Federal Land Management

The responsibilities of the four major federal land management agencies--the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service--have become more similar and the management of federal lands more complex over time. These changes, as well as budgetary and ecological considerations, suggest a basis for reexamining the current approach to federal land management with an eye to improving its efficiency and effectiveness. Two basic strategies have been proposed to improve federal land management. One would streamline the existing structure by coordinating and integrating functions, programs, and field locations. The other would reorganize the structure mainly by combining agencies. Although it is unclear which strategy would be more effective, or whether a combination of the two would be more appropriate, the effective implementation of either strategy will require a solid consensus for change and the creation of identifiable goals for managing commodity and noncommodity uses.