The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) codified and expanded the powers of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with the goal of maximizing “multiple use” and “sustained yield” of public lands and resources. Prior to the Act, the Congress addressed land issues piecemeal, but this Act created a unified structure for land management and oversight. Besides establishing the powers of BLM, the act also specified how and when public lands can be sold, resources can be extracted, and can be used in other ways like for grazing.
[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]