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Federal land policy in Florida

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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 13.07 percent of Florida's total land, 4,536,811 acres out of 34,721,280 total acres.

Florida ranked 13th in the nation in federal land ownership as of 2012.

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]

Florida is located in the southeastern United States. According to the Congressional Research Service, the state of Florida has a total acreage of 34.7 million acres. Of that total, 13.07 percent, or 4.53 million acres, belongs to the federal government. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government increased its ownership of land in Florida by 191,835 acres. The federal government owns between 635 million to 640 million acres nationwide, or 28 percent of the estimated 2.27 billion acres in the nation. 30.17 million acres in Florida are not owned by the federal government, which works out to an average of 1.54 acres per capita for the state's 19.55 million residents.[1]

The table below shows federal land ownership in Florida compared to two neighboring states. In Florida, the majority of federal land (53.7 percent) is owned by the U.S. National Park Service, compared to only 2 percent of federal land in Georgia and 1.9 percent in Alabama. 25.9 percent of Florida's federal land was owned by the U.S. Forest Service, which was smaller than Georgia (44.3 percent) and Alabama (76.9 percent).

Federal land ownership in Florida and other states by agency
State
Agency Florida Georgia Alabama
Acres owned Percentage owned Acres owned Percentage owned Acres owned Percentage owned
U.S. Forest Service 1,176,222 25.93% 867,199 44.32% 670,185 76.92%
U.S. National Park Service 2,437,499 53.73% 39,754 2.03% 16,714 1.92%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 278,430 6.14% 482,694 24.67% 32,207 3.70%
U.S. Bureau of Land Management 3,134 0.07% 0 0.00% 3,523 0.40%
U.S. Department of Defense 641,526 14.14% 567,072 28.98% 148,603 17.06%
Total federal land 4,536,811 100% 1,956,719 100% 871,232 100.00%
Source: Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data"

Land usage

Recreation

National parks in Florida

Florida has 11 National Park Service units, two national monuments, one national forest and 17 wilderness areas. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 10.2 million visitors attended Florida's national parks and monuments and generated $584.1 million in visitor spending in 2013.[3]

Federal lands and Indian reservations in Florida by government agency (click on the image to enlarge)

State recreation lands

There are 168 state parks in Florida. The table below contains a list of all state parks in Florida.

Economic impact of state lands

According to a study commissioned by the Florida Park Service, which manages the state's parks and trails, between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014, roughly 27.1 million visitors attended Florida state parks and trails, 1.5 million more visitors than the same period between 2012 and 2013. The Florida Park Service also estimated that the economic impact of the state's parks and trails totaled $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2013. According to the service, economic impact refers to the amount of new dollars spent by non-local park visitors and by park operations (including employees) throughout the local economy near a state park or trail. The study also claimed that Florida state parks and trails generated $58.1 million in total revenue during fiscal year 2013 and supported 23,396 jobs associated with the state's parks and trails. The state park that generated the greatest economic impact, according to the study, was the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, which generated $113.7 million in direct economic impacts and had 1.4 million visitors in fiscal year 2013.[4]

Economic activity on federal lands

Oil and gas activity

See also: BLM oil and gas leases by state

Federal lands can be leased by private mining companies, including oil and natural gas companies, for exploration and production. 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 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.[5]

In 2013, there were 47,427 active leases covering 36.09 million acres of federal land nationwide. Of that total, no leases were in Florida. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, no leases were in Florida.[6][7][8][9][10]

The table below shows how Florida 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
Florida 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Alabama 138 75,390 0.29% 0.21%
Georgia 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Louisiana 525 297,028 1.11% 0.82%
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.[11]

The table below shows PILTs for Florida compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013.

Total PILTs for Florida and neighboring states
State FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 State's percentage of 2013 total
Florida $4,660,743 $4,891,669 $4,968,346 1.24%
Alabama $721,010 $805,176 $901,119 0.22%
Georgia $2,072,956 $2,242,635 $2,286,091 0.57%
Louisiana $554,343 $609,979 $634,317 0.16%
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior


Environmental policy in the 50 states

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

http://ballotpedia.org/Environmental_policy_in_STATE

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data," accessed September 15, 2014
  2. ↑ U.S. Congressional Research Service, "Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 113th Congress," December 8, 2014
  3. ↑ U.S. National Park Service, "2013 National Park Visitor Spending Effects Report," accessed October 14, 2014
  4. ↑ Florida State Parks, "About us," accessed November 18, 2014
  5. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Lease Sales," accessed October 20, 2014
  6. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Number of Acres Leased During the Fiscal Year," accessed October 20, 2014
  7. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Total Number of Leases in Effect," accessed October 20, 2014
  8. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Summary of Onshore Oil and Gas Statistics," accessed October 20, 2014
  9. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Number of Drilling Permits Approved by Fiscal Year on Federal Lands," accessed October 20, 2014
  10. ↑ 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
  11. ↑ U.S. Department of the Interior, "PILT," accessed October 4, 2014
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