Here’s Where the Federal Government Owns the Most Land
A group of armed men in Oregon seized an empty federal building
over the weekend in protest of Dwight and Steven Hammond’s prison
sentences for arson on federal land, drawing new focus to the millions
of acres of land the U.S. government owns across the country.
Tensions have long simmered over the fact that the federal government owns 28% of all U.S. land—especially in the West, where federal agencies often own far more than that. The federal building occupied by militia members in Oregon sits in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which represents just a small fraction of the 53% of Oregon land owned by the government, including vast national forests. And that pales in comparison to Nevada, where Uncle Sam claims 85% of land. (Sons of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who clashed with the federal government over grazing rights, are helping to lead the new Oregon protest.)
All 10 states where the government owns the most land, shown in the list below, fall in the West. Many treaties required states to surrender any claim to federal lands within their border as a prerequisite for admission to the Union, according to a 2014 Congressional Research Service report. Competing and conflicting use of the land remains an issue in places where the federal government is a large landholder, the report found.
Scroll down to see the top 10 states by percentage of land owned by the federal government, starting with Oregon, which is No. 5.
Source: USGS
Tensions have long simmered over the fact that the federal government owns 28% of all U.S. land—especially in the West, where federal agencies often own far more than that. The federal building occupied by militia members in Oregon sits in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which represents just a small fraction of the 53% of Oregon land owned by the government, including vast national forests. And that pales in comparison to Nevada, where Uncle Sam claims 85% of land. (Sons of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who clashed with the federal government over grazing rights, are helping to lead the new Oregon protest.)
All 10 states where the government owns the most land, shown in the list below, fall in the West. Many treaties required states to surrender any claim to federal lands within their border as a prerequisite for admission to the Union, according to a 2014 Congressional Research Service report. Competing and conflicting use of the land remains an issue in places where the federal government is a large landholder, the report found.
Scroll down to see the top 10 states by percentage of land owned by the federal government, starting with Oregon, which is No. 5.
Oregon
52.9% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Grassland
National Fish Hatchery
National Forest
National Monument
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Scenic Area
Wilderness
1. Nevada
84.9% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
National Conservation Area
National Forest
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Wilderness
2. Utah
64.9% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
National Forest
National Historic Site
National Monument
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Wilderness
3. Idaho
61.6% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Grassland
National Conservation Area
National Forest
National Historic Park
National Monument
National Reserve
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Waterfowl Production Area
Wilderness
4. Alaska
61.2% federally owned
Bureau of Land Management - Other
Department of Defense
National Conservation Area
National Forest
National Historic Park
National Monument
National Park
National Preserve
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Scenic River
Wilderness
6. Wyoming
48.1% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Grassland
National Forest
National Historic Site
National Monument
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Parkway
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Wilderness
7. California
45.8% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Forest Reserve
National Conservation Area
National Forest
National Historic Site
National Monument
National Park
National Preserve
National Seashore
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Scenic Area
Wilderness
8. Arizona
38.6% federally owned
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
National Conservation Area
National Forest
National Historic Site
National Memorial
National Monument
National Park
National Preserve
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Wilderness
9. Colorado
35.9% federally owned
Department of Defense
Department of Transportation
Grassland
National Conservation Area
National Fish Hatchery
National Forest
National Monument
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Wilderness
10. New Mexico
34.7% federally owned
Agricultural Research Service
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Grassland
National Conservation Area
National Forest
National Historic Park
National Monument
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Public Domain
Recreation Area
Wilderness
Source: USGS
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