Kristina Schenck's Interactive Media

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If you’re in Texas, the idea of public land may seem like a foreign concept. Ninety eight percent of all land in Texas is private property. However, this is not the norm, and public lands and the American West are inseparable, as much of the land in western states is owned by the federal government.

And this extends way beyond just the National Park system. While National Parks are certainly one of America’s best ideas, and can be considered the poster child of land in the public trust due to the familiarity with places like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, there are many other types of public lands managed by different agencies for various uses. Though there is one thing these places have in common – public lands are owned by the taxpayers, managed by the federal government and available for all to use within the regulations of the respective policy that distinguishes the use of the land.

It’s also important to note that public land is managed for multiple use, and land in the public trust is also managed by several different government agencies. It’s confusing but don’t worry, I’ll break it down for you.

National Parks – Managed by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior

As mentioned previously, National Parks are perhaps the most well-known places among land in the public trust. They’re also the most visited. Swarming with tourists. Not a pleasant place to be in my opinion. Come here in the winter, early spring, or late fall to beat the crowds, especially places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon.

Bureau of Land Management – Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior

Though also managed by the Department of the Interior, BLM lands can be used for recreation, resource extraction for things like oil and minerals, and grazing. Users apply for permits to use BLM land for different reasons. The BLM manages the most land out of all federal resource agencies.

National Forests – Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Similar to BLM lands, National Forests  are managed for multiple users. The cool thing about National Forests is that oftentimes you can camp in the campgrounds for free and there are no entrance fees to the forest, unlike National Parks. Plus you can also go off-roading in some National Forests, you can hunt here with the proper licenses, and generally participate in a lot of recreation activities that you could not do otherwise at a National Park because these lands were originally preserved for timber harvesting rather than intrinsic value or for a specific species.

While timber is still harvested in some forests, timber companies have to obtain a permit in order to do so. You are also permitted to gather in National Forests, which means you can berry pick, go mushroom hunting, etc. All of that is illegal in a National Park.

Bureau of Indian Affairs – Managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior

Indian reservations

National Wildlife Refuges – Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior

Wildlife Refuges are managed for wildlife conservation and ecosystem preservation. People can still visit wildlife refuges, but activities are often limited to hiking, biking, and driving on designated roads. In addition, many Wildlife Refuges were created specifically to protect endangered species and funded by money raised through the Endangered Species Act.

The Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in northern Travis County is an example of public land that was purchased with revenue from Habitat Conservation Plans. When developers and private entities want to develop in areas that is considered endangered species habitat, they must pay a certain amount of money to the government that will go towards funding habitat conservation in an area close by.

More to come.