Law Enforcement

LAW ENFORCEMENT

The dedicated men and women who make up BLM's law enforcement program play an integral role in ensuring public safety and fulfilling the BLM’s multiple-use mission. Every day, our law enforcement professionals put themselves in harm’s way to investigate vandalism and looting, support emergency response, and provide a safe environment for employees and visitors to the public lands.

Nationally, the BLM manages a wide variety of resources spread over 245 million acres of public lands and 700 million acres of the subsurface mineral estate. These public land resources include timber, forage, energy and minerals, recreation areas, wild horse and burro herds, fish and wildlife habitat, wilderness areas and national monuments, and archaeological and paleontological sites. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to stand up a law enforcement body to enforce Federal laws and regulations with respect to public lands and their resources. As a result, the BLM has been given specific resource protection and law enforcement responsibilities that further its multiple-use mission.

The public lands managed by the BLM are predominantly located in the western U.S., including Alaska, and consist of extensive grassland, forest, high mountain, arctic tundra, and desert landscapes. Each of these landscapes has a diversity of resources. As a result, the specific duties of each BLM law enforcement officer can vary considerably. For example, in the southwestern desert, officers may spend a considerable amount of time dealing with large numbers of recreational off-highway vehicle users as well as archaeological resources crimes; officers along the southern border frequently contend with the effects of illegal border crossings and drug smuggling; officers in urban interface areas encounter a variety of trespass crimes that include arson and hazardous materials dumping, and officers in the northern states regularly deal with illegal marijuana cultivation activities. In all areas, BLM law enforcement officers work in cooperation with local sheriff’s offices, state agencies, and other federal law enforcement agencies.