The Bureau of Land Management was established in 1946 under the U.S. Department of Interior. Currently, the BLM administers more than 262 million acres of public lands. The majority of these lands are located in 12 western states--Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Additionally, BLM manages the oil, gas and minerals on an additional 700 million acres of subsurface estate throughout the nation. These public lands make up about 13% of the total land surface of the U.S.

The public lands today are managed for a variety of uses, including energy and minerals, timber, forage, recreation, wild horse and burro herds, fish and wildlife habitat, wilderness areas, and archaeological, paleontological and historical sites. BLM-managed lands typically generate over $1 billion each year in royalties from mineral leasing, timber sales, grazing fees, and recreation and other use fees.

BLM lands also contain millions of priceless archaeological and historic sites. More than 4,200 BLM properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in 402 separate listings; 21 are National Historic Landmarks and five are World Heritage properties.

BLM also plays an important role in managing the nation's critical resources, including 80,000 miles of riparian-lined streams and 16 million acres of wetlands. BLM lands also serve as important habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species.

Additionally, BLM-administered public lands offer a wide range of recreational opportunities. In 2003, public lands received almost 53 million visits from people seeking to hunt, fish, hike, and perform other forms of outdoor recreation there. The BLM manages the public lands in trust for present and future generations of all citizens, whether they use or live nearby to public lands or not.