The challenge of managing public lands started as soon as America 

established its independence and began acquiring additional lands. 

Initially, these public lands were used to encourage homesteading and 

westward migration, and the General Land Office (GLO) was created 

to support this national goal. Over time, however, values and attitudes 

regarding public lands shifted. Many significant laws and events led 

to the establishment of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and 

laid the foundation for its mission to sustain the health, diversity, and 

productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of 

present and future generations. 

www.blm.gov/history

Our Public Land Heritage:

From the GLO to the BLM

1776

Declaration of 

Independence

is signed.

1778

Second Continental 

Congress begins 

persuading states to 

cede land to create

the public domain.

1785

Land Ordinance 

allows settlement of 

public domain lands 

and establishes 

the government’s 

rectangular survey 

system. 

1789

U.S. Constitution 

gives Congress the 

“Power to dispose 

of and make all 

needful Rules 

and Regulations 

respecting The 

Territory and other 

Property belonging to 

the United States.”

1803

Ohio becomes the 

first state created 

from the public 

domain.

1812

General

Land Office

is established

within the

Treasury

Department

to oversee

disposition of

ceded and

acquired lands.

1837

On its 25th 

anniversary, the 

General Land Office 

has 65 district

land offices.

1824

Office of Indian 

Affairs is established 

in the Department 

of War and is later 

transferred to

the Department of

the Interior

1843

“Great Migration” 

on the Oregon Trail 

begins.

1844

First geological 

surveys of public 

lands are initiated 

by the General Land 

Office in Michigan.

1849

Department of the 

Interior is established 

and the General Land 

Office is transferred to 

the new department.

1850

First railroad land 

grants are made in 

Illinois, Alabama, and 

Mississippi.

1860

First Pony Express 

rider leaves 

St. Joseph, Missouri.

1862

Homestead Act 

entitles settlers to 

160 acres of public 

land after they reside 

on and cultivate the 

land for 5 years.

Transcontinental 

Railroad Act gives 

railroad companies 

rights-of-way and 

alternate sections of 

public domain lands 

along both sides of 

their railroads.

1869

First transcontinental 

railroad is completed 

at Promontory 

Summit, Utah.

1872

General Mining Law 

identifies mineral 

lands as a distinct 

class of public lands 

subject to exploration, 

occupation, and 

purchase under 

stipulated conditions.

Establishment of 

Yellowstone National 

Park marks a shift 

from disposition to 

conservation and 

protection of federal 

lands.

1877

Desert Land Act 

authorizes the 

disposition of 

640-acre tracts 

of public lands to 

homesteaders upon 

proof of reclamation 

of the lands by 

irrigation.

1878

Timber and Stone 

Act authorizes the 

negotiated sale 

of lands that are 

valuable for either 

logging or mining and 

otherwise unfit for 

cultivation.

1894

Carey Act authorizes 

transfer of up to 

1 million acres of 

public desert land to 

states for settling, 

irrigating, and 

cultivating purposes.

1897

Forest Management 

“Organic” Act 

transfers fire 

protection 

responsibilities for 

forest reserves from 

the Department of 

Army to the General 

Land Office.

1898

Congress extends 

homestead laws to 

Alaska.

1906

Antiquities Act 

preserves and 

protects prehistoric, 

historic, and 

scientifically 

significant sites on 

public lands and 

creates national 

monuments.

1911

Weeks Act permits 

the federal purchase 

of private land 

to protect the 

headwaters of rivers 

and watersheds and 

calls for cooperative 

fire protection efforts.

1916

Stock Raising 

Homestead 

Act authorizes 

homesteads of 

640 acres and 

separates surface 

rights from subsurface 

(mineral) rights.

1920

Mineral Leasing Act 

authorizes federal 

leasing of public lands 

for private extraction 

of oil, gas, coal, 

phosphate, sodium, 

and other minerals.

1926

Recreation and 

Public Purposes Act 

allows conveyance 

or lease of public 

lands to state and 

local governments for 

outdoor recreation 

purposes.

1934

Taylor Grazing Act 

authorizes grazing 

districts, grazing 

regulation, and 

public rangeland 

improvements in 

western states 

(excluding Alaska) 

and establishes the 

Division of Grazing 

(later renamed the 

U.S. Grazing Service) 

within the Department 

of the Interior.

1937

Oregon and California 

(O&C) Revested 

Lands Sustained 

Yield Management 

Act requires O&C 

Railroad lands 

to be managed 

for permanent 

forest production 

and provides for 

watershed protection, 

regulation of 

streamflow, and 

recreational facilities.

1939

Alaskan Fire Control 

Service is created 

within the General 

Land Office to prevent 

and suppress fires on 

Alaska public lands.

1783

Lands south of the Great Lakes 

and east of the Mississippi River 

are ceded to the United States.

1803

Louisiana Purchase 

nearly doubles the size 

of the United States. 

1819

Spanish cession of Florida and 

boundary adjustments west of the 

Mississippi River add more than 46 

million acres to the public domain.

1848

Mexico cedes California 

and vast areas of the 

inland West to the 

United States.

1853

Gadsden Purchase adds 

almost 19 million acres of 

public lands in southern 

Arizona and New Mexico.

1867

United States purchases 

Alaska, adding 375 

million acres to the 

public domain.

1845

Republic of Texas 

is annexed by the 

United States. 

1846

Oregon compromise 

gives the United States 

claim to part of the Pacific 

Northwest.

Land Acquisitions of the United States

1889

Oklahoma Land Rush 

begins the disposal of 

federal public domain 

lands in Oklahoma.

Lewis’ and Clark’s path across the western portion of North America, published 1814

William Clark

Meriwether Lewis

John Trumbull’s painting,

Declaration of Independence

Wagon train

Homestead

Workers joining 

the tracks for 

the first

transcontinental 

railroad

Placer mining in Colorado, 1893

Oklahoma Land Rush

Theodore Roosevelt and 

John Muir, 1903

Evening campfire, 1926

Gold dredge in Alaska, 1938

Travel across the desert 

in California

1861 • 1865

American Civil War

1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930

1783

Revolutionary War ends

1917 • 1918

World War I

1929

Great Depression

Begins
Today, the BLM benefits the national

economy as well as the economies of local

communities. Activities on BLM lands,

such as energy production, mineral

extraction, timber harvesting, grazing, 

and recreation, result in jobs and income 

from goods and services associated with 

public land resources. In 2010, the BLM’s

management of public lands contributed

more than $112 billion to the national

economy and supported more than

500,000 American jobs.

2000

National Landscape Conservation System

is established. 

Executive Order 13175 mandates consultation 

and collaboration with tribal officials in developing 

federal policy that has tribal implications.

2005

Energy Policy Act ensures energy efficiency

and the production of secure, affordable, and 

reliable domestic energy.

2008

BLM-managed lands are officially designated as the 

National System of Public Lands.

2009

Omnibus Public Land Management Act

authorizes the 26-million-acre National

Landscape Conservation System and

establishes permit requirements and penalties

for unauthorized removal of paleontological

resources from federal lands.

1953

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act authorizes the 

Secretary of the Interior to lease mineral lands 

more than 3 miles offshore; the BLM assumes 

responsibility for leasing through competitive sales. 

1954

Recreation and Public Purposes Act amends the 

1926 act and allows the sale and lease of public 

lands for other purposes in addition to recreation.

The BLM reorganizes and creates

a state office system.

1955

Multiple Surface Use Act withdraws common 

varieties of minerals from entry as mining claims 

and allows claim owners to use the surface for 

mining operation purposes only. 

1959

Wild Horse Protection Act prohibits the roundup of 

wild horses by aircraft and motor vehicles.

1960

Public Land Administration Act allows the use of 

donations and cooperative agreements to improve 

and better manage public lands.

1964

Public Land Law Review Commission is 

established to study public land laws and make 

long-term recommendations for public land use.

Wilderness Act protects undeveloped federal land 

to preserve its natural condition.

The BLM adopts a new logo.

1965

Land and Water Conservation

Fund is established for federal

acquisition of outdoor recreation areas.

1966

National Historic Preservation Act expands 

protection of prehistoric and historic properties.

1968

Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Trails 

System Acts preserve sites with outstanding 

natural, cultural, scenic, historic, and recreational 

significance. 

Johnny Horizon program promotes public 

awareness of BLM-administered lands.

1969

National Environmental Policy Act requires federal 

agencies to assess the impacts of their actions on 

the environment.

1971

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act provides for 

settlement of aboriginal land claims of Alaskan 

Natives and Native groups; the BLM is tasked with 

the largest U.S. land transfer effort ever undertaken. 

Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act

provides for the protection and management

of these animals on federal lands.

1973

Endangered Species Act requires the conservation of 

threatened and endangered plants and animals and 

the ecosystems upon which they depend.

1975

Energy Policy and Conservation Act addresses 

energy demands and establishes a strategic 

petroleum reserve.

1976

Federal Land Policy and Management Act requires 

that public lands be managed for multiple uses

and sustained yield through land use planning.

Management of the National Petroleum Reserve–

Alaska is transferred to the BLM.

1977

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

ensures environmental safeguards for mining and 

reclamation of mined areas.

Trans Alaska Pipeline System begins transporting

oil 800 miles from Alaska’s North Slope

to the Port of Valdez.

1978

Public Rangelands Improvement Act requires 

inventory, determination of trends, and

improvement of public rangelands.

1979

Archaeological Resources Protection Act requires 

permits for excavation or removal of these resources 

from federal lands and provides stringent criminal 

and civil penalties for violations.

1980

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 

designates and conserves public lands in Alaska 

as national parks, wildlife refuges, wild and scenic 

rivers, wilderness, and forests and provides for 

subsistence use by rural Alaska residents.

Energy Security Act promotes the development 

of alternative energy sources such as oil shale, 

synthetic fuel, wind power, and geothermal sources.

The BLM completes its first resource management 

plan, covering the California Desert Conservation 

Area, and designates its first areas of critical 

environmental concern in Utah and California.

1983

Bear Trap Canyon in southwestern Montana is 

designated by Congress as BLM’s first wilderness 

area (it later became part of Lee Metcalf Wilderness).

The BLM transfers responsibility for offshore leasing 

to the Minerals Management Service.

1987

Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act 

establishes a new leasing system and changes 

certain operational procedures for onshore resources 

on federal lands.

1990

Northern spotted owl is listed as a threatened 

species under the Endangered Species Act,

leading to an enjoinment of all timber sales on 

federal lands within its range.

1992

Energy Policy Act increases focus on alternative 

energy sources, energy efficiency, and reducing the 

country’s reliance on foreign fuel sources.

1993

Presidential summit leads to the development of

the Northwest Forest Plan to address human

and environmental needs in areas within the

northern spotted owl region.

1994

BLM Summit, the first ever gathering of all

BLM managers, resulted in the

development of a new strategic vision

for the BLM.

Rangeland Reform ’94 amends grazing regulations 

and establishes Resource Advisory Councils.

1996

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is 

designated by Presidential proclamation as

BLM’s first national monument.

2012

200th anniversary of the General Land Office and 

the 150th anniversary of the Homestead Act

1942

Extensive withdrawals of public lands for military 

and defense use begin, with more than 

13 million acres withdrawn in 2 years.

1946

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is established 

within the Department of the Interior through the 

consolidation of the General Land Office and the 

U.S. Grazing Service.

Cadastral surveyors

Oil well operation Johnny Horizon Cleanup Days near petroglyphs

in California, 1969

BLM range grass study, 1959

Alaska pipeline

Alaska Natives filleting salmon in Alaska, 1985

Northern

spotted owl

in Oregon

Femur bone fossil found on 

BLM land in Wyoming

Tent Rocks National Monument 

in New Mexico

An environmental education 

program in Colorado

Wind energy project Monitoring trees in Oregon in Wyoming

BLM/WO/GI-12/004+2000 • PMDS Number P-468

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

1941 • 1945 

World War II