The term “public land” has become a hot-button political topic in recent months and has been a controversial topic since its inception. Without delving into the politics or discussing the pros and cons, let’s look at a brief history and the numerous designations of public land. Portions, like Yosemite and Glacier national parks and the Palatki and Honanki heritage sites, were once home to a vast array of Indigenous cultures. Public land was acquired via dispossession, treaties, and purchases.
Yellowstone National Park, considered America’s first “public land,” was established in 1872. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt created the U.S. Forest Service and laid the foundation for the current public lands system, including the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Today, approximately 30% of the landmass in the United States is public land under the management of federal, state, and local government agencies. The largest landowner is the federal government with 640 million acres under its umbrella; another 200 million acres are managed by state and local entities.
Arizona ranks sixth in terms of percent of land in the public domain, at 57%. It is important to understand the differences between the various agencies that oversee public land. Most state and federally managed public lands are open for recreational use. There are a wide-range of recreational opportunities and restrictions based upon the land designation and oversight agency.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the largest manager of public land, holding 10.5% of land in the country. Almost all BLM land is located in the Western states and Alaska. It is managed for multiple uses, including through leasing land for grazing, oil and gas development, and mineral and timber extraction, as well as recreation. The BLM has designated some unique areas to be within its National Conservation Lands system. The Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is one of these, known for its iconic towering walls streaked with desert varnish, huge red rock amphitheaters, sandstone arches, and wooded terraces. This area is home to the often photographed Coyote Buttes North, or The Wave.
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) administers the second-largest amount of public land, with 154 national forests across 8.5 percent of all land in the U.S. These lands are managed under a multi-use objective that includes recreation, timber, grazing, and mineral extraction. National forests have a mix of maintained trails for recreation, maintained roads, developed picnic and camping sites, and wilderness and undeveloped portions. Over 120 ski resorts are located on national forest land. There are six national forests in Arizona: Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Coronado, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants. and their habitats for the American people. In Arizona, USFWS focuses on protecting endangered and threatened species, migratory birds, and freshwater fish.
National parks are created by Congress to offer public recreation, while protecting land of natural, historical, or cultural value for future generations. The National Parks Service manages 63 national parks, as well as 400 other units across the country, such as cemeteries, battlefields, and historic buildings. Arizona has three national parks – Grand Canyon, Saguaro, and Petrified Forest.
State and local governments also manage public lands. Arizona manages 34 state parks, natural areas, and recreation areas, such as Slide Rock and Red Rock state parks, Verde River Greenway State Natural Area, and Jerome State Historic Park. Posse Grounds is owned and managed by the City of Sedona. In Cornville, Yavapai County owns and manages Windmill Park.
In addition to the various public land domains, there are several designations established by Congress to protect our natural resources. Wilderness is the highest and most restrictive land designation and aims to preserve pristine wildlands by limiting human development and activity. The Coconino National Forest has ten wilderness area, including Red Rock-Secret Mountain, Fossil Springs, and Sycamore Canyon.
Wild and Scenic Rivers designation protects rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values. This designation aims to preserve these rivers in their free-flowing condition and restricts development, particularly dams and other harmful activities, while recognizing the potential for appropriate use and development. Locally, a portion of the Verde River has this designation.
Author, Melissa Pontikes
Public land will continue to be in the news, and no one knows what the future will hold. Regardless, Friends of the Forest will continue to support the Coconino National Forest by annually providing tens of thousands of volunteer hours to maintain the natural beauty and resources that surround Sedona. More information can be found at friendsoftheforestsedona.org.
Serving Sedona, written this week by Melissa Pontikes, Friends of the Forest, appears Wednesday in the Sedona Red Rock News.