A ranger in Alaska

Law Enforcement

The dedicated men and women who make up the Bureau of Land Management's law enforcement program play an integral role in ensuring public safety and fulfilling our multiple use mission.  Every day, our law enforcement professionals put themselves in harm’s way to investigate vandalism and looting, support emergency response, and provide a safe environment for employees and visitors to the public lands.

Nationally, the Bureau of Land Management manages a wide variety of resources spread over 245 million acres of public lands and 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate. These public lands provide timber, forage, energy and minerals, recreation areas, wild horse and burro herds, fish and wildlife habitat, wilderness areas, national monuments, and archaeological and paleontological sites. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to stand up a law enforcement body to enforce Federal laws and regulations with respect to public lands and their resources.  As a result, the Bureau of Land Management has been given specific resource protection and law enforcement responsibilities that further its multiple use mission.

The public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management are predominantly located in the western U.S., including Alaska, and consist of extensive grassland, forest, high mountain, arctic tundra, and desert landscapes. Each of these landscapes has a diversity of resources. As a result, the specific duties of each of our agency's law enforcement officers can vary considerably. For example, in the southwestern desert, officers may spend a considerable amount of time dealing with large numbers of recreational off-highway vehicle user and archaeological resources crimes; officers along the southern border may frequently contend with the effects of illegal border crossings and drug smuggling; officers in urban interface areas may encounter a variety of trespass crimes that include arson and hazardous materials dumping; and officers in the northern states regularly deal with illegal marijuana cultivation activities. In all areas, the Bureau of Land Management's law enforcement officers work in cooperation with local sheriff’s offices, state agencies, and other federal law enforcement agencies.

Learn more about what we do.

Report a Crime

You can help the Bureau of Land Management protect America’s public lands.

For immediate assistance or to report natural resources crimes on public lands, please call the Bureau of Land Management's Law Enforcement Dispatch at (800) 637-9152. This number is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In the event of an emergency, always call 911 or your local sheriff’s office.

Mission

BLM law enforcement badge

The mission of BLM Law Enforcement is to support the Agency's multiple-use mission by enforcing laws and regulations that advance public safety and resource protection on BLM-managed public lands.

BLM Law Enforcement Partners

Quick Links