, policy makers must consider differing viewpoints of an issue. Viewpoints of some people emphasize conservation. Developers, extractors, and industry people often have opposing viewpoints. Conservationists Conservationists want to utilize and preserve public lands and hold four main principles. They would like biodiversity and ecological integrity to be protected. They would like government subsidies to be eliminated for the use and extraction of natural resources on public lands. They would like to see fair compensation from industry and commercial users of natural resources on public lands. They would like all users and extractors of natural resources on public lands to be fully responsible for any environmental damage they might cause. Developers, Extractors, and Industry People Developers, extractors, and industry people lobby Congress for increased access to and use of public lands. They would like to see the sale of public lands or resources at less than market value. They would like to see a cut in funding for the administration of public lands. They would like to weaken, waive, or eliminate federal laws protecting public lands. They would like greater access through public lands by increased highway construction. They would like to see about half the designated wetlands lose federal protection. They would like to weaken or repeal the Endangered Species Act. FIGURE 6. Should old-growth forests be conserved? If so, how much of such forest land should be set aside? Page 7

8 Summary: Lands managed by agencies of the government federal, state, county, city are called public lands. The greatest portion of public lands is held in trust for U.S. citizens by the federal government. The U.S. Department of the Interior is responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are within the Department of the Interior. The U.S. Forest Service, under the Department of Agriculture, manages the nation s 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that monitors conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. The U.S. Department of Defense oversees land pertaining to national security and the U.S. Armed Forces. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a part of the Department of Defense, is involved with dams, canals, and flood protection in the United States. Three special land management systems are the National Wilderness Preservation System, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and the National Trails System. Three categories of federal lands are multiple-use lands, moderately-restricted-use lands, and restricted-use lands. Policy makers must consider differing viewpoints regarding land management. Checking Your Knowledge: 1. What are public lands? 2. Which departments and agencies or bureaus are involved in land management? 3. What are three special land management systems? 4. How do multiple-use lands, moderately-restricted-use lands, and restricteduse lands compare? 5. What viewpoints do the two major groups express regarding land management? Page 8

9 Expanding Your Knowledge: Examine maps and conduct additional research to identify federal lands in your state. Determine which bureau or agency manages those lands. Web Links: National Atlas Federal Lands Public Lands America s Backyard Agricultural Career Profiles Page 9