In the United States, many parcels of land are owned and maintained by the federal government. Known as federal lands, these may include national parks, military bases, national forests, and wildlife refuges. These lands could also include Indian reservations, which are designated for various tribal governments. A number of agencies are involved with managing federal property, and some of these include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Forest Service (USFS), and the Department of Defense (DOD). These lands are found in every state along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Government lands are managed by the BLM, but other agencies may be involved depending on the purpose of the land. For example, the National Park Serve (NPS) is responsible for overseeing national parks, while the DOD manages military installations. Whenever roads or bridges need to be built on any of these lands, the office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH) is responsible for overseeing this work. This agency will work in conjunction with any other agencies that are responsible for managing these lands in order to complete these projects.
Some federal lands are available for all members of the public to enjoy, while others are intended for special groups to use. National forests, wildlife refuges, and parks are designed to be enjoyed by all citizens of the United States and are open for them to visit. Military installations are intended for service members and their families to use, although portions of a particular base may be open to the public. Still others have completely restricted access, such as is the case of federal prisons.
Federal lands could also include places of historic interest. Some examples could be famous battle sites or historic homes. The nation's capitol, which is located in the city of Washington, D.C., also contains some of these sites. A few of these include the White House, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial. Many historic places that are located on government lands are available for the public to view, but this must be done by making an appointment or signing up for a guided tour.
The United States government also owns most Indian reservations in that country. These are mostly located in the western part of the country and may be designated for a single tribe or multiple ones to use. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is responsible for maintaining relations with tribal leaders and facilitating their use of the land in these designated areas.
