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Essay Name       : 495.txt 
Uploader         : Spencer
Email Address    : 
Language         : English
Subject          : Environmental Awareness
Title            : Management of the BLM's Public Land System
Grade            : 87%
School System    : Iowa State University
Country          : United States
Author Comments  : Papers covers problems with todays laws, and some solutions
Teacher Comments : Good sources, and support for topics
Date             : 11-2-96
Site found at    : A Web search.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Management of the BLM's Public Lands System 


	The government has control of over one-third of the nation's land, and 398 million
acres of that is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM 6).  This land hold a
wide diversity of resources, from timber, and grazing lands found on the surface to a mass
of oil, natural gas, and minerals laying below the earth.  The history of these lands is
hardly a dull story, because it is the story of the taming of the "Wild West".  Should the
BLM though, still be controlling these lands under the same laws that where put in affect
to establish the "Western frontier".  I feel that a radical reevaluation of these laws needs to
take place, on order to adapt them to the changing demographic and technological
environment of our society.  The laws that are remaining are allowing companies to hurt
the land, which is against the mission statement of the BLM.
	The BLM mission statement say, the Bureau is responsible for the balanced
management of the public lands and resources and their various values so that they are
considered in a combination that will best serve the American people.  Management is
based upon the principles of multiple use and sustained yield; a combination of uses that
takes into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable and
nonrenewable resources.  These resources include recreation, land, timber, minerals,
watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness, and natural, scenic, scientific and cultural values.
(BLM 7).  Therefor by allowing these old laws to remain they are pulling away from there
mission statement.
	Throughout the 80's the Bureau of Land Management developed a host of
programs and emphasized a number of others - outdoor recreation, wildlife and fisheries,
toxic materials management, and wetland enhancement, to name a few - but there are still
many problems that must be addressed.
	Due to the increasing demand for outdoor recreation, there has been an
overcrowding in our local, state, and national park.  There is the demand for BLM to do
more in outdoor recreation.  Eight of the 10 states with the highest population growth
between 1970 and 1980 were states with substantial acreages of public lands administer by
the BLM. (BLM 12)  The visitation to those lands has increased nearly three-fold in the
past 20 years, and there is an expected increase of between 40 and 60 percent by the year
2000. (BLM 12)  The amount of people that visit our park system each year is having a
profound effect on the ecosystem of the park.  An ecosystem can only absorb the effects
of a small number of man made facilities on it.  The number of large complexes that the
public wants in their parks have effects that extend beyond there immediate boundaries. 
Yellowstone Park has to dispose of nearly 7000 tons of garbage every year. (Houston 3) 
The BLM needs to expand efforts to maintain facilities to protect public investments and
the health and safety of the visiting public. Also, provide additional facilities with Federal
funding and private sector concessions to meet the growing outdoor recreation demands. 
This would allow more destinations for the public that are seeking an outdoor experience,
causing the crowding to become less dense because the users would be more widely
distributed.  Setting more public lands aside for parks would preserve that land for the
future, because a park on BLM lands would require a greater on-the-ground presence, to
monitor its use.  
	A problem that is closely related to that of outdoor recreation, is providing a
suitable habitat for the large diversity of animals that lives on the BLM's Public Lands
System.  Many of these animals are available to the hunter, trapper and fisherman; some
are threatened or endangered; most contribute to the pleasure of wildlife viewing; all
contribute to the ecological diversity of the Public Land System. (BLM 14).  
	With so much land under the control of the BLM, the bureau manages more
wildlife habitat than any other agency or group in the United States.  The wide diversity of
lands that is under their control supports over 3,000 species of animals and an untold
number of land and invertebrate species.
	Public lands wildlife and fisheries resources are important to the American
Economy.  For instance, during the 1985-1986 season, over 5 million hunter use days
occurred,  with hunters spending an estimated $145,000,000.  As for fishing there where
over 3 million days at an estimated $55,000,000 spent by fishers. (BLM 14).  Wildlife also
contributed to enjoyment of the public lands for millions of campers, hikers,
photographers and other users.  These "Nonconsuptive" users spent over 230 million
hours on the public lands ands waters during the 1985-1986 season.  The money put into
the system by these "Nonconsuptive" users was estimated at around $200,000,000.  
	Surely it can easily be seen the economic value of wildlife, but there is also an
indescribable entrinsic value that can be given to them to.  But improving habitat for
wildlife improves more then just the wildlife, it helps out the whole ecosystem.  For
instance wetland habitat improvements for wildlife also improve water flow and water
quality for downstream users.  Vegetative manipulation projects intended to improve big
game forage also improve livestock forage and watershed conditions.  So it should be
easily seen that habit improvements for the sake of wildlife would be not only a profitable
change, but also an environmentally sound change.
	Another change that needs to occur on Federal Lands is a change of the General
Mining Law of 1872 which was passed while the West was still being settled.   The 1872
mining law opens most public lands for mining if prospectors find gold, silver, copper or
other valuable hardrock mineral deposits.  The laws goal was to encourage the region's
development,  Congress offered public lands for the taking by enterprising homesteader,
stockmen, miners and loggers. (Arrandale 531)  The frontier closed a century ago, but the
law still remains.  On May 16, 1994 Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt was forced by
the mining law to sell 1,949 acres of federal lands in Nevada to a Canadian-based mining
company.  The land that was sold held a gold supply of an estimated $10 billion.  Surely
the deeply indebted United States Government would prosper from a sale of that much
gold, but by law the government was forced to sell it for $5 and acre.  The government
received less then $10,000 for the deal. (Arrandale 531)
	In relation to the mining law the government does not require the miners to restore
mined site once the minerals are gone, preventing wastes from polluting surrounding lands
and nearby streams.  Former Interior Secretary Stewart L. Udall says, " The hardrock
mining industry has traditionally been able to 'externalize' costs, as economist say, simply
by abandoning its played-out mines rater then reclaiming them." (Arrandale 534)  The fact
that there is 500,000 abandoned mines, proves that is true.  These mines are polluting 32
states because of the use of  the new "heap leaching" technology that uses cyanide
solutions to extract gold from ore.  The EPA is now spending $40,000 a day to control
cyanide leaking form a Summitville Colo., gold mine that a mining company abandoned.
(Arrandale 534).
	I feel that the United States Government needs to amend the mining law, so that it
can address some of the previously mentioned problems.  I feel that companies should be
allowed to remove viable minerals but I they should have regulations placed on them.  The
U.S. Supreme Court and state courts have upheld state regulations of oil and gas
operations to prevent waste. (Kusler 147)  Since minerals are of a fixed supply I feel that
they should be regulated for future use.  The mines that do extract a predetermined
amount of minerals, would also be required to restore the sight back to the natural state of
the land.  Not only would they be required to return the surface of the land, but also the
underlying ground, so as it is not polluted.  But they would not receive this land for a mere
$5 and acre,  I propose that they be charges a curtain percentage of the gold removed as
rent for the land, for as long as they mine the land.  Upon incorporation of all of these
laws, which none of the current mines would be excempt from, I feel there would be a
reduction of mines.  With less mines mineral supplies would be preserved, and the price of
minerals would go up, returning profit to the remaining mines, and supporting the
government.
	Another area of the land managed by the BLM is rangeland.  Since rangelands
account for nearly 162 million acres of public land the nation's rangelands are a vast
source of renewable resources.  Among many other values the range supports about 4
million head of livestock which is an important element in the economic well-being of
many rural communities and the almost 20,000 operators who depend on public land
grazing to support them.
	BLM is principally seen by the public as manager of the public rangelands.  The
approval from the public for the BLM then is mostly related to their management of the
grazing lands.  Support for the BLM is basically based on the management and conditions
of the range lands that are under their control.  So the BLM sets below-market livestock
grazing fees and loose federal regulations of how ranchers mangage sheep and cattle on
public lands.  Ranchers now pay $1.98 per "animal unit month"(AUM)- enough forage to
feed one cow and a calf, five sheep or a horse for a month.   On the other hand privately
owned ranges in the West leased for nearly five times that amount, an average of $9.25
per AUM. (Arrandale 534)  Having fees this low give an incentive for the rancher to put
more animals out to graze on the deteriorating land.  Why graze one cow on private land,
when you can graze at least four on government land.  Of course this is the classic
Tragedy of the Commons.  Why should the ranchers care is they are destroying the public
lands when they can move to a more productive spot when their land is destroyed. 
Because of this taxpayers spend millions of dollars subsidizing the damage of public
lands.	
	Clearly grazing does belong on public lands, because if done correctly you are
simply harvesting a natural renewable resource.  But when you allow money hungry cattle
ranchers to graze as many cattle as they please, you begin destroying the land.  So I feel
that there should be an environmental assessment of the grazing lands, to determine a
sustainable AUM for the land, to insure there is no more further damage sustained by the 
land.  Once this is determined you can charge them a fair price that is competitive with the
price of private land.  This way the government could produce more revenue for it self,
while again protecting the land.
	These are just a few of the changes that need to occur on the public lands.  And
some simple and broad solutions to the problems.  You could not even start to give all of
the issues and possible solutions for a single one of the problems that I addressed in a
paper of this length.  But for an overall solution the government needs to redefine it's
older laws, so that the government can have better control over public lands.  Included
with the changing of the laws would be a price increase for the resources that the
government is basically, at the present time, giving away.  When this occurs it may help
with the huge debt of the country, and by different means then taxing the common people
of the country.  This would require the rich mining companies, to actually pay for the gold
that they are removing from the ground.  And with all these regulations in place, and strict
guidelines to the extent of extraction of natural resources, the environment, and
ecosystems will improve.


Arrandale, Tom. "Public Land Policy."  CQ Researcher  28 (1994): 531-540.

Beatley, Timothy. Ethical Land Use: Principles of Policy and Planning. Baltimore: John
	Hopkins UP,  1994.

Houston, Douglas. "Ecosystems of Natinal Parks."  Science 172 (1971): 648-651.

Kusler, Jon. Regulating Sensitive Lands.  Cambridge: Ballinger, 1980.

United States.  Bueau of Land Management.  Issues for the 90's., 1989.

Wondolleck, Julia. Public Lands Conflict and Resolution: Managing National Forest
	Disputes. New York: Plenum, 1988.
Management of the BLM's Public Lands System 


	The government has control of over one-third of the nation's land, and 398 million
acres of that is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM 6).  This land hold a
wide diversity of resources, from timber, and grazing lands found on the surface to a mass
of oil, natural gas, and minerals laying below the earth.  The history of these lands is
hardly a dull story, because it is the story of the taming of the "Wild West".  Should the
BLM though, still be controlling these lands under the same laws that where put in affect
to establish the "Western frontier".  I feel that a radical reevaluation of these laws needs to
take place, on order to adapt them to the changing demographic and technological
environment of our society.  The laws that are remaining are allowing companies to hurt
the land, which is against the mission statement of the BLM.
	The BLM mission statement say, the Bureau is responsible for the balanced
management of the public lands and resources and their various values so that they are
considered in a combination that will best serve the American people.  Management is
based upon the principles of multiple use and sustained yield; a combination of uses that
takes into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable and
nonrenewable resources.  These resources include recreation, land, timber, minerals,
watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness, and natural, scenic, scientific and cultural values.
(BLM 7).  Therefor by allowing these old laws to remain they are pulling away from there
mission statement.
	Throughout the 80's the Bureau of Land Management developed a host of
programs and emphasized a number of others - outdoor recreation, wildlife and fisheries,
toxic materials management, and wetland enhancement, to name a few - but there are still
many problems that must be addressed.
	Due to the increasing demand for outdoor recreation, there has been an
overcrowding in our local, state, and national park.  There is the demand for BLM to do
more in outdoor recreation.  Eight of the 10 states with the highest population growth
between 1970 and 1980 were states with substantial acreages of public lands administer by
the BLM. (BLM 12)  The visitation to those lands has increased nearly three-fold in the
past 20 years, and there is an expected increase of between 40 and 60 percent by the year
2000. (BLM 12)  The amount of people that visit our park system each year is having a
profound effect on the ecosystem of the park.  An ecosystem can only absorb the effects
of a small number of man made facilities on it.  The number of large complexes that the
public wants in their parks have effects that extend beyond there immediate boundaries. 
Yellowstone Park has to dispose of nearly 7000 tons of garbage every year. (Houston 3) 
The BLM needs to expand efforts to maintain facilities to protect public investments and
the health and safety of the visiting public. Also, provide additional facilities with Federal
funding and private sector concessions to meet the growing outdoor recreation demands. 
This would allow more destinations for the public that are seeking an outdoor experience,
causing the crowding to become less dense because the users would be more widely
distributed.  Setting more public lands aside for parks would preserve that land for the
future, because a park on BLM lands would require a greater on-the-ground presence, to
monitor its use.  
	A problem that is closely related to that of outdoor recreation, is providing a
suitable habitat for the large diversity of animals that lives on the BLM's Public Lands
System.  Many of these animals are available to the hunter, trapper and fisherman; some
are threatened or endangered; most contribute to the pleasure of wildlife viewing; all
contribute to the ecological diversity of the Public Land System. (BLM 14).  
	With so much land under the control of the BLM, the bureau manages more
wildlife habitat than any other agency or group in the United States.  The wide diversity of
lands that is under their control supports over 3,000 species of animals and an untold
number of land and invertebrate species.
	Public lands wildlife and fisheries resources are important to the American
Economy.  For instance, during the 1985-1986 season, over 5 million hunter use days
occurred,  with hunters spending an estimated $145,000,000.  As for fishing there where
over 3 million days at an estimated $55,000,000 spent by fishers. (BLM 14).  Wildlife also
contributed to enjoyment of the public lands for millions of campers, hikers,
photographers and other users.  These "Nonconsuptive" users spent over 230 million
hours on the public lands ands waters during the 1985-1986 season.  The money put into
the system by these "Nonconsuptive" users was estimated at around $200,000,000.  
	Surely it can easily be seen the economic value of wildlife, but there is also an
indescribable entrinsic value that can be given to them to.  But improving habitat for
wildlife improves more then just the wildlife, it helps out the whole ecosystem.  For
instance wetland habitat improvements for wildlife also improve water flow and water
quality for downstream users.  Vegetative manipulation projects intended to improve big
game forage also improve livestock forage and watershed conditions.  So it should be
easily seen that habit improvements for the sake of wildlife would be not only a profitable
change, but also an environmentally sound change.
	Another change that needs to occur on Federal Lands is a change of the General
Mining Law of 1872 which was passed while the West was still being settled.   The 1872
mining law opens most public lands for mining if prospectors find gold, silver, copper or
other valuable hardrock mineral deposits.  The laws goal was to encourage the region's
development,  Congress offered public lands for the taking by enterprising homesteader,
stockmen, miners and loggers. (Arrandale 531)  The frontier closed a century ago, but the
law still remains.  On May 16, 1994 Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt was forced by
the mining law to sell 1,949 acres of federal lands in Nevada to a Canadian-based mining
company.  The land that was sold held a gold supply of an estimated $10 billion.  Surely
the deeply indebted United States Government would prosper from a sale of that much
gold, but by law the government was forced to sell it for $5 and acre.  The government
received less then $10,000 for the deal. (Arrandale 531)
	In relation to the mining law the government does not require the miners to restore
mined site once the minerals are gone, preventing wastes from polluting surrounding lands
and nearby streams.  Former Interior Secretary Stewart L. Udall says, " The hardrock
mining industry has traditionally been able to 'externalize' costs, as economist say, simply
by abandoning its played-out mines rater then reclaiming them." (Arrandale 534)  The fact
that there is 500,000 abandoned mines, proves that is true.  These mines are polluting 32
states because of the use of  the new "heap leaching" technology that uses cyanide
solutions to extract gold from ore.  The EPA is now spending $40,000 a day to control
cyanide leaking form a Summitville Colo., gold mine that a mining company abandoned.
(Arrandale 534).
	I feel that the United States Government needs to amend the mining law, so that it
can address some of the previously mentioned problems.  I feel that companies should be
allowed to remove viable minerals but I they should have regulations placed on them.  The
U.S. Supreme Court and state courts have upheld state regulations of oil and gas
operations to prevent waste. (Kusler 147)  Since minerals are of a fixed supply I feel that
they should be regulated for future use.  The mines that do extract a predetermined
amount of minerals, would also be required to restore the sight back to the natural state of
the land.  Not only would they be required to return the surface of the land, but also the
underlying ground, so as it is not polluted.  But they would not receive this land for a mere
$5 and acre,  I propose that they be charges a curtain percentage of the gold removed as
rent for the land, for as long as they mine the land.  Upon incorporation of all of these
laws, which none of the current mines would be excempt from, I feel there would be a
reduction of mines.  With less mines mineral supplies would be preserved, and the price of
minerals would go up, returning profit to the remaining mines, and supporting the
government.
	Another area of the land managed by the BLM is rangeland.  Since rangelands
account for nearly 162 million acres of public land the nation's rangelands are a vast
source of renewable resources.  Among many other values the range supports about 4
million head of livestock which is an important element in the economic well-being of
many rural communities and the almost 20,000 operators who depend on public land
grazing to support them.
	BLM is principally seen by the public as manager of the public rangelands.  The
approval from the public for the BLM then is mostly related to their management of the
grazing lands.  Support for the BLM is basically based on the management and conditions
of the range lands that are under their control.  So the BLM sets below-market livestock
grazing fees and loose federal regulations of how ranchers mangage sheep and cattle on
public lands.  Ranchers now pay $1.98 per "animal unit month"(AUM)- enough forage to
feed one cow and a calf, five sheep or a horse for a month.   On the other hand privately
owned ranges in the West leased for nearly five times that amount, an average of $9.25
per AUM. (Arrandale 534)  Having fees this low give an incentive for the rancher to put
more animals out to graze on the deteriorating land.  Why graze one cow on private land,
when you can graze at least four on government land.  Of course this is the classic
Tragedy of the Commons.  Why should the ranchers care is they are destroying the public
lands when they can move to a more productive spot when their land is destroyed. 
Because of this taxpayers spend millions of dollars subsidizing the damage of public
lands.	
	Clearly grazing does belong on public lands, because if done correctly you are
simply harvesting a natural renewable resource.  But when you allow money hungry cattle
ranchers to graze as many cattle as they please, you begin destroying the land.  So I feel
that there should be an environmental assessment of the grazing lands, to determine a
sustainable AUM for the land, to insure there is no more further damage sustained by the 
land.  Once this is determined you can charge them a fair price that is competitive with the
price of private land.  This way the government could produce more revenue for it self,
while again protecting the land.
	These are just a few of the changes that need to occur on the public lands.  And
some simple and broad solutions to the problems.  You could not even start to give all of
the issues and possible solutions for a single one of the problems that I addressed in a
paper of this length.  But for an overall solution the government needs to redefine it's
older laws, so that the government can have better control over public lands.  Included
with the changing of the laws would be a price increase for the resources that the
government is basically, at the present time, giving away.  When this occurs it may help
with the huge debt of the country, and by different means then taxing the common people
of the country.  This would require the rich mining companies, to actually pay for the gold
that they are removing from the ground.  And with all these regulations in place, and strict
guidelines to the extent of extraction of natural resources, the environment, and
ecosystems will improve.


Arrandale, Tom. "Public Land Policy."  CQ Researcher  28 (1994): 531-540.

Beatley, Timothy. Ethical Land Use: Principles of Policy and Planning. Baltimore: John
	Hopkins UP,  1994.

Houston, Douglas. "Ecosystems of Natinal Parks."  Science 172 (1971): 648-651.

Kusler, Jon. Regulating Sensitive Lands.  Cambridge: Ballinger, 1980.

United States.  Bueau of Land Management.  Issues for the 90's., 1989.

Wondolleck, Julia. Public Lands Conflict and Resolution: Managing National Forest
	Disputes. New York: Plenum, 1988.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------
