Major land ownership types in Idaho
- Private Land — Owned by individuals, corporations, or tribes.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — Manages large tracts of sagebrush, desert, and rangeland.
- U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Manages national forests (e.g., Boise, Sawtooth, Clearwater).
- National Park Service (NPS) — Manages Craters of the Moon, part of Yellowstone, and some historic sites.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) — Manages National Wildlife Refuges (e.g., Deer Flat, Camas).
- Department of Defense (DoD) — Includes Mountain Home Air Force Base and training ranges.
- Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) — Manages dams and reservoirs like Anderson Ranch, Lucky Peak.
State owned land types
- Idaho Department of Lands (IDL):
- Endowment Lands — Managed for income to benefit public schools and other institutions.
- State Forests — Managed for timber, habitat, and recreation.
- Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG):
- Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) — For hunting, fishing, and wildlife habitat.
- "Access Yes!" Lands — Private land enrolled in public access agreements for hunting/fishing.
- Idaho Parks and Recreation — Manages state parks like Bruneau Dunes and Ponderosa State Park.
- Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) — Manages highway rights-of-way and some undeveloped land.
Special & overlapping designations
- Wilderness Areas — Like Frank Church—River of No Return (USFS & BLM managed).
- Wild and Scenic Rivers — Protected waterways (Middle Fork Salmon, Bruneau River, etc.).
- National Conservation Areas (NCAs) — Like Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA.
- National Monuments — Craters of the Moon (co-managed by NPS & BLM).
- Research Natural Areas — Often within national forests, protected for scientific research.
- Land Trust or Conservation Easements — Privately owned but permanently protected from development.
- Tribal Land — Such as the Nez Perce, Coeur d’Alene, or Shoshone-Bannock reservations.
Resources