There are four major categories of formal withdrawals:

1. Administrative
2. Presidential Proclamations
3. Congressional
4. Federal Power Act (FPA) or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Withdrawals

Withdrawals must accomplish one or more of the following:

• Transfer total or partial jurisdiction of Federal land between Federal agencies.
• Close (segregate) Federal land to operation of all or some of the public land laws and/or mineral laws.
• Dedicate Federal land to a specific public purpose.