Book Description

The 110th Congress, the Administration, and the courts are considering many issues related to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands and the Forest Service (FS) national forests. [...] Background and Analysis The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Forest Service (FS) in the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) manage 449 million acres of land, more than two-thirds of the land owned by the federal government and one-fifth of the total U. S. land area. [...] Management direction for the national forests, first enacted in 1897 and expanded in 1960, identifies the purposes for which the lands are to be managed - including timber, grazing, recreation, wildlife and fish, and water - and directs "harmonious and coordinated management" to provide for multiple uses and sustained yields of the many resources found in the national forests. [...] A claim gives the holder the right to develop the minerals and apply for a patent to obtain full title of the land and minerals. [...] For instance, at a hearing on S. 1139, the Acting Director of the BLM testified that DOI supported the bill as a way to provide legislative support and direction to the BLM and to formalize and strengthen its conservation system within the context of the agency's multiple-use mission.18 Other witnesses expressed opposition to the legislation, for instance, on the assertion 16 DOI/BLM, Budget Justi.