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California: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Following are some of the questions the Public Lands Information Center has recently received from the public about recreation in California.  FLMPA, NEPA, and other Environmental LegislationUN Biospheres and Roadless AreasAre There Any Public Lands For SaleTownship and Range FinderFLMPA, NEPA, and other Environmental Legislation Question: I was reading a news story about the BLM that mentioned FLMPA and NEPA. What are they? Answer: They are government acronmyms for laws which govern the land management policies for the BLM (Federal Land Policy and Management Act), and other Department of Interior and other agencies (National Environmental Policy Act). If you are interested in other environmental legislation still in
the news, you might also want to check out the Endangered
Species Act. the National
Forest Management Act, the National
Antiquities Act of 1906 (a favorite invocation of President
Clinton), and the Organic
Act. UN Biospheres and Roadless Areas Question: Dear keepers of the land, I have some concerns. At Yellowstone and the Smokies the old signs have been removed and new ones put up. The new ones say United Nations biosphere. A week ago Clinton signed another treaty that will make the Parks roadless. Would you please respond to my concerns. Thank-you Answer: UN Biosphere signs at Yellowstone and the Smokies. "Biosphere Reserve" is an international designation for protected, natural environments where conservation is combined with the sustained economic use of natural resources. Each biosphere reserve represents a specific ecosystem and a place where government policy makers, scientists, and local people cooperate to manage land and water resources to meet human needs while conserving natural resources. In the United States, the designation of sites is voluntary. Several years ago a number of people had the impression that the federal government was giving the United Nations sovereignty over lands in the United States, particularly in the national park system. What precipitated this impression was the appearance of informational signs (like the ones you mention) in some national parks, signs which identified these areas as world heritage sites or biosphere reserves. Since both of these designations are conferred by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)it was mistakenly believed that the United Nations have "taken over" these lands. Neither "biosphere preserve" nor "world heritage site" designations place US public lands in any kind of a United Nations land use program. Nor do these designations create United Nations reserves in the United States. America`s public lands still belong to the people of the United States. Roadless Policy Your second concern probably involves the policy, approved on January 5, 2001 by President Clinton, which bars construction of new roads on 58.5 million acres, or 31 percent of the National Forest system. According to the President, these areas will continue to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as hunting, fishing, mountain biking, off-road vehicle use on designated trails, and hiking. The policy does not bar any uses of existing roads. Not everybody was happy with the President`s decision and several lawsuits have been filed already by recreationists and commercial users to reverse the policy. Are There Any Public Lands For Sale Question: I heard about a place where you could buy plots of public land from the goverment. The web site was publicland.com is this a true thing or a scam? thank you for your time Answer: There isn`t much public land for sale because of a congressional mandate in 1976 to generally retain public lands in public ownership. The Bureau of Land Management does, however, occasionally sell parcels of land where their land use planning finds that disposal is appropriate. The BLM can select lands for sale if, through land use planning, they are found to meet one of three criteria: 1/ they are scattered, isolated tracts, difficult or uneconomic to manage; 2/ they were acquired for a specific purpose and are no longer needed for that purpose; 3/disposal of the land will serve important public objectives, such as community expansion and economic development. The BLM has three options for selling land: modified competitive bidding where some preference to adjoining landowners are recognized, direct sale to one party where circumstances warrant, and competitive bidding at public auction. Your best bet is to contact the specific BLM state office with jurisdiction over the area you are interested in. "Are There Public Lands For Sale?" is a free brochure produced by the BLM. It lists all the BLM state offices and answers frequently asked questions regarding land sales. We will be happy to send you a copy if you email us your address. Township and Range Finder Question: Help! I have a legal description of some property I want to find. It is listed in a township & range format. How can I find this property? Answer: For questions of this nature, you can refer to the BLM`s PLSS (public land survey system). You can zoom in on an area & ID it by Township & Range, or do a search for a specific township. Very handy! And it`s free!! It is designed for downloading GIS shapefiles (for use with ESRI software), but once you identify the correct township, we`re happy to help you find the correct paper map to go with it, if you need one. 
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