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Federal land policy in Minnesota

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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 6.78 percent of Minnesota's total land, 3,469,211 acres out of 51,205,760 total acres.

Minnesota ranked 15th 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, Minnesota spans 51.2 million acres. Of that total, 6.78 percent, or 3.469 million acres, belonged to the federal government as of 2012. More than 47.7 million acres in Minnesota are not owned by the federal government, or 8.8 non-federal acres per capita. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government's land ownership in Minnesota decreased by 76,491 acres.[1]

The table below shows federal land ownership in Minnesota compared to two neighboring states. More than 81 percent of Minnesota's federal land was owned by the U.S. Forest Service; more than 2.8 million acres belonged to the U.S. Forest Service in Minnesota compared to 1.53 million acres in Wisconsin (the Forest Service owns no acres in Iowa). Around 483,787 acres in Minnesota (13.95 percent) were owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service compared to 200,210 acres in Wisconsin (10.73 percent) and only 70,564 acres in Iowa (57.55 percent).

Federal land ownership in Minnesota and other states by agency
State
Agency Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin
Acres owned Percentage owned Acres owned Percentage owned Acres owned Percentage owned
U.S. Forest Service 2,841,630 81.91% 0 0.00% 1,533,517 82.21%
U.S. National Park Service 139,570 4.02% 2,708 2.21% 61,744 3.31%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 483,787 13.95% 70,564 57.55% 200,210 10.73%
U.S. Bureau of Land Management 1,447 0.04% 0 0.00% 2,364 0.13%
U.S. Department of Defense 2,777 0.08% 49,331 40.24% 67,540 3.62%
Total federal land 3,469,211 100% 122,603 100% 1,865,375 100.00%
Source: Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data"

Land usage

Recreation

National parks in Minnesota

Minnesota has five National Park Service units, two national monuments, two national forests, three wilderness areas and one national recreation area. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 658,331 visitors attended Minnesota's national parks and monuments and generated $38.1 million in visitor spending in 2013.[3]

State recreation lands

The table below contains a list of all state parks in Minnesota.

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

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.[4]

In 2013, there were 47,427 active leases covering 36.09 million acres of federal land nationwide. Of that total, no leases were in Minnesota. In 2013, out of 3,773 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, no leases were in Minnesota.[5][6][7][8][9]

The table below shows how Minnesota compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013. Minnesota had no active leases or acres under lease 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
Minnesota 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
North Dakota 2,061 1,024,007 4.35% 2.84%
South Dakota 303 162,902 0.64% 0.45%
Wisconsin 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

Jay Cooke State Park in northeastern Minnesota
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.[10]

The table below shows PILTs for Minnesota compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013. Minnesota received more PILTs in 2013 than North Dakota and Wisconsin but less than North Dakota.

Total PILTs for Minnesota and neighboring states
State FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 State's percentage of 2013 total
Minnesota $1,808,191 $1,944,085 $1,974,972 0.49%
North Dakota $1,452,758 $1,418,453 $1,374,438 0.34%
South Dakota $4,995,110 $5,363,811 $5,669,767 1.41%
Wisconsin $455,637 $466,912 $453,945 0.11%
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, "PILT"

State trust lands

Map of state trust lands as of November 2014

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' School Trust Lands division manages 2.5 million acres of school trust lands intended to benefit public education. The division also manages 1 million acres of mineral rights. Revenues generated from these lands are given to the state's permanent school fund, which is managed by the State Board of Investment. Most school trust lands are found in northeastern Minnesota, though other trust lands are intermixed with privately and federally owned land. In fiscal year 2013, the Minnesota School Trust Lands generated $41,054,214 in net revenue. 78 percent of that was from mineral leases. Payments to the Permanent School Fund during fiscal year 2013 was $31,042,773.[11][12]

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. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Lease Sales," accessed October 20, 2014
  5. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Number of Acres Leased During the Fiscal Year," accessed October 20, 2014
  6. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Total Number of Leases in Effect," accessed October 20, 2014
  7. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Summary of Onshore Oil and Gas Statistics," accessed October 20, 2014
  8. ↑ U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Number of Drilling Permits Approved by Fiscal Year on Federal Lands," accessed October 20, 2014
  9. ↑ 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
  10. ↑ U.S. Department of the Interior, "PILT," accessed October 4, 2014
  11. ↑ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, "School Trust Lands," accessed November 16, 2014
  12. ↑ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Minnesota's School Trust Lands Biennial Report (2012-2013)," accessed November 16, 2014
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