California Transect
Lecture: Public land use
© Dr Fred Watson, CSUMB, 2008-2015
Outline
• Overall message
– Public lands are managed for differing purposes
– The purpose of management affects the experience of different
visitors in different ways
– In the future, when you visit land type X,
you’ll have a better understanding of its goals for management,
and thus a better appreciation (or disdain) for what you see
– You can change what you see by advocating for different
management within the goals of the designation, or for a different
designation altogether
• Survey
– Who’s been to which public land use types?
– And what did you do there?
• Federal agencies – and the lands they manage
• The mosaic of public land uses through which we’ll travel
Survey
• Who’s been to, and what did you do at:
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A World Heritage Site ?
A National Park?
A National Forest?
A National Wildlife Refuge?
BLM Lands?
An Indian Reservation?
– A State Park, State Beach, State Vehicular Recreation Area, etc.?
Federal agencies and the lands they manage.
Underline indicates the four major land management agencies
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Department of the Interior
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National Park Service – 79 million acres - est. 1916 (YNP est.
1872) – “Preserve unimpaired...for the enjoyment of...future
generations”
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – “Conserving the Nature of America”
– 95 million acres - est. 1939
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National Parks
National Monuments / Memorials (Can be proclaimed by President)
National Rivers / Recreational Areas
National Historic Parks / Sites
National Battlefields / Military Parks
National Trails
National Heritage Areas
National Seashores / Lakeshores
National Parkways
793 National Wildlife Refuges – fishing, hunting – endangered species
(including plants)
Bureau of Land Management – 262 million acres - est. 1946
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“BLM Lands”- Multiple-use - Livestock & Mining
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Bureau of Reclamation - est. 1907
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Holds all Indian land in trust for 561 Tribes
US Geological Survey- “Science for a changing world” - est. 1879
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Dams, power-plants, canals – water wholesale & hydro-electricity
Bureau of Indian Affairs – est. 1824
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Includes some National Monuments
Not a land management agency
Department of Agriculture
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Forest Service – “Land of many uses” – Multiple-use – 193 million
acres - est. 1905
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National Forests
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National Grasslands
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Some National Monuments inside National Forests
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Department of Energy
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National Laboratories
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Department of Defense
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Department of Transportation
Department of Commerce
Department of Education
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Housing and Urban
Development
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Independent
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NASA
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Not a land management
agency
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Military bases
Other land managers and land designations
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National Wilderness Preservation System
(under the Wilderness Act, 1964)
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National Wilderness
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Wild and Scenic Rivers
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National Trails System (Historic & Scenic)
Department of Parks and Recreation
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County Parks
Local Districts
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Monterey Regional Parks District
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State Parks
State Beaches
State Vehicular Recreation Areas
County governments
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Garland Ranch Park
Palo Corona Park, etc...
Cities
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e.g. City of Marina
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United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
• World Heritage sites
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11,000 miles
California State Government
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105 million acres - BLM, FWS, Forest Service, NPS
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City Park proposed on 2nd Avenue
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(International Treaty, 1972 - Cultural and Natural)
“World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the
world,
irrespective of the territory on which they are located.”
Mesa Verde National Park (1978)
Yellowstone National Park (1978)
Everglades National Park (1979)
Grand Canyon National Park (1979)
Independence Hall (1979)
Kluane / Wrangell-St Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (1979, 1992,
1994) # * 29
Redwood National and State Parks (1980)
Mammoth Cave National Park (1981)
Olympic National Park (1981)
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (1982)
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico (1983)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1983)
Statue of Liberty (1984)
Yosemite National Park (1984) #
Chaco Culture (1987)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (1987) #
Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (1987)
Pueblo de Taos (1992)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1995)
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (1995) *
National Park Service
• Mission
– “The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural
and cultural resources and values of the national park
system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this
and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with
partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural
resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout
this country and the world.”
Forest Service
• Mission
– “Sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s
forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and
future generations.”
Bureau of Land Management
• Mission
– “It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to
sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the public
lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future
generations.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Mission
– “Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish,
wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing
benefit of the American people.”
• Mission of USFWS NWR System
– “The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to
work with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish,
wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing
benefit of the American people.”
Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Mission
– “The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for administering
Federal Indian policy; fulfilling its Federal trust
responsibilities to American Indians, Tribal Governments,
and Alaska Natives; and promoting tribal self-determination
and self-governance.”
Where can / should you do what?
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Hunting
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Fishing
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Best in NPs & NWPSs
Good in NFs
Often pretty neat in BLM
Not in NWRs
Birding
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Everywhere! ...but especially great in NWRs
Car camping
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NFs and BLM are great
Not in NPs generally
Not in many State Parks
Erecting fences
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Ok in NWPSs (!)
Some NPs
NFs
BLM
Dog walking
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Not in NPs, or NWPSs
Horse-riding
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Not in NPs, or NWPSs
Fossil hunting
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NPs, NFs, ...
Picking flowers
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Not much in NPs
Plenty in NFs
Prescribed burns
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BLM, or private
Some NFs
Hiking & camping
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Mining & grazing
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NF
BLM
Not common in NPs or NWRs
Fighting wildfires
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Ditto, but ok in NPs
Mountain biking
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NWRs
BLM
NF
Not normally in NPs
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Ok in BLM
Explosives
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DOD and BLM-mining
Transect
route