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1 1 (February 16, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govecgq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated February 16,2021 The Federal Land Management Agencies The Property Clause in the U.S. Constitution (Article IV, Section 3, clause 2) provides Congress the authority to acquire, dispose of, and manage federalproperty. Currently, approximately 640 million acres ofsurface land are managed by the federal government, accounting for nearly 28% of the 2.3 billion acres ofland in the 50 states and District of Columbia. Four federalland management agencies (FLMAs) administer606million acres (95%) of these federal lands: Forest Service (FS), in the Department of Agriculture, manages the 193 million acre National Forest System. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), manages 244million acres of public lands. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in DOI, manages 89 million acres as part of the National Wildlife Refuge Sy stem. National Park Service (NPS), in DOI, manages 80 million acres in the National Park System. Most oftheselands are in the West, where thepercentage of federal ownership is significantly higher than elsewhere in the nation (see Figure 1). The remaining federal acreage is managed by several other agencies, including the Department ofDefense. The federal es tate also includes areas on U.S. territorial lands and offshore and subsurface mineral resources (not discussedhere). The four FLMAs were established at different times with different management missions and purposes, which are briefly summarized in this In Focus. Forest Service FS was established in the Department of Agriculture in 1905 and is charged with conducting forestry research, providing assistance to nonfederal forest owners, and managing the 193 million acre NationalForest System (NFS). The NFS includes 154 national forests; 20national grasslands; and various other federal land designations in 43 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most NFS land is in the West, although FS manages more than half of all federallands in the East. The first forest reserves-later renamed national forests- originally were authorized to protect the lands, preserve water flows, and provide timber. Thesepurposes were expanded in the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (16 U.S.C. §§528-531). This act added recreation, livestock grazing, and wildlife and fish habitat as purposes of the national forests. The actdirected thatthese multiple uses be managed in a harmonious and coordinated manner and in the combinationthat will best meet the needs ofthe American people. The act also directedFS to manage renewable resources under the principle of sustained yield, meaning to achieve a high level ofresource outputs m perpetuity, without imp airing the productivity of the lands. In addition, Congress directed FS to conduct long-range planning efforts to manage the national forests. Balancing the multiple uses across the NFS has sometimes led to conflicts regarding management decisions andpriorities. Figure 1. Federal Land Managed by FS, BLM, FWS, and NPS Source: CRS. Note: BLM = Bureau of Land Management; FS= Forest Service; FWS = Fish and Wildlife Service; NPS= National Park Service. In this CRS product, the West refers to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA and WY. ://crsrcports.congre;

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