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                            Managing Federal Lands and Waters
    Managing Federal Lands and Waters Jump To:
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                    Issue Summary
    Multiple federal agencies manage the nation’s land and water resources. However, these agencies face challenges with protecting and managing these resources. The management of these resources is largely characterized by the struggle to balance the demand for greater use of these resources with the need to conserve and protect them for the benefit of future generations.

The federal government owns and manages approximately 650 million acres of land in the United States—about 30% of the nation’s total surface area. Four major federal land management agencies—the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Park Service (NPS)—are responsible for managing about 95% of these lands. Other prominent federal agencies involved in natural resources management include the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps).

**Federal Lands Managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service**

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              Federal Lands Managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park ServiceThese agencies face a number of challenges with effectively managing the nation’s natural resources.

For instance:

BLM, FWS, NPS, and the Forest Service use funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to conserve land or enhance recreational activities. However, unlike the other agencies, BLM does not maintain centralized data about this land. Doing so would help BLM maintain a more complete inventory of its lands, respond more quickly to information requests from Congress, and provide additional information to manage its lands.
	Alaska contains over 12,000 rivers and more than 3 million lakes that often serve as important transportation corridors due to Alaska’s limited highway system. Under federal law, a state owns submerged lands beneath waters that were navigable as of the date of statehood—1959 for Alaska. Two complex and time-consuming processes can be used for resolving the ownership of submerged lands. While ownership of specific submerged lands is being resolved, federal land management agencies have taken some steps towards management of these lands through an interagency workgroup. However, they have not developed a process for collaborative land management that involves the state. Such a process could reduce intergovernmental conflicts and uncertainties for the public and stakeholders, such as Alaska Native Corporations that own lands adjacent to waterways.
	Most fisheries managers aren't factoring climate change into their management plans, but some are leading climate-related initiatives. Managers could benefit from learning about the actions others are taking. However, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)—which leads science and oversight of fisheries management and conservation in federal waters—doesn't regularly collect and share information about these efforts.
	Jetties, breakwaters, and other coastal structures shelter harbor entrances so ships can safely navigate to land. The structures also protect coastlines from erosion during severe storms. The Army Corps of Engineers builds and maintains these structures to congressional specifications. For example, congressional authorization may set the length of a structure, and the Corps may not be able to adjust it for today's more frequent and severe storms. Absent a change in authority or an additional authorization the Corps is only authorized to consider these structures' navigational benefits—not environmental ones—when prioritizing repairs and maintenance.**A Collapsed Breakwater in Buffalo, NY, after Storms in 2019 (top), with Comparison to Earlier Condition (bottom)**

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              Collapsed breakwater comparisonDebris in the ocean—such as plastic bottles and abandoned fishing gear—is a global economic and environmental problem. Multiple U.S. federal agencies work together on the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee to address this issue. The committee shares information on members’ activities, such as education and cleanup efforts. But although it’s required to report on the effectiveness of these activities and recommend funding priorities, the committee does not do so.

  Recent Reports
          Alaska Land Management: Resolving Ownership of Submerged LandsGAO-23-106235
      
	Published:  Jul 27, 2023


	Publicly Released: Aug 28, 2023
                        Combating Illegal Fishing: Better Information Sharing Could Enhance U.S. Efforts to Target Seafood Imports for InvestigationGAO-23-105643
      
	Published:  May 19, 2023


	Publicly Released: Jun 20, 2023
                        Abandoned Hardrock Mines: Land Management Agencies Should Improve Reporting of Total Cleanup CostsGAO-23-105408
      
	Published:  Jan 13, 2023


	Publicly Released: Feb 13, 2023
                        Recreational Boating: How Vessel Users Contribute to and Benefit from a Federal Trust FundGAO-23-105729
      
	Published:  Dec 15, 2022


	Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2022
                        Wildland Fire: Barriers to Recruitment and Retention of Federal Wildland FirefightersGAO-23-105517
      
	Published:  Nov 17, 2022


	Publicly Released: Nov 17, 2022
                        Federal Fisheries Management: Overfishing Determinations Vary Across Regions, and Data Challenges Complicate Management EffortsGAO-23-105172
      
	Published:  Oct 13, 2022


	Publicly Released: Oct 13, 2022
                        Grants Management: Interior Should Improve the Award Process for Some Competitive Grant ProgramsGAO-22-105407
      
	Published:  Aug 23, 2022


	Publicly Released: Aug 23, 2022
                        Federal Fisheries Management: Opportunities Exist to Enhance Climate ResilienceGAO-22-105132
      
	Published:  Aug 18, 2022


	Publicly Released: Aug 18, 2022
                        Coastal Navigation: Authorized Purposes of Jetties, Breakwaters, and Other Structures Can Impact Corps' Maintenance and RepairGAO-22-104304
      
	Published:  Jun 16, 2022


	Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2022
                        Combating Illegal Fishing: Clear Authority Could Enhance U.S. Efforts to Partner with Other Nations at SeaGAO-22-104234
      
	Published:  Nov 05, 2021


	Publicly Released: Dec 06, 2021
                        Federal Lands Snapshot: Hardrock Mining SystemsGAO-22-105438
      
	Published:  Nov 16, 2021


	Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2021
                        National Weather Service: Additional Actions Needed to Improve the Agency's Reform EffortsGAO-21-103792
      
	Published:  Sep 29, 2021


	Publicly Released: Oct 12, 2021
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  Related Pages
          RelatedHardrock Mining on Federal Lands
          RelatedTribal and Native American Issues
          RelatedWildland Fire Management
          RelatedAir Quality
          RelatedWater Quality and Protection
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                                                      MultimediaPodcasts
    
      Air Quality and the Technology Used to Monitor It
    Monday, December 07, 2020
      
            Transcript
Photo showing federal wildland firefighters in their firefighting gear working to slow a fire in a forest.
          Blog Post
              For the 30th Anniversary of National Public Lands Day—We Look At How Federal Agencies Are Addressing Ongoing Land Management Challenges
            Thursday, September 21, 2023
      
            The federal government manages around 640 million acres, or about 28% of all land across the United...
          Two images side-by-side. On left, a orange sky over San Francisco. On right, orange haze over Yellowstone National Park. Both images are from wildfires occurring in 2020.
					Blog Post
							Worsening Wildfire Smoke Requires a More Proactive Approach
						Tuesday, March 28, 2023
      
            The U.S. has recently experienced some of its worst wildfire seasons on record, creating unhealthy...
          Photo showing crates of different fish in a fish market.
          Blog Post
              Tackling Illicit Fishing At Sea and Ports Before It Ends Up on Your Plate
            Wednesday, June 21, 2023
      
            Attention seafood lovers—some of your favorite imported fish might be vulnerable to illegal...
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