Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Federal land policy in Kansas

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

BP-Initials-UPDATED.png This article does not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.


Public Policy
Environmental Policy Logo on Ballotpedia.png
Environmental policy in the United States

Endangered species policy

Endangered species policy in the U.S.

State environmental policy
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png


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 0.57 percent of Kansas's total land, 301,157 acres out of 52,510,720 total acres.

Kansas ranked 40th 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]

According to the Congressional Research Service, Kansas spans 52.51 million acres. Of that total, 0.57 percent, or 301,157 acres, belonged to the federal government as of 2012. More than 52 million acres in Kansas are not owned by the federal government, or 18.04 non-federal acres per capita. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government's land ownership in Kansas increased by 20,022 acres.[1]

The table below shows federal land ownership in Kansas compared to its neighbor, Colorado, and a northeastern state, New York. The U.S. Department of Defense owned 163,011 acres in Kansas compared to 449,964 acres in Colorado and 133,714 in New York. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages endangered species, owned 29,509 acres in Kansas compared to 173,265 acres in Colorado and 27,997 acres in New York.

Federal land ownership in Kansas and other states by agency
State
Agency Kansas Colorado New York
Acres owned Percentage owned Acres owned Percentage owned Acres owned Percentage owned
U.S. Forest Service 108,176 35.92% 14,520,965 60.29% 16,228 7.68%
U.S. National Park Service 461 0.15% 609,880 2.53% 33,483 15.84%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 29,509 9.80% 173,265 0.72% 27,997 13.24%
U.S. Bureau of Land Management 0 0.00% 8,332,001 34.59% 0 0.00%
U.S. Department of Defense 163,011 54.13% 449,964 1.87% 133,714 63.25%
Total federal land 301,157 100% 24,086,075 100% 211,422 100.00%
Source: Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data"

Land usage

Recreation

National parks in Kansas

Kansas has five National Park Service units, one national forest, four national historic sites and five national historic trails. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 91,931 visitors attended Kansas' national parks and monuments and generated $4.1 million in visitor spending in 2013.[3]

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

State recreation lands

Kansas' state parks are managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. 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 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, 482 leases (1.02 percent of all leases), covering 125,089 acres (0.35 percent of all leased land in 2013), were in Kansas. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, one lease was in Kansas.[6][7][8][9][10]

The table below shows how Kansas compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013. Kansas had more active leases and acres under lease than Nebraska and Missouri but fewer than Oklahoma.

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
Kansas 482 125,089 1.02% 0.35%
Missouri 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Nebraska 30 11,428 0.06% 0.03%
Oklahoma 1,284 321,757 2.71% 0.89%
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 Kansas compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013. Kansas received the fewest PILTs in 2013 compared to neighboring states.

Total PILTs for Kansas and neighboring states
State FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 State's percentage of 2013 total
Kansas $1,108,537 $1,131,373 $1,104,649 0.27%
Missouri $2,546,022 $2,736,800 $3,079,132 0.77%
Nebraska $996,651 $1,131,384 $1,120,561 0.28%
Oklahoma $2,639,362 $2,740,199 $2,794,607 0.70%
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.

http://ballotpedia.org/Environmental_policy_in_STATE

See also

External links

Footnotes