See how much land in North Carolina is owned by the federal government

Photo byCanva

The federal government owns 27.1% of U.S. land, or 615.3 million acres, which is managed for preservation, recreation, and resource development.

The Bureau of Land Management controls 39.7% of this land, the Forest Service manages 31.4%, the Fish and Wildlife Service oversees 14.5%, and the National Park Service maintains 13%. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense manages 1.4% for military purposes.

In North Carolina, 7.8% of the state’s land—about 2.4 million of its 31.4 million acres—is federally owned as of 2018. Data was released Feb. 21, 2020.

Most of this land is concentrated in the western counties, with Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Macon, and Swain holding the largest shares, totaling approximately 720,000 acres.

The Forest Service manages 51.6% of North Carolina's federal land, followed by the Fish and Wildlife Service (17.4%), Department of Defense (15.9%), and National Park Service (15.1%).

Since 1990, federal land ownership in North Carolina has increased by 6.3%, even as federal land ownership nationwide has generally decreased by 31.5 million acres. Despite federal control in nearly half of North Carolina's counties, most of this land supports national forests, wildlife refuges, and military bases.

There’s ongoing debate about whether states should manage more federal land, but the cost of administration and loss of federal compensation make this a complex issue.

Do you think North Carolina should manage more of its land, or does federal control work best for preservation and public use?