The federal government owns roughly 635-640 million acres, 28% of the 2.27 billion acres of
land in the United States. Four agencies administer 609 million acres of this land: the Forest
Service (USFS) in the Department of Agriculture, and the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), all in the Department of the
Interior (DOI). Most of these lands are in the West and Alaska. In addition, the Department of
Defense administers 19 million acres in military bases, training ranges, and more. Numerous
other agencies administer the remaining federal acreage.
The lands administered by the four land agencies are managed for many purposes, primarily
related to preservation, recreation, and development of natural resources. Yet each of these
agencies has distinct responsibilities. The BLM manages 248 million acres and is responsible for
700 million acres of subsurface mineral resources. The BLM has a multiple-use, sustained-yield
mandate that supports a variety of uses and programs, including energy development,  recreation, grazing, wild horses and burros, and conservation. The USFS manages 193 million acres also for multiple uses and sustained yields of various products and services, including timber harvesting, recreation, grazing, watershed protection, and fish and wildlife habitats. Most of the USFS lands are designated national forests. Wildfire protection is increasingly important for both agencies. See Full Report by clicking here.