Federal land policy in Wyoming (2024)

in Wyoming

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Public Policy
Environmental policy in the United States
Endangered species policy
Endangered species policy in the U.S.
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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 48.19 percent of Wyoming's total land, 30,043,512 acres out of 62,343,040 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, Wyoming spans 62.34 million acres. Of that total, 48.19 percent, or 30.04 million acres, belonged to the federal government as of 2012. More than 32 million acres in Wyoming are not owned by the federal government, or 55.43 non-federal acres per capita. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government's land ownership in Wyoming decreased by 89,608 acres.^[1]

The table below shows federal land ownership in Wyoming compared to its neighbor, Montana, and a northeastern state, Connecticut, as a comparison. More than 61 percent of federal land in Wyoming, or 18.3 million acres, was owned by U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In contrast, the Bureau of Land Management owned 29.6 percent of federal land in Montana and zero percent of federal land in Connecticut. The U.S. National Park Service owned more than 9.2 million acres in Wyoming and 17 million acres in Montana, but only 5,719 acres in Connecticut.^[1]

Land usage

Recreation

National parks in Wyoming

Wyoming has seven National Park Service units, two national monuments, five national forests, 15 wilderness areas, one national recreation area, one national historic sites and four national historic trails. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 6.07 million visitors attended Wyoming's national parks and monuments and generated $723.3 million in visitor spending in 2013.^[3]

State recreation lands

Wyoming's state parks are managed by the Wyoming Department of Parks and Recreation. To access a complete list of public access properties operated by the department, click here.^[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 its 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 an application containing information on how the exploration, drilling and production will be conducted by the company. Afterward, the BLM will produce an environmental analysis and a list of requirements before energy exploration can begin. The agency also inspects the companies' drilling and producing 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, 16,209 leases (34.18 percent of all leases) covering 11.23 million acres (31.12 percent of all leased land in 2013) were in Wyoming. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, 1,001 leases (26.5 percent) were in Wyoming.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

The table below shows how Wyoming compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013. Wyoming had the most active leases compared to neighboring states.

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 Wyoming compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013. Wyoming received $25.3 million in PILTs in 2013, which was less than neighboring states.

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.

• 

  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