Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, administers more federal land than any other federal agency: over 264 million acres of land (about one eighth of all land in the United States). Also, it manages 700 million additional acres of subsurface mineral resources and has responsibility for wildfire management and suppression on 388 million acres. The bulk of these lands are located in the western United States and include a variety of terrain, such as rangelands, forests, high mountains, arctic tundra, and deserts. Within these public lands, commercial, cultural, recreational, and wilderness resources abound; the responsibility for management and multiple uses of these resources puts the BLM in challenging public-private debates.

The mission of the BLM is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. BLM functions include preparing land-use plans and assessing environmental impacts; issuing leases and other use authorizations; identifying and protecting significant natural, cultural, and recreational resources; managing and suppressing wildfires; and monitoring resource conditions.

The roots of the BLM can be traced back to the early years of the United States, with the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. By the late 19th century, a shift in federal land management priorities was marked by creation of the first national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. Public lands were valued for more than simple commodity extraction and population settlement. By 1934, a U.S. Grazing Service was established to manage the public rangelands. In 1946, this Grazing Service merged with the General Land Office to form the modern BLM within the Department of the Interior.

In 1976, Congress enacted a unified legislative mandate for the BLM, with passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Congress confirmed the value of public lands and charged the BLM to practice “multiple-use” management: These lands and their various resource values should be used in a combination best meeting the present and future needs of the American people. Balanced use of public lands is increasingly a challenge, since most of the public lands are in the Western states, which experience intense population growth. Traditional land uses of grazing, mining, and timber production continue to be in high demand. The BLM increasingly is the target of lawsuits initiated by both citizen and commercial organizations.

The American public wants access for recreational and cultural activities. Oil and gas interests, along with ranching and timber interests, lobby for access to harvest resources from these public lands. These commercial and recreational activities must be balanced in an environmentally responsible manner. Further, the BLM must not only balance these varied interests but must also ensure future enjoyment of public lands by future Americans.