WSP03726

• File Number: 7630.285
• Description: Wild and Scenic - General
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 3/30/1978
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Press Kit - Wilderness Review - US DOI-BLM
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

Perspective

~have '1('ver been designated for a
~ special purpose .15 h.1\!t.;' the National
Parks and Nation.ll Forests. They
h.wt' also been callt,J "OUf L~st
Frontit'r."
The first publicdom.lin was ere.lted
n 1780 when New York St,lte sur-
enJereJ its claim to western lands in
vor of the Feder.ll Government.
h(,f colonies followed New York's
,mpl.. ,lI\d, by 1802, all of the
'in"J Statl's h,n!ing such cl..Jims had
d their western lands beyond the
11.lChl,111 MOllnt,lins to the
-,11 Covernment. Thereafter,
,lcquireJ In the course of
,11 expansion Wt.'fe considered
as r cite dOI1l.1ln - belonging to all
the p ople of the United States.
In '12, Congress estdblished the
Cl'ner. L.lIld Office to admll1ister
the public lands. L.l tt'f, this \,Jffire was
rombined with thl> U.S. Grazing
Servin' 10 credte the present day
Hun.'.ll1 of Land Management. In
I Q-tb, the Bure,ll1 becamt.' responsible
tor .111 progr.Hns pt'rt.lllling to the
unappropriated public lands.

AMERICA'S HERITAGE

Most of this land is \
of the Nation'
dlll1l.lin. !'ublic don
.H(, ddilH'd .1S I.wd Ih,lt h.
lwt'll in priv.lll' O\vnl'rship. j
I IIlll' lIr <lIwdwr, lllore than 1.8 bl
.HTl'S ()f Iht. 2.J billion .\Crt's of land
th,lt rww ll1,lkt's lip the 50 United
St.llt'::> W.\S ,1 pari uf tht' public
dlllll.1lll. 'I h.lt was thl' bulk of ,111IJI10
Wt'st lit the App,11.1lhi.111 MlIuntJins.
The public dom.lin providL'J the land
Ih,lt 110\..... llldkt's up 1ll.1ny of our

>re.ller part
passed in 10
) uring the course
expansIOn and

dliun cleft'S that ,Ht.' It.>ft
tJOll"IIJlld b.lse to be used
III .ltllHl.11 lllterest <1I1d in the
public benefit. These I"llds h.lYl! been
called "un.lppropri.lted" becausl' they

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