Land Management Bureau

The Bureau of Land Management was established July 16, 1946, by the consolidation of the General Land Office (created in 1812) and the Grazing Service (formed in 1934). The Bureau manages more land--256 million surface acres--than any other Federal Government agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 western States, including Alaska. There are also small, scattered parcels in States east of the Mississippi River. The Bureau also administers more than 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the Nation. These public lands make up about 13 percent of the total land surface of the United States and more than 40 percent of all land managed by the Federal Government. The Bureau preserves open space in the fast-growing, fast-changing West by managing the public lands for multiple uses and by conserving resources so that current and future generations may use and enjoy them.