Shared National Resource
These lands belong to all U.S. taxpayers, so decisions about how they are used — for energy, recreation, or preservation — affect every American.
In plain English
Land owned by all Americans.
Land owned by the federal government on behalf of all Americans, managed by agencies that decide how it can be used — from drilling and grazing to hiking and wildlife protection.
Simple example
The Bureau of Land Management oversees about 245 million acres, including areas in Wyoming's Powder River Basin where oil and gas leases are routinely auctioned to private companies.
Why it matters
What the term actually changes.
Revenue And Environment
Federal lands generate billions in royalties and fees while also storing carbon, providing wildlife habitat, and supporting tourism economies, making management choices consequential on multiple fronts.
How it works
The mechanics, in practice.
Multiple Use Mandate
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 directs agencies to balance competing uses such as energy, grazing, recreation, and conservation when making management decisions.
Agency Jurisdiction
Different agencies follow different rules: National Parks generally prohibit drilling, while BLM and Forest Service lands can be leased for energy development under specific statutes.
Related guide
Should oil and gas drilling be permitted on federal public lands?
A look at how the federal government leases public lands for energy production, and the trade-offs voters are weighing.
Read the guide → Related issue brief
Should oil and gas drilling be permitted on federal public lands?
Americans are divided over whether the roughly 640 million acres of federally managed land should remain open to oil and gas development.
Read the brief →You’ve learned the term. Now vote.
Should oil and gas drilling be permitted on federal public lands?
Live results — 106 voters
Anonymous · one vote per person