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1 1 (Updated October 7, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveqwz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 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 federal property. Currently, approximately 640 million acres of surface land are managed by the federal government, accounting for nearly 28% of the 2.3 billion acres of land (excluding inland waters) in the 50 states and District of Columbia. Four federal land management agencies (FLMAs) administer 606 million acres (95%) of these federal lands: * U.S. 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 244 million acres of public lands. * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in DOI, manages 89 million acres as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. * National Park Service (NPS), in DOI, manages 80 million acres in the National Park System. Most of these lands are in the West, where the percentage 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 of Defense. The federal estate also includes areas on U.S. territorial lands and offshore and subsurface mineral resources (not discussed here). The four FLMAs Updated October 7, 2024 were established at different times with different management missions and purposes, which are briefly summarized in this In Focus. U.S. 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 National Forest System (NFS). The NFS includes 154 national forests; 20 national 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 federal lands in the East. The first forest reserves-later renamed national forests- originally were authorized to protect the lands, preserve water flows, and provide timber. These purposes 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 act directed that these multiple uses be managed in a harmonious and coordinated manner and in the combination that will best meet the needs of the American people. The act also directed FS to manage renewable resources under the principle of sustained yield, meaning to achieve a high level of resource outputs in perpetuity, without impairing 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 and priorities. Figure I. Federal Land Managed by FS, BLM, FWS, and NPS I Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS). Note: BLM = Bureau of Land Management; FS = U.S. Forest Service; FWS = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; NPS = National Park Service. In this CRS product, the West refers to the following 12 states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA and WY.

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