The Federal Land Management Agencies (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Oct. 7, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF10585 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Carol Hardy Vincent; Laura B. Comay; Mark K. DeSantis; Eric P. Nardi; Anne A. Riddle |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
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
were established at different times with different
management missions and purposes, which are briefly
summarized in this In Focus.
