Title 43Public LandsRelease 119-73

§2301 Findings

Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 41— - FEDERAL LAND TRANSACTION FACILITATION › § 2301

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Bureau of Land Management can sell public land it has marked for disposal and can trade federal land for non-federal land when the swap is in the public interest. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture can also buy land that fits their missions. Selling, trading, and buying land would help rearrange who owns what so managers can care for resources better, run their units more efficiently, and use money and staff more effectively. A faster process for these land deals would serve the public interest. Many private owners hold parcels inside parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other special areas and want to sell. Money from land sales may be used to buy those inholdings and other lands from willing sellers, which can improve management and cooperation with neighbors and local governments. The BLM may hire non-federal parties to prepare appraisals, which the agency must review and approve under the Uniform Standards for Federal Land Acquisition.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §2301

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Congress finds that—
(1)the Bureau of Land Management has authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to sell land identified for disposal under its land use planning;
(2)the Bureau of Land Management has authority under that Act to exchange Federal land for non-Federal land if the exchange would be in the public interest;
(3)through land use planning under that Act, the Bureau of Land Management has identified certain tracts of public land for disposal;
(4)the Federal land management agencies of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture have authority under existing law to acquire land consistent with the mission of each agency;
(5)the sale or exchange of land identified for disposal and the acquisition of certain non-Federal land from willing landowners would—
(A)allow for the reconfiguration of land ownership patterns to better facilitate resource management;
(B)contribute to administrative efficiency within Federal land management units; and
(C)allow for increased effectiveness of the allocation of fiscal and human resources within the Federal land management agencies;
(6)a more expeditious process for disposal and acquisition of land, established to facilitate a more effective configuration of land ownership patterns, would benefit the public interest;
(7)many private individuals own land within the boundaries of Federal land management units and desire to sell the land to the Federal Government;
(8)such land lies within national parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and other areas designated for special management;
(9)Federal land management agencies are facing increased workloads from rapidly growing public demand for the use of public land, making it difficult for Federal managers to address problems created by the existence of inholdings in many areas;
(10)in many cases, inholders and the Federal Government would mutually benefit from Federal acquisition of the land on a priority basis;
(11)proceeds generated from the disposal of public land may be properly dedicated to the acquisition of inholdings and other land that will improve the resource management ability of the Federal land management agencies and adjoining landowners;
(12)using proceeds generated from the disposal of public land to purchase inholdings and other such land from willing sellers would enhance the ability of the Federal land management agencies to—
(A)work cooperatively with private landowners and State and local governments; and
(B)promote consolidation of the ownership of public and private land in a manner that would allow for better overall resource management;
(13)in certain locations, the sale of public land that has been identified for disposal is the best way for the public to receive fair market value for the land; and
(14)to allow for the least disruption of existing land and resource management programs, the Bureau of Land Management may use non-Federal entities to prepare appraisal documents for agency review and approval consistent with applicable provisions of the Uniform Standards for Federal Land Acquisition.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, referred to in pars. (1) to (3), is Pub. L. 94–579, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2743, which is classified principally to chapter 35 (§ 1701 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

of 2018 Amendment Pub. L. 115–141, div. O, title III, § 301, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1074, provided that: “This title [amending section 2302 and 2304 to 2306 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2018’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 106–248, title II, § 201, July 25, 2000, 114 Stat. 613, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 2301

Title 43Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73