Federal land policy in Connecticut
 in Connecticut |
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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. As of 2012, the federal government owned 0.27 percent of Connecticut's total land, 8,557 acres out of 3,135,360 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]
Connecticut is located in the northeastern United States, and as such is considered to be part of the New England region. New England states are typically smaller in total land acreage than Midwestern and Western states, and fewer acres in New England states are owned by the federal government. According to the Congressional Research Service, Connecticut has a total acreage of 3.1 million acres. Of that total, 0.3 percent, or 8,557 acres, belong to the federal government. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government increased its ownership of land in Connecticut by 1,774 acres. The federal government owns between 635-640 million acres nationwide, or 28 percent of the estimated 2.27 billion acres in the nation. 3.126 million acres in Connecticut are not owned by the federal government, which works out to an average of 0.86 acres per capita for the state's 3.596 million residents.[3]
The following table shows federal land ownership in Connecticut compared to two western states, as a comparison. While Nevada and Utah have millions of acres owned by the U.S. Forest Service, the service only owns 24 acres in Connecticut. While the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns millions of acres in Nevada and hundreds of thousands in Utah, the BLM does not own any land in Connecticut.
| Federal land ownership in Connecticut and other states by agency | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | |||||||||||
| Agency | Connecticut | Nevada | Utah | ||||||||
| Acres owned | Percentage owned | Acres owned | Percentage owned | Acres owned | Percentage owned | ||||||
| U.S. Forest Service | 24 | 0.28% | 5,764,262 | 10.12% | 8,207,415 | 23.43% | |||||
| U.S. National Park Service | 5,719 | 66.83% | 774,751 | 1.36% | 2,097,106 | 5.99% | |||||
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 1,206 | 14.09% | 20,465,014 | 62.71% | 507,585 | 1.56% | |||||
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management | 0 | 0.00% | 15,687,556 | 48.02% | 192,020 | 0.59% | |||||
| U.S. Department of Defense | 1,608 | 18.79% | 20,821,541 | 43.56% | 7,570,527 | 15.84% | |||||
| Total federal land | 8,557 | 100% | 56,961,778 | 100% | 35,033,603 | 100% | |||||
| Source: Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data" | |||||||||||
Land usage
Recreation
National parks in Connecticut
Connecticut has two National Park Service units, one national historic trail, one national historic site and one national scenic trail. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 22,863 visitors attended Connecticut's national parks and monuments and generated $1.3 million in visitor spending in 2013.[4][5]
State parks in Connecticut
There are 70 state parks in Connecticut managed by the Connecticut State Parks, a division of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.[6]
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. 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 from the company containing information on how the exploration, drilling and production will be conducted. 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 producing on the leased lands.[7]
In 2013, there were 47,427 active leases covering 36.09 million acres of federal land nationwide. Of that total, no leases were in Connecticut. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, no leases were issued in Connecticut.[8][9][10][11][12]
The table below shows how Connecticut compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013.
| Oil and gas leasing on BLM lands by state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Active permits on BLM lands (FY 2013) | Total acres under lease (FY 2013) | State percentage of total permits | State percentage of total acres |
| Connecticut | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Delaware | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Maine | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| New York | 5 | 1,183 | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| New Hampshire | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Total United States | 47,427 permits | 36,092,482 acres | - | - |
| Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Statistics" | ||||
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.[13]
The table below shows PILTs for Connecticut compared to neighboring states.
| Total PILTs for Connecticut and neighboring states | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | FY 2011 | FY 2012 | FY 2013 | State's percentage of 2013 total | ||
| Connecticut | $29,011 | $29,612 | $28,900 | 0.01% | ||
| Delaware | $17,897 | $18,268 | $17,828 | 0.00% | ||
| Maine | $303,652 | $316,048 | $299,779 | 0.07% | ||
| New York | $127,278 | $152,301 | $144,520 | 0.04% | ||
| New Hampshire | $1,750,215 | $1,800,869 | $1,767,252 | 0.44% | ||
| Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, "PILT" | ||||||
Environmental policy in the 50 states
Click on a state below to read more about that state's energy policy.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data," accessed September 15, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congressional Research Service, "Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 113th Congress," December 8, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data," February 8, 2012
- ↑ U.S. National Park Service, "Connecticut Parks," accessed October 10, 2014
- ↑ U.S. National Park Service, "2013 National Park Visitor Spending Effects Report," accessed October 14, 2014
- ↑ Connecticut State Parks, "Connecticut State Parks by Name," accessed October 7, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Lease Sales," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Number of Acres Leased During the Fiscal Year," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Total Number of Leases in Effect," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Summary of Onshore Oil and Gas Statistics," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Number of Drilling Permits Approved by Fiscal Year on Federal Lands," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Total Number of Acres Under Lease As of the Last Day of the Fiscal Year," accessed October 22, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Department of the Interior, "PILT," accessed October 4, 2014
