Federal Lands

The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are the two major federal agencies whose lands are used as sites to broadcast radio, television, and other electronic signals. These sites, mainly located in the western United States, are for the most part leased to private entities that build and operate communications facilities. The annual fees being charged for such communications sites are, in many cases, significantly below fair market value. Forest Service and BLM officials estimates that charging fees on the basis of fair market value would boost total federal revenues by more than 500 percent--from about $4 million to about $23 million annually. Although the Forest Service and BLM have been trying to set fees reflecting fair market value, annual appropriations legislation has limited the amount by which these fees can be increased. As long as these limits are in effect, the fees charged will not reflect fair market value. Both the Forest Service and BLM lack reliable and complete information needed to manage their communications site programs. In addition, many unauthorized communications users are operating on Forest Service lands, and annual inspections to ensure that the sites are properly maintained are rarely done.