Legal Definitions - Federal Land Policy and Management Act

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) is a law that gives the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) more power to manage public lands and resources. The goal of the law is to make sure that public lands are used in a way that benefits everyone and is sustainable for the future.

Before this law was passed, Congress dealt with land issues one at a time. But the FLPMA created a system for managing all public lands together. The law gives the BLM the power to decide how and when public lands can be used, sold, or used for things like grazing.

For example, if a company wants to extract oil or gas from public land, they have to get permission from the BLM first. The BLM will make sure that the extraction is done in a way that doesn't harm the environment or other people who use the land.

Another example is grazing. Ranchers can use public land to graze their animals, but they have to follow rules set by the BLM. The BLM will make sure that the grazing is done in a way that doesn't damage the land or harm other people who use it.