Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
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Floyd K. Haskell (D–CO) on January 30, 1975 on October 21, 1976 |
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) is a
Background
Multiple factors led to the passing of the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976. Public opinion and attitude towards natural land had shifted, with more people wanting to preserve and protect federal lands.[1] The public influenced representatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate to create an act that would change how federal lands were overseen, transitioning from little management to intense land management. The work of the Public Land Law Review Commission and the commission's findings have been given credit for introducing ideas that would eventually lead to FLPMA.[2] The Public Land Law Review Commission reviewed legislation regarding federal land, deducing which laws were outdated, unnecessary, and needed to be revised.[3] The numerous laws that the Public Land Law Review Commission found to be inefficient combined with the public's desire for better federal land management motivated the United States Congress to pass the FLPMA.
Overview of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
The FLPMA changed the way that the federal government managed lands and the resources on those lands by providing the Bureau of Land Management more control over the acquisition and disposal of land and by creating a detailed plan that analyzed the environmental concerns of federal land. The act greatly increased the power of the Bureau of Land Management in the Department of the Interior to acquire and dispose of federal land.[4] The FLPMA required a plan to be created for land to determine the environmental value of that land and if it could be designated for public use.[5] The plan would detail the environmental concerns of the land, requiring that three factors be upheld:
- The land must be managed in a way that protects the integrity of the natural resources and cultural or historical artifacts found on the land.[5]
- Segments of the land that were deemed to be in danger or vital had to be protected.[5]
- Any sections of the land that had environmental significance be established.[5]
The Bureau of Land Management had to follow these requirements when making any decisions regarding the management of federal land that was intended for public use.
Congress recognized the value of the public lands, declaring that these lands would remain in public ownership. The
Parts of FLPMA relating specifically to
References and note
- ^ Clawson, Marion (1979). "The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 in a Broad Historical Perspective". heinonline.org. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ Carver Jr., John A. (1977). "Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976: Fruition or Frustration". Denver Law Journal. 54: 387–444 – via HeinOnline.
- ^ Muys, Jerome (1979). "The Public Land Law Review Commission's Impact on the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976". Arizona Law Review. 21: 301–310 – via HeinOnline.
- ^ Comay, Laura B., Crafton, R. Elliot, Hoover, Katie, Vincent, Carol Hardy. "Federal Land Ownership: Current Acquisition and Disposal Authorities." (2007).
- ^ a b c d Hagenstein, Perry R (1979). "Public Lands and Environmental Concerns". Arizona Law Review. 21: 449–460 – via HeinOnline.