< All Press Releases

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is celebrating 75 years by inviting everyone to reimagine your public lands. For over seven decades, the BLM has led the way in public land management – in 1946, President Truman merged the General Land Office and the Grazing Service to create the BLM. Today, the BLM proudly manages about 245 million acres of public landscapes for all Americans.

“For the last 75 years, the BLM has been tasked to manage our nation’s lands for the benefit of all Americans,” said Laura Daniel-Davis, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. “As we look toward the future, public lands will continue to play a key role in our efforts to battle climate change while supporting local communities and economies. I look forward to working with the BLM to ensure those public lands are around for many generations to come.”

As the premier federal land management agency, the BLM oversees more land, approximately one-tenth of America’s land base, and more subsurface mineral estate, about 700 million acres, than any other government agency.

“As a multiple-use agency, it’s important to remember that the BLM manages public lands for everyone,” said Nada Wolff Culver, BLM Deputy Director, Policy and Programs, exercising the delegated authority of the BLM director. “Whether you are finding peace and solitude on the awe-inspiring landscapes managed by BLM or relying on federal grazing permits to support your ranching enterprise, our public lands are an important part of American’s lives. And, on this diamond anniversary year, I invite everyone to reimagine your public lands and the 245 million acres of possibilities they offer for conservation, recreation, and commercial uses.”

Over the last 75 years, the BLM has evolved and adapted to the nation’s changing needs when it comes to public lands. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the BLM carries out a dual mandate of multiple use, accommodating a range of uses and values, and sustained yield, ensuring public lands are managed for future generations. The agency manages a wide range of uses, such as energy development, livestock grazing, mining, timber harvesting, and outdoor recreation, while conserving natural, historical, and cultural resources, including wilderness areas and national monuments, wild horse and wildlife habitat, artifacts, and dinosaur fossils. The BLM also consults with Tribes to ensure that their perspectives are heard and that collaborative steps can be taken to promote healthy and productive public lands that create jobs in local communities while supporting traditional land uses.

As the BLM continues to celebrate this important milestone through the next year, be sure to follow along on social media, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Medium.