An Introduction to U.S. Federal Public Lands

This book provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the U.S. federal land system, explaining how public lands are used and managed.

The federal government owns more than a quarter of all American land, encompassing national parks and forests, wildlife preserves and monuments. These federal lands are an essential feature of America’s politics, culture, and economy, and their management is at the core of U.S. environmental policy. This book enables readers to engage with the public lands by describing the law and policy of land management. It begins with an ecological and historical overview before detailing the categories of public lands as well as the various agencies that oversee them, including the National Park Service, the Fish & Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. It explains the basic legal authority for land management and discusses the current priorities codified in American law. The final chapters discuss key issues, questions, and challenges facing Federal lands, such as climate change, wildfire, biodiversity, recreation, and mining. Each chapter concludes with study questions and recommendations for further reading.

This book will be essential reading for students, scholars, and citizens interested in the federal lands, natural resource management, human geography, public policy, and environmental law. It will be of great to use to those who have or envision a career in land and resource management, particularly in the United States.