Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 - Detailed breakdown
Crime and Safety
Enforcement authority for public lands
Authorizes the Secretary to issue regulations to protect public lands and contract with local law enforcement for assistance. Willful violations are subject to fines and imprisonment.
Economy and Commerce
Distribution of mineral revenues
Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct how revenues from public lands are distributed, with 50% going to states (90% for Alaska) to mitigate social and economic impacts of development.
Energy and Environment
Mandate for public land use planning
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to develop and maintain land use plans for all public lands, incorporating principles of multiple use, sustained yield, and public involvement.
Recordation and abandonment of mining claims
Requires owners of unpatented mining claims to file annual documentation to hold the claim; failure to file is deemed a conclusive abandonment of the claim.
Grazing fee study and range betterment fund
Directs a study to establish equitable grazing fees and allocates 50% of all grazing fee revenue to a fund for on-the-ground range rehabilitation, protection, and improvements.
Standardized grazing lease terms
Establishes a standard term of ten years for domestic livestock grazing permits and leases on public lands and in National Forests in the eleven Western States.
BLM wilderness study
Requires the Secretary to review roadless public lands of 5,000 acres or more for their suitability for preservation as wilderness and report recommendations to the President within fifteen years.
Repeal of historical right-of-way statutes
Repeals R.S. 2477 and numerous other statutes concerning the issuance of rights-of-way over public lands and National Forest System lands.
| Amount | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000,000 | Authorizing appropriations for the California Desert Conservation Area for management, planning, and protection from 1977 through 1981. |
Government Operations
Definitions for public land management
Establishes official definitions for key terms such as 'areas of critical environmental concern,' 'multiple use,' and 'public lands' to guide the implementation of the Act.
Criteria for public land sales
Authorizes the sale of public lands if they are difficult to manage, no longer needed for a federal purpose, or serve important public objectives, generally at fair market value.
Procedures for land withdrawals
Authorizes the Secretary to withdraw public lands from settlement or sale, with specific time limits and requirements for congressional notification for withdrawals over 5,000 acres.
Presidential appointment of BLM Director
Mandates that the Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Establishment of public advisory councils
Authorizes the Secretary to establish advisory councils with diverse citizen interests to provide advice on land use planning, management, and disposal of public lands.
Financial disclosure for public land officials
Requires officers and employees of the Secretary and the Bureau to annually file a public statement of known financial interests in entities subject to the Act, with penalties for knowing violations.
Repeal of homesteading and other land laws
Repeals numerous obsolete statutes related to homesteading, townsite reservation, sale of isolated tracts, and other public land disposal laws to modernize federal land management.
Preservation of Secretary of Agriculture's authority
Clarifies that the repeal of right-of-way laws does not affect the Secretary of Agriculture's authority under certain other specified acts.
Severability clause
Ensures that if any provision of the Act is held invalid, the remaining parts of the Act will not be affected.
| Amount | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000,000 | Processing pending applications for the withdrawal of federal land. | |
| $10,000,000 | Reviewing existing land withdrawals in eleven Western States. | |
| $3,000,000 | Providing initial capital for the Bureau of Land Management's working capital fund. |
Infrastructure
Authorization for rights-of-way on public lands
Authorizes the Secretary to grant, issue, or renew rights-of-way on public lands for various purposes, including water, energy, communication, and transportation systems, under specified terms.