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Last updated: 04/04/03

Release date: February 12, 1996

Contact:
Ray Brady, 1.202.452.7773

Homesteading - - - Cheap Land for Sale????
New Brochures Provide Correct Answers

Have you seen advertisements in magazines or newspapers implying the Federal Government is selling land for as little as $1.00 an acre? Are you interested in buying desert land for $2.50 an acre? Do you wonder if there is any homesteading in the United States?

To receive the correct answers to sometimes misleading information, contact the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its complete free series of brochures outlining all the information on the agency's land and realty management function - America's Backyard; Are There Any Public Lands For Sale?; Desert Land Entries; Obtaining A Right-Of-way On Public Lands; and Land Acquisition.

BLM administers what remains of the Nation's vast land holdings - the public domain. The public domain once stretched from the Appalachian Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Of the original 1.8 billion acres of public lands owned by the United states, two-thirds went to citizens, corporations, and the States. Many of the remaining lands were set aside for national forests, wildlife refuges, parks, and monuments. BLM manages the remaining 270 million acres, about 41 percent of the lands under Federal ownership. Most BLM-managed public lands are located in the 11 Western States, including Alaska, although small parcels are scattered throughout the Eastern United States.

• America's Backyard is a comprehensive brochure describing BLM's entire land and realty management function including a history of the public lands, an explanation of land records, and a description of how to obtain leases and permits. The public lands have long been a popular place for the motion picture industry, for example, and special permits are required to use the public lands for commercial film production. BLM public lands have starred in such hits as Maverick, Geronimo, and Star Trek 7.
• Are There Any Public Lands For Sale? answers the often asked questions about obtaining public lands. Under certain circumstances, BLM does occasionally sell some parcels of land. Little public land is sold, however, because of a Congressional mandate in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 to generally retain these lands in public ownership. Any lands sold are at fair market value, based on the value of other lands in the area. Homesteading is no longer available in the United States. The best source for information on public lands for sale is contacting the BLM Office with jurisdiction over an area of interest.
• Desert Land Entries explains the costly and time-consuming procedure for obtaining desert land under the 1877 Law. Through this Act, individuals may apply for a desert-land entry to reclaim, irrigate, and cultivate arid and semiarid public lands in the Western United States. Individuals may apply for tracts of land totaling no more than 320 acres. In order to acquire such a tract of land, an irrigation system, many times costing in excess of $250,000, must be required to prepare the land. Applications for securing such a transaction may be obtained and filed by the administering BLM District Office of Area Office. Each BLM State Office oversees a number of Districts, which in turn oversee Resource Areas. Depending on the project and transaction, an individual may be working primarily with personnel at a BLM District Office, or more likely, a BLM Area Office.
• Obtaining A Right-Of-Way On Public Lands explains the grant application process to use a specific piece of public land for certain projects, such as roads, pipelines, transmission lines, and communication sites. The grant authorizes rights and privileges for a specified use of land for a specific period of time.
• Land Acquisition outlines the principal tools used by BLM to consolidate land into more manageable areas. Land use plans provide for both the acquisition and disposal of public lands to achieve better efficiency and consistency in managing the public lands. Acquisition, through exchange, purchase of land and easements, and donation is an important component of the BLM's strategy to maintain the health of the public lands.

For copies of this free series of land brochures, write to: Bureau of Land Management, Room 406-LS, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.

During 1996 BLM is celebrating its 50th Golden Anniversary. In 1812, Congress established the General Land Office (GLO) to administer the 1.8-billion-acre public domain. The passage of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934 established the U.S. Grazing Service to provide active range management on public domain lands. In 1946, the U.S. Grazing Service and the GLO merged to become the Bureau of Land Management. The Nation's public lands and their wealth are administered by BLM for the benefit and enjoyment of all Americans. The public lands were once considered the "lands that nobody wanted." Today, the public lands are recognized as a rich and marvelous legacy for the people of the United States - both a link with our past and a bridge to our future. "Rediscover Your Public Lands."

This page was created by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Office of Public Affairs 1849 C Street, Room 406-LS Washington, DC 20240 Phone: (202) 452-5125 Fax: (202) 452-5124

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