Public Lands Toolkit
Overview
In 2024, Runners for Public Lands brought together a working group to define, discuss, and reimagine the term, “public lands.” You can read about the process and working committee from Vic Thasiah on our blog here. Below, you’ll find a few resources — 1) what “public lands” means to us; 2) a legal definition of “public lands”; and 3) a statement from RPL about how we approach our work of advocating for public lands.
WHAT PUBLIC LANDS MEANS TO RPL
We advocate for a broader definition of public lands – one that encompasses all spaces open to the public, from federally managed National Parks to neighborhood parks, and everything in between. This understanding goes beyond legal definitions and frameworks to emphasize the essential value that public lands hold. Our approach prioritizes inclusivity, collaboration, and sustainability, recognizing that safe, equitable access to the outdoors is vital for everyone’s health and well-being. At RPL, we view public lands not just as spaces we use, but as integral to our health and the ecosystems that sustain us.
A LEGAL DEFINITION OF “PUBLIC LANDS”
The United States defines public lands as any land or interest in land owned by the United States within the states and administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management, regardless of how the land was acquired (1). Not included within this definition are lands located on the Outer Continental Shelf and lands held for the benefit of Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos (2). In addition to federal management, public lands can also be managed at the state, county and local levels, or by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Recognizing the historical complexities (3) and the social and environmental inequalities (4) associated with the term “public lands,” RPL advocates for a broader understanding of public lands – one that transcends human-centered policies, values the health of both communities and ecosystems, and policy work that ensures equitable access for all.
RPL’S PUBLIC LANDS DEFINITION TOOLKIT
If you’re looking for a more robust and comprehensive resource for navigating the complexities of “public lands,” take a look at RPL’s Public Lands Toolkit here, also linked below in “The Guide.” Stay tuned for resources and an FAQ that could help you navigate these issues for yourself, your communities, and your organizations.
THE GUIDE
resources
the blog
RPL Working Committee
This resource was developed by RPL’s working committee, as listed below:
- Vic Thasiah, RPL Board President
- Khrystyne Wilson, Assistant Professor of Religion at CLU
- Kat Baker, ED of RPL
- Tia Bodington, VP of RPL and RD of Miwok 100k
- Alison Désir, author, therapist, speaker
- Dustin Martin, ED of Wings of America
- Laura Alonzo-Ochoa, counselor & Director of DEI
- Tim Tollefson, RD of mammoth trailfest.
- José González, Founder of Latino Outdoors
- Jeff Kuyper, ED of Los Padres ForestWatch
- Andrew Pattison, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Colgate University.
list of citations
Below are the resources and references cited in the above statements:
1. 43 U.S.C. § 1702(e) (2018); 43 CFR § 2091.0-5(c).
2. Id.
3. “Public lands” is defined as land owned by the United States and administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management, except for lands on the Outer Continental Shelf or held for Native peoples. See 43 U.S.C. § 1702. Public lands are managed by various agencies: National Park Service (84 million acres), Bureau of Land Management (248 million acres), U.S. Forest Service (193 million acres), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (95 million acres), and State & Local Governments (199 million acres). See Anna Callaghan, “What are Public Lands in the U.S.?”; John Leshy, “America’s Public Lands: A Sketch of Their Political History and Future Challenges,” Natural Resources Journal 62:2 (2022): 341-360. For further reading: KP Sheldon, How Did We Get Here? Looking to History to Understand Conflicts in Public Land Governance Today, 23 Pub. Land & Resources L. Rev. 1 (2002); Mark Squillace, “Rethinking Public Land Use Planning,” 43 Harv. Envtl. L. Rev. 415 (2019); America’s Public Lands Explained, U.S. Department of the Interior (2023); The U.S. government took much of the land legally defined as “public lands” from Native Peoples. See Tristan Ahtone et al., “Misplaced Trust: Stolen Indigenous Land is the Foundation of the Land Grant University System,” Grist (Feb. 7, 2024); Randall Akee, “Stolen Lands and Stolen Opportunities,” Native American and Indigenous Studies, 8:1 (Spring 2021): 123-128. See also Sarah Krakoff, “Public Lands, Conservation, and the Possibility of Justice,” 53 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 213 (2018).
4. See Jenny Rowland-Shea et al., “The Nature Gap: Confronting Racial and Economic Disparities in the Destruction and Protection of Nature in America,” Center for American Progress (July 2020).; See Schottland, T., et al., The Power of Land Conservation to Address the Climate Crisis (San Francisco: Trust for Public Land, 2024).