Birders know that a few of the most interesting birding areas within the nation are on federal land, which embrace nationwide parks, wildlife refuges, forests, monuments, and seashores, amongst others. These lands help numerous birds, both year-round, as migratory stopovers, or as breeding grounds. However what else ought to birders know?

There are Huge Quantities of Federal Land

Roughly 28% of your complete land space of the US is federal land, about 640 million acres. Nonetheless, federal land just isn’t evenly distributed inside the US.

On a state-by-state foundation, that proportion will increase dramatically as one strikes from east to west. In reality, the overwhelming majority of federal land is in simply 11 western states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming). The federal authorities owns about 46% of the land in these states however solely about 4% of the opposite states (excluding Alaska). For instance, the federal authorities owns lower than 1% in Connecticut however practically 80% in Nevada.

There’s one gigantic outlier: Alaska. The federal authorities owns roughly 223 million acres in Alaska, about 61% of the state. The 4 largest nationwide parks are all in Alaska, together with the most important, Wrangell-Saint Elias NP (greater than 8.3 million acres). The eleven largest nationwide wildlife refuges are additionally in Alaska, together with Arctic NWR and Yukon Delta NWR, every greater than 19 million acres. When it comes to federal land, Alaska really stands aside. In reality, roughly 36% of all federal land is in Alaska.

Thus, federal land is concentrated within the west and, on a very monumental scale, in Alaska.

Federal Land Managers: Completely different Businesses, Completely different Missions

The federal authorities manages its lands by means of an alphabet soup checklist of businesses, however the overwhelming majority is managed by 4 businesses:

BLM, FWS, and NPS are a part of the Division of the Inside, whereas FS is a part of the Division of Agriculture. Moreover, the Division of Protection administers about 9 million acres, primarily army bases and coaching ranges. A wide range of different businesses personal the rest.

• Bureau of Land Administration: BLM is the most important federal landholder and nearly all of its holdings are within the west: 99% is within the 11 western states and Alaska. BLM’s mission is one in all multiple-uses and sustained yields, such that it makes an attempt to stability vitality improvement, grazing, recreation, and timber harvesting, whereas concurrently making an attempt to protect pure assets. A lot of the BLM’s land is rangeland, and it’s usually leased for grazing or vitality improvement. BLM land is especially necessary for conservation of the Higher Sage-Grouse and different sageland species.
• Forest Service: The Forest Service manages 154 nationwide forests and 20 nationwide grasslands, additionally underneath a a number of use idea, that means they’re managed to offer quite a few companies, together with lumber, grazing, minerals, and recreation. A broad array of birds make use of FS lands, together with warblers, flycatchers, thrushes, and lots of others.
• Fish and Wildlife Service: The stylized blue goose brand of the FWS is well-known to birders, as FWS manages greater than 575 nationwide wildlife refuges. FWS is exclusive as a result of its major statutory mission is conservation. Different actions, primarily wildlife-related actions comparable to wildlife remark, images, and training, are permitted solely when in line with the first conservation objective. Though FWS manages a various portfolio of lands, many refuges have been created for waterfowl conservation.
• Nationwide Park Service: Maybe essentially the most acquainted giant federal landowner, NPS manages nationwide parks, monuments, seashores, and different areas of cultural and historic significance. NPS makes an attempt to stability a number of makes use of, together with enjoyment by the general public and pure useful resource conservation. Conflicts have been inevitable and there have been issues, notably at the preferred nationwide parks, that we’re “loving our parks to loss of life.” NPS additionally manages a various set of lands (i.e., from the Arctic to the Everglades to the Mojave Desert to the Rocky Mountains) which can be utilized by many species of birds.

Thus, federal land is primarily managed by 4 businesses, most of which try to stability a number of objectives, solely one in all which is conservation. Solely FWS has the first objective of conservation.

Federal Lands are Important to Birds

Federal lands are huge and various, from the far north (Arctic NWR in Alaska) to the Caribbean (Virgin Islands NP within the U.S. Virgin Islands). They stretch from the center of the Pacific Ocean (Halfway Atoll NWR in Hawaii) within the west to the Atlantic coast (Acadia NP in Maine) within the east.

The birds that depend on federal lands due to this fact embrace nearly each species that spends significant time in the US. Nonetheless, some birds make disproportionate use of federal land.

For instance, migratory waterfowl make in depth use of nationwide wildlife refuges throughout migration or as wintering grounds. Certainly, many refuges have been created particularly for migratory waterfowl and are managed for his or her profit. Many refuges are strategically positioned alongside main flyways, permitting geese and geese to hopscotch their means up the continent to northern breeding grounds and again down once more. Quite a few refuges are identified to birders for his or her monumental numbers of wintering waterfowl.

Maybe surprisingly, federal lands are vital for a lot of seabirds. Essentially the most vital breeding areas within the nation are remoted islands within the Nationwide Wildlife Refuge and Nationwide Park Methods. These embrace: Hawaiian Islands NWR, Farallon Islands NWR close to San Francisco, Alaska Maritime NWR, and Channel Islands NP close to Santa Barbara. For instance, many of the world’s Black-footed and Laysan Albatross and Ashy Storm-Petrel breed on these islands.

A number of endangered species are (or have been) extremely depending on particular tracts of federal land. For instance, Whooping Cranes winter nearly completely at Aransas NWR in Texas. The Laysan Duck is discovered on solely two distant Hawaiian atolls, each NWRs. Noticed Owls rely upon outdated development forests, largely in nationwide forests and parks within the Pacific Northwest. California Condors depend on Pinnacles, Grand Canyon, and Zion nationwide parks, in addition to Bitter Creek and Hopper Mountain NWRs. For many years earlier than the reintroduction of extra populations, the Puerto Rican Parrot was solely present in El Yunque NF close to San Juan.

Conservation Legal guidelines are Notably Sturdy on Federal Lands

Though legal guidelines such because the Endangered Species Act and the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act apply to each private and non-private actors, they typically apply with best power to federal businesses, together with those who handle federal lands. Thus, authorized protections for endangered species and conservation usually are at their zenith on federal lands.

This contains the army. For instance, a number of bases within the Southeast—Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, and Eglin Air Pressure Base—have lengthy been managed to help giant populations of Crimson-Cockaded Woodpeckers.

Because of the quantity and placement of federal lands and these authorized projections, research have indicated that federal land is significantly better for imperiled species than personal land. Specifically, federal lands lose far much less habitat than personal lands, making them significantly better for wildlife.

Moreover, many federal lands have additional protections. In areas designated “wilderness” underneath the Wilderness Act, industrial actions, roads, and buildings are prohibited, as are automobiles, vans, and off-road automobiles. Accordingly, the greater than 100 million acres designated as wilderness are a few of the most protected lands in the US. Moreover, the Nationwide Wild and Scenic Rivers System preserves greater than 13,000 miles of rivers in a free-flowing situation.

Photograph: Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands NP.