Federal land policy in Texas (2024)

in Texas

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Federal land policy involves the ownership and management of land owned by the federal government. As of 2012, the federal government owned between 635 million to 640 million acres, or 28 percent, of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Federal land is managed for many purposes, such as the conservation and development of natural resources, grazing and recreation. The federal government owns 1.77 percent of Texas's total land, 2,977,950 acres out of 168,217,600 total acres.

Land ownership

See also: Federal land policy and Federal land ownership by state

The federal government owned between 635 million and 640 million acres of land in 2012 (about 28 percent) of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Around 52 percent of federally owned acres were in 12 Western states—including Alaska, 61 percent of which was federally owned. In contrast, the federal government owned 4 percent of land in the other 38 states. Federal land policy is designed to manage minerals, oil and gas resources, timber, wildlife and fish, and other natural resources found on federal land. Land management policies are highly debated for their economic, environmental and social impacts. Additionally, the size of the federal estate and the acquisition of more federal land are major issues.^[1][2]

According to the Congressional Research Service, Texas spans 168.2 million acres. Of that total, 1.7 percent, or 2.97 million acres, belonged to the federal government as of 2012. More than 167 million acres in Texas are not owned by the federal government, or 6.34 non-federal acres per capita. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government's land ownership in Texas increased by 326,275 acres.^[1]

The table below shows federal land ownership in Texas compared to two neighboring states, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Texas had less federal land than New Mexico but more Oklahoma. More than 40 percent of federal land in Texas was owned by the U.S. Forest Service compared to 1.4 percent in New Mexico and 1.42 percent in Oklahoma. The U.S. National Park Service owned more than 1.2 million acres in Texas compared to 376,849 acres in New Mexico and 10,008 acres in Oklahoma.

Land usage

Recreation

National parks in Texas

Texas has 13 National Park Service units, one national monument, three national forests, six wilderness areas, two national recreation areas, one national historic site, and one national historic trail. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 3.4 million peopled visited Texas's national parks and monuments and generated $173.4 million in visitor spending in 2013.^[3]

State recreation lands

There are 103 state parks in Texas, which are listed in the table below.^[4]

Economic activity on federal lands

Oil and gas activity

See also: BLM oil and gas leases by state

Private mining companies, including oil and natural gas companies, can apply for leases from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to explore and produce energy on federal land. The company seeking a lease must nominate the land for oil and gas exploration to the BLM, which evaluates and approves the lease. The BLM state offices make leasing decisions based on their land use plans, which contain information on the land's resources and the potential environmental impact of oil or gas exploration. If federal lands are approved for leasing, the BLM requires information about how the company will conduct its drilling and production. Afterward, the BLM will produce an environmental analysis and a list of requirements before work on the land can begin. The agency also inspects the companies' drilling and production on the leased lands.^[5]

In 2013, there were 47,427 active leases covering 36.09 million acres of federal land nationwide. Of that total, 683 leases (1.44 percent of all leases), covering 415,181 acres (1.15 percent of all leased land in 2013), were in Texas. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, 965 leases (25.5 percent) were in Texas.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

The table below shows how Texas compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013. Texas had more active leases than Louisiana but fewer than New Mexico and Oklahoma. Texas had 415,181 acres under lease in 2013, which was more than Louisiana and Oklahoma but fewer than New Mexico.

Payments in lieu of taxes

See also: Payments in lieu of taxes

Since local governments cannot collect taxes on federally owned property, the U.S. Department of the Interior issues payments to local governments to replace lost property tax revenue from federal land. The payments, known as "Payments in Lieu of Taxes" (PILTs), are typically used for funding services such as fire departments, police protection, school construction and roads.^[11]

The table below shows PILTs for Texas compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013. Texas received more PILTs in 2013 than Louisiana and Oklahoma but fewer than New Mexico.

Environmental policy in the 50 states

Click on a state below to read more about that state's energy policy.

See also

• 

  Environmental policy in the U.S.

  See Also

  Top 10 Most Hunter Friendly States

• 

  Energy policy in the U.S.

• 

  Endangered species policy

External links

• U.S. National Park Service
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management
• Congressional Research Service

Footnotes

v•e Environmental Policy
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Environmental policy by state	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Endangered species policy	Costs of listing a species • Delisting a species • Endangered Species Act litigation • Endangered species policy in the United States • Endangered Species Act litigation • History of the Endangered Species Act • Private property and the Endangered Species Act • Science and the Endangered Species Act • Success rate of the Endangered Species Act • Transparency and the Endangered Species Act
Endangered species policy by state	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Environmental statistics	Payments in lieu of taxes • Land ownership by state • Grazing permits on BLM lands • Federal land ownership by state • BLM oil and gas permits by state • Environmental spending in the 50 states • Greenhouse gas emissions by state • Superfund sites in the United States • National Park Visitor Spending Effects Report
Endangered species statistics	Endangered species by state • Endangered animals by state • Endangered plants by state • Delisted species • Top 20 federally funded species • Land acquisition funding for endangered species • Federal endangered species grants by state