Last updated on November 30th, 2018
image: Reno Gazette Journal
Ever wondered how much land in the United States is under the control of the Federal government?
I looked on in amazement as I discovered a map produced by the Bureau of Land Management which shows the extent to which the government controls land mass in the United States – especially in the West…
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages more surface land than any other Federal agency – approximately 245 million acres.
Much of these lands are located primarily in the West, but the bureau has a national presence with control for some 700 million acres of sub-surface of both Federal and non-Federal lands.
The BLM administers lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Additionally, the BLM manages 58 million acres owned by non-Federal entities such as States and private landowners.
The BLM also oversees operations on 56 million acres of Indian lands.
The massive U.S. government land ownership states:
Nevada: 84.5 percent
Alaska: 69.1 percent
Utah: 57.4 percent
Oregon: 53.1 percent
Idaho: 50.2 percent
Arizona: 48.1 percent
California: 45.3 percent
Wyoming: 42.4 percent
New Mexico: 41.8 percent
Colorado: 36.6 percent
Washington: 30.3 percent
Montana: 29.9 percent
Total Federal Land As A Percentage Of State Land
image source: EconomicPolicyJournal.com