EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The PLF, the BLM and the public recognize that there is a need to obtain or improve public access to many public land areas for public recreation and management and protection of resources, but inadequate funding, staffing and priority is given to solving access problems. PLF believes that a national database should be developed by the BLM to define the scope of the access issue. It should include data on acreage of public lands unavailable for public use; number of easements needed and estimated costs of easements.
ISSUE
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and interested publics have identified a need for additional access to public lands for recreational opportunities and other public uses including resource improvement and management. This issue is not getting adequate leadership attention, innovative thinking, or commitment of money and personnel resources. A Bureau-wide data base which describes the scope of the problem, acreage of public lands which are unavailable for public uses, numbers of easements needed and estimated costs is not available from the BLM on a national basis
BACKGROUND
The public land pattern administered by the Bureau of Land Management throughout the 10 western states has become fragmented through a series of historical lands actions including the issuance of homestead patents, patented mining claims, railroad grants, state in-lieu selections and other grants The fragmentation is more pronounced in some states than in others gain the nature of the lands (aridity, topography, etc.) Land fragmentation has resulted in the elimination of public access to some well-blocked tracts of Bureau-administered lands. The intensity of the access issue varies from state to state, depending upon the fragmentation pattern present and the quality/quantity of resources unavailable to the public. However, increased access to public lands is an issue in all states where BLM has a significant management presence. More and more user groups have stressed the well-documented need for increased public access, as human populations have increased and more attention and value is placed on recreational and other uses of the public lands, which are unavailable to the public because of access restrictions. As some primary destination points for recreational use i.e. major national parks, state parks, etc., become over crowded, more people are using BLM lands as areas to pursue their recreational activities. Public county roads Systems in many counties are often ill defined. There is an increasing trend for the abandonment and closure of county roads and right-of-ways in many areas. There is a growing reluctance on the part of county and state agencies to defend the status of historical roads and travel-ways. In many instances, access routes to public lands can be defined through the research of county road records. This research can be less expense than the purchase of public road easements. In many counties, the results of road record research are welcomed as the county records will be updated and improved and the county's knowledge base expands. There is also a growing trend throughout the western United States for some purchasers of private properties to acquire lands for the purpose of controlling access to adjacent federal lands for fee hunting and other for-profit or personal motives. Economic incentives for some private landowners to engage in fee hunting and guide services and the granting of leases to outfitters for hunting rights and exclusive guide services has resulted in more recreational pressures being placed on BLM lands. There is also an increase in the numbers of private landowners who no longer allow the public access to cross their lands. In most cases there are very legitimate reasons for this, i.e. concerns about vandalism, killing or livestock, gates being left open, fire danger, littering, potential liabilities and the desire for privacy and exclusive personal uses.
PUBLIC LANDS FOUNDATION POSTIION:
1. The need for appropriate public access to BLM administered lands needs to be a prominent feature of all BLM land use plans. As access needs are developed, guidelines need to be established, perhaps through the public planning process itself; or perhaps in concert with program budget planking, to assist in prioritizing access needs. Adequate provisions must be made for the protection and management of sensitive resources in determining the need for public access and prior to opening of added areas. These plans would enable the BLM to respond timely to access needs when Opportunities arise.
2. Both long-term and short-term budgets for access acquisition need to be addressed. A budget strategy, coordinated with the overall access program strategy, needs to be developed so that the public and the Congress can see the direction of a positive, action- related program. Budgets should also reflect a total cost approach, so that the access program will not fail because of a lack of support funding from related resource management programs, especially for newly opened areas, to prevent degradation and damages.
3. County road record research should be undertaken in priority counties where access to public lands has been identified as an issue. Volunteer help provided by PLE members and other interested groups can help perform much of this research. Counties could be requested to provide part of the funding for this research since they are primary beneficiaries of the work. Roads which are found to be part of the county system and which provide access to public lands should be signed and made available for public use.
4. Increase the use of innovating partnership arrangements with State and local governments to help resolve access conflict and uncertainties. Use the full range of legal means, not just acquisitions, available to all these public entities in the resolution of access needs.
5. Advocate greater use of land exchanges to help alleviate the problems generated by the historical fragmentation of land ownership.
6. Develop an incentive program such as the "Undaunted Stewardship" to reward and compensate private landowners for public usage and access to public lands
7. Develop a Bureau-wide database, which describes the scope of the problem, acreage of public lands which are unavailable for public uses, numbers of easements needed.