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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is entrusted with administering 261 million acres of public lands located mainly in the 12 western states, including Alaska.  BLM manages an additional 300 million acres of subsurface mineral estate.  The wealth of resources on these lands is an asset belonging to all Americans. Originally, these lands were valued mainly for the commodities extracted from them.  Today, the public also prizes them for their recreational opportunities and their natural, historical, and cultural resources.

As steward of the public lands, BLM is committed to restoring nature's role in managing these lands to ensure their health and productivity.  But with a workforce of fewer than 10,000, BLM can effectively administer the public lands only in cooperation with all who use and care about these lands.  That is why collaborative stewardship has become one of the Bureau's guiding principles.  By working with a variety of partners at the federal, state, and local level, BLM is realizing its mission, which is: "To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations."

History   [Top of Page]

Since the country's earliest days, Congress recognized the public lands as a national asset.  As the nation acquired new territory through treaty, purchase, or conquest, Congress directed that it be open to public use to promote settlement of the West.  Much of the original 1.8 billion acres of the public domain was given or sold to people, corporations, and states.  But in the late 19th century Congress began to redirect federal land policy as lawmakers recognized the importance of retaining certain lands in public ownership.  During this time the first national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges were established.

In the early 20th century Congress took other steps that recognized the value of the assets on public lands. The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 allowed the lease of lands for exploration and production of certain minerals, including oil and gas.  This law ensured that the American people retained controls and enjoyed the benefits from these important energy resources.  When overgrazing threatened to reduce western rangelands to a dust bowl, Congress passed the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, which for the first time regulated grazing on public lands through the use of permits.

Since then, America's appreciation of public lands has grown. In 1964, Congress established the Public Land Law Review Commission to make recommendations on how public lands should be managed. Congress responded to the Commission's report by enacting the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976.  This law declared it the policy of the United States that: "the public lands be retained in federal ownership, unless as a result of the land use planning procedure provided for in this Act, it is determined that disposal of a particular parcel will serve the national interest ...."

With the passage of FLPMA, Congress also repealed most of the land disposal laws it had enacted since the mid-19th century.  Through FLPMA Congress made it clear that public lands should be held in public ownership and managed for "multiple use," which is defined as: "... the management of the public lands and their various resource values so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the present and future needs of the American people...."

BLM Today   [Top of Page]

The public lands serve different public policy purposes today than those envisioned by the founding fathers.  The results of the nation's early settlement policies have exceeded the wildest 19th century expectations.  People continue to move westward to take advantage of economic opportunities.  But they are also attracted by the West's quality of life, open space, spectacular scenery, clean air, and clean water.  These virtues are often attributable directly to the presence of public lands.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis predicts that over the next decade the public land states will prosper more than any other region of the country.  Nevada, the state with the highest proportion of public lands, is projected to have one of the highest rates of growth closely followed by Utah and Arizona. And as the West grows and changes, so will the role of public lands.

Those who make a living in the West today look to the public lands not only for their commodity values, but also for guaranteed open space.  In addition, visitors and western residents alike value the public lands for recreational opportunities.  While national parks and national forests continue to attract tourists, BLM's public lands are drawing an increasing number of Americans who seek a more rugged or remote outdoor experience.  In fact, BLM lands offer more recreational opportunities over a broader area than the land managed by any other federal agency.

Specially designated areas, such as wild and scenic rivers, wilderness areas, areas of critical environmental concern, and back country byways, are attracting record numbers of visitors.  People are also visiting BLM-managed lands to see fascinating archaeological, paleontological, and historical sites.

In 2000 nearly 54 million people visited the public lands for recreation, an increase of about 7 percent since 1998.  While recreational visits are expected to increase even more, BLM's budget will likely remain flat as Congress and the Administration work to balance the federal budget.  To keep pace with demand, BLM is implementing a recreation fee demonstration program at 17 sites, and all revenues will be used to fund on-site improvements.

The demands of a growing and increasingly urbanized West, together with heightened public concern over the environment, complex legal mandates, and advances in science and technology, are creating profound challenges and opportunities for BLM.  BLM has responded to these challenges by seeking opportunities for collaborative stewardship to restore the health of the public lands.  By working with states, tribes, local governments, and a host of private organizations, BLM is working to bring the land into proper functioning and productive condition.  Restoration work includes controlling invasive weeds, bringing back native fish, restoring watersheds, and returning fire to its vital role in nature through controlled burns.

Economic Significance of the Public Lands   [Top of Page]

The public lands provide significant economic benefits to the Nation and to the counties where these lands are located. BLM is one of the top revenue-generating agencies of the federal government, taking in more money than it spends each year.  In 1996, BLM-managed lands generated more than $1 billion from a variety of sources, including timber sales, grazing fees, recreation use fees, and royalties from mineral leasing.  About $640 million goes back to the states for their use.  Minerals of all types are found on the public lands, including 12.5 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves and 1.4 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.

Many economically important minerals are extracted from these lands, including a third of the Nation's coal supply.  The public lands also serve the needs of the Nation's ranchers by providing more than 18,000 permits for livestock grazing. In addition, the public lands help meet the basic infrastructure needs of society by providing rights-of-ways for roads, pipelines, transmission lines, and communication sites.

In rural western communities, the public lands take on great significance not only because they provide a livelihood to many who live there, but also because of the Federal Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) program. PILT payments pay local jurisdictions for the loss of property tax revenues in counties with public lands. In FY 2003, Congress appropriated $218.5 million for the PILT program.

While commodity-related activities on the public lands generate economic benefits, so to does the conservation of public land resources.  Money Magazine's annual survey of the best places to live in the U.S. routinely ranks such criteria as clean water and clean air high on the list, along with proximity to lakes, mountains, and rivers.  Drawn by these environmental values, many of which are found on public lands, companies and people are moving to the West.

As a result, Americans are placing greater demands on the public lands than ever before.  The growing cities of the West have helped create unprecedented demands for outdoor recreation.  At the same time, Americans have made it clear that they prize the public lands' environmental and cultural resources while recognizing the vital role of these lands in supporting local, western economies.  In an increasingly crowded West the public lands offer perhaps the most valuable asset of all, open space.

BLM is committed to passing on this public land legacy to future generations.  The Bureau has learned that the only way to achieve this goal is by bringing the public lands into healthy condition.  But BLM's success in doing this depends on its ability to form effective partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels.  The Bureau cannot and does not seek to manage the public lands in isolation from those who rely on them to make a living, or from those who cherish the lands' recreational, natural, and cultural resources.   Through collaborative stewardship, all Americans can share in the management of one of their greatest national treasures, their public lands.