In western Oregon, the BLM manages two million acres of forest in a checkerboard ownership pattern. These forests provide important habitat for many threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species and are considered some of the most productive forests in the world. The public land found in eastern Oregon is characterized by large swaths of basin and range topography. These dramatic, semi-arid
landscapes provide a wide variety of recreation and commercial opportunities while also proving habitat for a diverse array of fish and wildlife species. In Washington, the BLM lands are found predominantly east of the Cascade Mountain Range but can be visited as far west as the San Juan Islands. Habitats include the maritime Puget Sound lowlands, the central Columbia Basin sagebrush regime, many riparian zones, and the coniferous forest and sub-alpine areas of northeast Washington. The BLM compiles and maintains a vast amount of information about public lands. Records span a period of time from the 1785 Land Ordinance right up to present-day transactions. The statistics give an in-depth look at federal lands: who administers them, where they are, how they are used, how funds are generated and used, what plants and animals live there, what effect wildfire and prescribed fire haves, and more. The BLM manages more land – 245 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
