Congressional Research Service Reports - 225 Matching Results
Search Results
- Oil and Gas Exploration and Development on Public Lands
- No Description Available.
- Federal Land Management Agencies: Background on Land and Resource Management
- This report provides an overview of how federal lands and resources are managed, the agencies that manage the lands, the authorities under which these lands are managed, and some of the issues associated with federal land management.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest System Roadless Areas Initiative
- No Description Available.
- The National Forest Roadless Area Initiative
- No Description Available.
- Federal Land Ownership: Constitutional Authority; the History of Acquisition, Disposal, and Retention; and Current Acquisition and Disposal Authorities
- Federal land ownership and management are of perennial interest to Congress. This report describes the constitutional authority for federal land ownership. It provides the history of federal land acquisition and disposal, and describes the federal land management agency jurisdictions, based on congressional authorities to reserve or withdraw lands from disposal. The report then describes several efforts to force additional federal land disposal, including recent legislative activity. It concludes with describes the various current land acquisition and disposal authorities of the four major federal land management agencies. The report will be updated to reflect major legislative activity or changes in acquisition or disposal authorities.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- No Description Available.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- The General Mining Law of 1872 is one of the major statutes that direct the federal government's land management policy. The law grants free access to individuals and corporations to prospect for minerals in public domain lands, and allows them, upon making a discovery, to stake (or "locate") a claim on that deposit. A claim gives the holder the right to develop the minerals and may be "patented" to convey full title to the claimant. A continuing issue is whether this law should be reformed, and if so, how to balance mineral development with competing land uses.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Public (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- No Description Available.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests
- In the second session, Congress continues to confront an array of issues related to the public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the national forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service (FS). The Administration continues to address public lands and national forests through budgetary, regulatory, and other actions. Several key issues of ongoing congressional and administrative interest are covered in this report.
- Federal Timber Harvests: Implications for U.S. Timber Supply
- The importance of federal timber has been debated at length over many years. The federal government owns about 20% of U.S. timberlands, concentrated in the west, and about 30% of U.S. timber inventory (and 44% of the softwood inventory). Declines in federal harvests in recent years, and legislation to end federal harvests, have led to concerns about the impacts on forest health and on the economy. The national impacts appear to be relatively modest, but local and regional effects could be substantial.
- Federal Land Management: Appeals and Litigation
- The Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Land Management in the Department of the Interior each currently have a system of administrative appeals for moat agency land management decisions. Critics assert that administrative and judicial appeals are stopping or unacceptably slowing the decision-making processes and the use of federal lands and resources; that many appeals are "frivolous" and brought for the purpose of frustrating rather than improving land management actions, and that appeals greatly increase the costs of management
- Clearcutting in the National Forests
- Congressional interest in clearcutting has increased in the past few years. Several bills have been introduced in the current and preceding Congresses to ban the use of clearcutting and/or all even-aged management systems in the national forests. The issue, however, transcends the use of clearcutting and focuses on how to assure the choice of a silvicultural system and the implementation of the management practices that will achieve the stated goals for public land and resource management.
- Marine Protected Areas: An Overview
- The Clinton Administration took several actions to increase protection at designated marine sites, referred to as marine reserves or marine protected areas (MPAs). The idea of protecting marine areas has been discussed for many years, but has not been applied extensively in the marine environment. Congress is likely to examine both the recent Clinton Administration actions and the concepts behind MPAs, and consider any Bush administration views, especially as it considers appropriations and reauthorization legislation. This report will be updated as events warrant.
- National Monument Issues
- No Description Available.
- National Monument Issues
- No Description Available.
- National Monument Issues
- No Description Available.
- National Monuments and the Antiquities Act: Recent Designations and Issues
- No Description Available.
- National Monuments and the Antiquities Act
- No Description Available.
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
- This report discusses controversial issues regarding the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. Issues include the President's use of the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create the Monument; the Monument's general effect on land uses; the implications for development of minerals and school trust lands; and the bearing on the designation of wilderness.
- Historic Preservation: Background and Funding
- This report summarizes the federal role in historic preservation. It provides descriptions of and funding information for some of the major preservation programs, including the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Register for Historic Places.
- ANWR Development: Economic Impacts
- This report briefly discusses Congressional considerations on whether to continue to protect the ecosystem on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) or to open it to oil and gas development.