About the BLM

Background

Steens Mountain
East Face of Steens Mountain the BLM's Burns District. Photo by Mary Emerick.

The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for some of the most beautiful landscapes in the West, including forests and rangelands, beaches, and mountains across more than 15 million acres in Oregon and over 400,000 acres in Washington. These Public Lands include more than 800 miles of wild and scenic rivers, hundreds of camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting opportunities and a landscape of varied plants and ecosystems for you to simply go explore. To learn more about our program in the Northwest we invite you to first explore our website and then go explore your Public Lands. more>>>

Mission

The BLM's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Oregon and Washington, the BLM provides innovative leadership in managing natural resources of the Pacific Northwest.

We are committed to functioning with technical excellence, fiscal responsibility, and human sensitivity in fulfilling the following objectives:

  1. Instilling a stewardship ethic for conservation and prudent use of the land and its resources
  2. Promoting public partnerships and global policies which sustain health and diversity of the ecosystems
  3. Fostering social and economic responsibility in the use and management of lands and resources
  4. Making a positive difference with our natural and human resources
  5. Creating a diverse workforce which contributes to individual growth while serving our mission

Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) Turns 30

Steens Mountain
US. BLM-administered public lands and waters provide visitors with a vast array of recreational opportunities.
"In the course of a lifetime, turning 30 is a milestone that signifies a new era of maturity, but is not totally without a few aches and pains. The life of a major land-use law follows a similar course. One of the most significant pieces of land management legislation enacted within the 20th Century was the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. It gave a clear mandate to the nation’s largest land manager, the Bureau of Land Management, for the management of over 260 million acres of public lands under its jurisdiction."

These are the words of Joe Ross, who is currently a Supervisory Multiple Resource Specialist in our Roseburg District Office. His article on the history of FLPMA and what it means to the BLM was first printed in the Rangelands issue, Volume 28, Number 5 of the Society of Range Mangement Journal in October 2006. He has also worked for BLM in the Oregon State Office, Medford, and Las Vegas, as well as various locations with the Forest Service.

To read the full article and learn more about FLPMA go here: more>>