USDA Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people

The Forest Service has amended its internal directives for special use authorizations and wildlife monitoring to provide direction and guidance specific to wind energy projects on National Forest System (NFS) lands. These amendments supplement existing special use and wildlife directives to address issues specifically associated with processing proposals and applications, siting and authorizing facilities. The directives are intended to ensure consistent and adequate analyses for evaluating wind energy proposals and authorizing wind energy facilities on lands managed by the Forest Service.

The link to directives is: http://www.fs.fed.us/specialuses/special_energy.shtml
For questions about proposing projects on a national forest or grassland, contact the Special Uses Coordinator on that national forest or grassland of interest.

For questions about the directives, contact Paul Johnson, Forest Service Mineral & Geology Staff at 703-605- 4793 or Julett Denton, Forest Service Lands Staff at 202-205-1256.

Spotlight:

1) Release of Wind Energy Directives

2) Rocky Mountain Front Mineral Withdrawal Area Map, lands described in section 403(a) of PL 109-432.

3) Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 - Maps of Designations on National Forest System lands

4) Weeks Act Centennial

Image of a meadow filled with purple, yellow and pale pink flowers against a mountainous backdrop on the Uinta NF, Utah. Photo by Terea Prendusi.

Welcome to the Lands and Realty Management website.

Our Mission
The Lands and Realty management program secures and protects the American public's rights, title, value, and interests in its national forests and grasslands and authorizes a variety of uses on those lands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

Our Goal
More than 192 million acres of public land are managed as national forests and grasslands. The protection of these lands and resources is a fundamental Forest Service responsibility. Through direct land management practices, the Lands and Realty Management program enables the agency to better manage Federal lands within or adjacent to NFS boundaries and deliver the necessary products and services that are essential for enhancing natural resource stewardship and providing for the public's enjoyment, future use, and access to NFS lands.

Some of the uses and activities we facilitate include: Image is a collage including a person filming,
communication site, people
in a raft, and a pipeline.

Purchasing land to protect critical resource areas and provide increased public recreation opportunities
Authorizing a powerline to provide electricity to a community
Ensuring that a hydro-electric project protects riparian areas on the National Forest
Exchanging and conveying lands to achieve a desired national forest landownership pattern that supports forest land and resource goals and objectives
Conveying administrative sites to allow the agency to realign and enhance its asset portfolio
Surveying national forest boundaries to identify and protect private and public lands
Determining the market value of lands purchased, exchanged, or conveyed
Authorizing a right-of-way for a road to a private home within the forest
Accepting donations of land to protect archeological or historical sites
Maintaining records of national forest land areas, land transactions, land status, permitted uses, and easements
Securing public road and trail access to existing national forest system lands

Image of Hells Canyon Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman NF, Oregon. Photo by Gene Yates
For details about a specific location or area of interest, please contact your local Forest Service Office.

Find a contact in the Washington Office Lands Staff directory for a question about an agency-wide program or issue. For Land Adjustment contact information please contact the WO or Regional Land Adjustment Staffs.

Land Areas of the National Forest System is the link to the latest statistics available on land areas administered by the Forest Service.

Print versions of the Mission and Goal statement are available in two file formats: PDF file or text only version. Note: You will need Adobe Reader (available free of charge from the Adobe website) to open the PDF file.

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FLASH UPDATE: Forest Service announces release of Wind Energy Directives