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Federal Agency Profiles

U.S. Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management oversees numerous programs for the management and conservation of resources on more than 250 million surface acres and some 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate. This area comprises about 13 percent of the total land within the United States and more than 40 percent of all land managed by the federal government.

The majority of these public lands are primarily grassland, forest, high mountain, arctic tundra and desert areas. Most are situated within the western United States.

Resources managed by the bureau include:

• energy and minerals
• timber, forage
• wild horse and burro herds
• fish and wildlife habitats
• wilderness areas
• recreational areas
• historical, archaeological and paleontological sites

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U.S. Forest Service

The Forest Service is responsible for the management of public lands in national forests and grasslands. As the largest forestry research organization in the world, it supplies technical assistance and monies to state and private forestry agencies. It is a federal agency run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Forest Service was originally created in 1905 to generate quality water and timber, but over time Congress directed it to manage national forest resources to benefit all Americans. This included making sure the land was productive and also working to protect the environment. Because maintaining renewable resources was so critical, the Forest Service was also charged with overseeing water, forage, wildlife, wood and recreation.

Activities fall under four broad headings:

• Protecting and managing natural resources.
• Amassing research on forestry, rangeland management and the use of forest resources.
• Helping to improve conditions for those in rural areas by protecting and managing non-federal forest and watershed lands.
• Working internationally to create policies and provide U.S. support to help manage and protect forests throughout the world.

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National Park Service

The National Park Service oversees close to 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites throughout the United States. It’s the first system of its kind in the world, mandated by the American people to preserve, protect and share the treasures of our land.

The service manages natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon and sites of prime historic interest, including the Statue of Liberty and Gettysburg, that attract large numbers of tourists every year. Less-popular but highly significant destinations include Rosie the Riveter in California, Boston Harbor Islands in Massachusetts and Russell Cave in Alabama.

The national park system in America provides a working model for other countries that want to establish and maintain their own protected areas. The park service regularly shares its knowledge with these nations while gaining knowledge from the experience of others.

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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates through the Department of the Interior to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. It manages the National Wildlife Refuge System of more than 500 refuges and thousands of other wetland areas as well as numerous fish hatcheries, fishery resource offices and ecological services field stations.

The service helps to develop and apply environmental processes that range from ecological principles to scientific knowledge of fish and wildlife, all under a sense of moral responsibility. The service also oversees the conservation, development and management of the nation's fish and wildlife resources. It is in charge of a national program to educate people so they will be good stewards of all our natural resources.

To meet its objectives, the service:

• Enforces federal wildlife laws and provides protection for endangered species.
• Replenishes fisheries that have been deemed significant to the nation.
• Conserves and helps to restore wildlife habitats such as wetlands; oversees the management of migratory birds.
• Assists with conservation programs in other countries.
• Distributes hundreds of millions of excise tax dollars to state fish and wildlife agencies.

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Bureau of Reclamation

The Bureau of Reclamation’s most visible work is the dams, power plants and canals it has built in 17 states in the western U.S. In all, the bureau has constructed more than 600 dams and reservoirs. The most well-known are Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and Grand Coulee on the Columbia River.

As the nation’s largest wholesaler of water, the bureau supplies water for more than 31 million people and provides 140,000 Western farmers with irrigation water for 10 million farmland acres. In the western United States, Reclamation is second in the production of hydroelectric power, providing more than 40 billion kilowatt hours per year to produce enough electricity for 6 million homes.

Operated through the U.S. Department of the Interior, the bureau’s Strategic Plan calls for programs, initiatives and activities that will help the Western states to meet the ever-growing need for water while balancing their many competing uses of water.

Learn more about the Bureau of Reclamation here.

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