6 Things You Should Know About the Bureau of Land Management

Our main mission here at the Utah Public Lands Alliance is to preserve Utah’s public lands for public use. We do this in through cooperation not only with the public and landowners but also several regulatory agencies chief among them the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The BLM is one of the nine bureaus within the United States Department of the Interior and its mission is to sustain the health diversity and productivity of public lands in the US for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. We work well together since we have a common mission.

Here are other interesting facts you should know about the BLM:

1. It has deep roots.

Although the BLM was established about 73 years ago in 1946, its roots go way back to just years after US independence. It started out as the General Land Office in 1812 which helped encourage homesteading and westward migration. President S. Truman later merged the GLO and US Grazing Service to create what we now know as the BLM.

2. It’s a small agency with a big mission.

The BLM oversees about 245 million surface acres of public lands for the American people and preserves it for multiple uses e.g. recreation and natural resource development. That means managing about 12% of the US landmass!

3. Thanks to the BLM, we can engage in all sorts of awesome recreational activities.

The public lands under BLM management are perfect for a variety of recreational activities from tame ones like hiking and fishing to adrenaline-charged ones like off-roading, canyoneering, hang-gliding or white-water rafting.

4. BLM’s oil and gas programs boost the economy.

BLM managed land doesn’t lie idle. The oil and gas development on some of these lands supports more than 150,000 jobs in the country and injects more than $40 billion into the economy. Furthermore, the BLM also manages oil and gas operations on behalf of individual mineral owners and indigenous tribes in some states.

5. Public lands power our homes and businesses

Other than oil and gas development, some of the land under BLM management is used for energy production using coal, geothermal, wind, solar energy, etc. to generate electricity. The electricity is then transmitted and used to power businesses, homes and the American infrastructure.

6. Their grazing programs help maintain healthy rangelands.

Additionally, the BLM manages livestock grazing on millions of acres of public lands, helping to maintain healthy open spaces and sustain livestock farming.

Support Our Mission To Protect Public Lands

We always have room for new members and volunteers who want to get involved in our work and are ready to help us with our projects.

You too can play your part by becoming a member of the UPLA, subscribing to our newsletter to keep abreast of the latest happenings, spreading word of our work and respecting the land around us and all those who use it.