GAO Studies on Federal Land Use Policies and Alternatives]

Comments were provided on some of the studies GAO has completed and plans to complete on Federal land use policies. During the past few years, GAO has issued a number of reports on Federal land use policies and programs. Among these are: (1) a report on Alaska tourism; (2) a surface mining and reclamation report; (3) a report on the rivers added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and (4) a report on the practices of Federal agencies acquiring land, alternative land control methods, and the impact on private landowners. However, GAO has not limited itself to past program reviews. Ongoing investigations of the Federal Government's land use policies and programs include: a review of Federal acquisition practices and management of the Nation's land; a study concerned with the need for an independent land acquisition committee composed of Federal, State, and private representatives; a study of the Federal role in conserving the Nation's wildlife; and a review directed toward determining how well public lands are being managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.