Federal land policy in Montana
 in Montana |
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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 28.86 percent of Montana's total land, 26,921,861 acres out of 93,271,040 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]
According to the Congressional Research Service, Montana spans 93.27 million acres. Of that total, 28.86 percent, or 26.92 million acres, belonged to the federal government as of 2012. More than 66.3 million acres in Montana are not owned by the federal government, or 65.36 non-federal acres per capita. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government's land ownership in Montana increased by 195,642 acres.[1]
The table below shows federal land ownership in Montana compared to its neighbor, Idaho, and a northeastern state, Connecticut. More than 17 million acres in Montana are owned by the U.S. Forest Service, which owned more than 20.4 million acres in Idaho and only 24 acres in Connecticut. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages endangered species, owned 635,066 acres in Montana compared to 48,947 acres in Idaho and 1,206 acres in Connecticut.
| Federal land ownership in Montana and other states by agency | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | |||||||||||
| Agency | Montana | Idaho | Connecticut | ||||||||
| Acres owned | Percentage owned | Acres owned | Percentage owned | Acres owned | Percentage owned | ||||||
| U.S. Forest Service | 17,082,821 | 63.45% | 20,465,014 | 62.71% | 24 | 0.28% | |||||
| U.S. National Park Service | 1,214,184 | 4.51% | 507,585 | 1.56% | 5,719 | 66.83% | |||||
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 635,066 | 2.36% | 48,947 | 0.15% | 1,206 | 14.09% | |||||
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management | 7,981,452 | 29.65% | 11,610,111 | 35.57% | 0 | 0.00% | |||||
| U.S. Department of Defense | 8,338 | 0.03% | 4,178 | 0.01% | 1,608 | 18.79% | |||||
| Total federal land | 26,921,861 | 100% | 32,635,835 | 100% | 8,557 | 100.00% | |||||
| Source: Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data" | |||||||||||
Land usage
Recreation
National parks in Montana
Montana has eight National Park Service units, one national monument, 10 national forests, 15 wilderness areas, one national recreation area, two national historic sites and six national historic trails. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 4.28 million visitors attended Montana's national parks and monuments and generated $397.3 million in visitor spending in 2013.[3]
State recreation lands
Montana's state parks are managed by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department (FWP). To access a complete list of public access properties operated by FWP, 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 information about how the company will conduct its drilling and production. 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 production 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, 3,488 leases (7.35 percent of all leases), covering 2.72 million acres (7.56 percent of all leased land in 2013), were in Montana. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, 26 leases (0.06 percent) were in Montana.[6][7][8][9][10]
The table below shows how Montana compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013. Montana had more active leases and acres under lease than North Dakota and South Dakota but fewer than Wyoming.
| 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 |
| Montana | 3,488 | 2,728,738 | 7.35% | 7.56% |
| North Dakota | 2,061 | 1,024,007 | 4.35% | 2.84% |
| South Dakota | 303 | 162,902 | 0.64% | 0.45% |
| Wyoming | 16,209 | 11,232,643 | 34.18% | 31.12% |
| 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 Montana compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013. Montana received the most PILTs in 2013 compared to neighboring states.
| Total PILTs for Montana and neighboring states | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | FY 2011 | FY 2012 | FY 2013 | State's percentage of 2013 total | ||
| Montana | $24,717,269 | $26,151,999 | $26,497,071 | 6.60% | ||
| 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% | ||
| Wyoming | $25,656,797 | $25,315,295 | $25,340,612 | 6.31% | ||
| 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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 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. National Park Service, "2013 National Park Visitor Spending Effects Report," accessed October 14, 2014
- ↑ Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department, "State Parks," accessed December 22, 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
