Activities of PLF are managed and coordinated by a thirty-eight member Board of Directors with policy advice from a Conservation Advisory Council. All Board members, including two members from each of the twelve western states, two representatives from the mid-west states and two representatives from the eastern states are elected annually by the membership. PLF activities at the local level are often coordinated by District Representatives in the locale of BLM District offices. All officers and representatives serve as volunteers without compensation.

The land and natural resource assets managed by BLM are extremely diverse and extremely valuable, with the public demands upon them for their use being numerous and often conflicting. The public lands administered by BLM covers a vast area of the US located in 28 states including Alaska. They include over 264 million acres or about 13% of the total land surfaces of the United States with a conservative estimated value of $2.3 trillion. BLM manages an additional 560 million acres of sub surface mineral rights (1/9th total land mass) reserved by the federal government and managed for public benefits. These lands contain an abundance of renewable, and non-renewable natural resources. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 mandates the multiple use management concept for the public lands, very similar to the mandate for the management of the National Forests.

Unfortunately, this system of wild lands is largely unknown and under-funded. The public lands depend on Congress for annual funding, money that seldom has kept pace with the growing management and protection needs. Yet these lands provide a significant economic benefit to the nation and to the counties where these lands are located. The BLM is one of the top revenue-generating agencies of the federal government, taking in more money than it spends each year. In a typical year these lands generated over $1.3 billion from a variety of sources, including royalties from mineral leasing, timber sales, grazing fees and recreation use fees. In 1997 more than 71.9 million recreational visits were made to these lands. For BLM public land statistics, by state, refer to: "Public Rewards from Public Lands", 1999, USDI, BLM Publication.

Multiple use management is very controversial and difficult. A major key to progress toward the proper management of these lands is an understanding public, a public aware of the issues and the facts about the issues. Too often the public knows only the views of special interest groups which often tell only a part of the story. The public needs more balanced, non-political presentation of the issues, a role played by the Public Lands Foundation.
 

Objectives

The objectives of the Foundation as contained in its By-laws are to:

• Keep the public lands public and accessible to the public
• Foster effective management of the public lands and natural resources under BLM management
• Encourage optimum implementation of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA)
• Foster professionalism among employees
• Encourage networking and communications between Foundation members.
   

Communications

The PLF disseminates information concerning public land issues, problems, and opportunities to its members and the public through the issuance of position statements, analytical papers, Congressional testimony, written comments to administrative rulemaking and other public input opportunities, and through its quarterly newsletter, The Public Lands Monitor.  It also operates a website at www.publicland.org for providing information to its membership and to the general public.  It operates a second website at www.myfamily.com [Remembering BLM] that provides members with information for maintaining social contacts between BLM retirees and friends.  Click here for additional information about the Remembering BLM website.

Public Lands Foundation Archives

In recognition of the valuable historic information regarding public lands and the management of these resources, the Public Lands Foundation maintains an Archive depository at the BLM National Training Center in Phoenix.  PLF Archives is under the management of the Phoenix Chapter of the Public Lands Foundation.  Personal papers, photos, and other documents are available to the public and provide an insight into the BLM, its predecessor agencies (the Grazing Service, Cadastral Survey, and O and C Land administration) and the lands and programs managed over a many year period.  Papers may be placed with the Archives, or copies obtained by writing the PLF Archives at BLM National Training Center, 9828 N. 31st Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85051. Click here to visit the PLF Archives.
 

Volunteer Members

Volunteer members take an active part in development of local public land use plans, make presentations in various public forums, including legislative, professional conservation and other groups and gatherings. Each year on a Saturday in September, volunteer members gather at public land sites during the National Public Lands Day to work to improve the sites PLF also conducts and sponsors studies and work shops needed to analyze public land issues and informs the public of the results.
 

The PLF Conservation Advisory Council

• Mary Coulombe, American Foret and Paper Association, Washington, DC
• American Hiking Society
• James Mosher, Izaak Walton League of America, Gaithersburg, MD
• Kevin Coyle, National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, Washington, DC
• National Wildlife Federation
• Laura Skaer, Northwest Mining Association, Spokane, WA
• Susan Lamson, National Rifle Association of America, Fairfax, VA
• Jason Campbell, Public Land Council, Washington, DC
• Aubrey King, Western States Tourism Policy Council, Bowie, MD
• David Albersworth, Wilderness Society, Washington, DC
• Marc Smith, Independent Petroleum Association of the Mountain States, Denver, CO
• Paul Beddoe, National Association of Counties, Washington, DC
• Vacant, Liaison, Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC

The Public Lands Foundation is a member of the Natural Resources Council of America and the Natural Resource Summit of America.