Key Federal Agencies

Department of Interior

The Department of Interior includes several bureaus that make determinations related to land access and use in Wyoming. In total, the Department manages 500 million acres of surface land - or about one-fifth of the land in the U.S.

DOI’s Bureau of Land Management issues Resource Management Plans
(RMPs) that direct mineral, agricultural and recreational uses of federal lands. 68% of the oil and gas reserves in the United States are managed by the BLM.

The Bureau of Indian Education provides educational services to 47,723 children in 184 locations.

The Bureau of Reclamation manages several reservoirs and waterways and makes decisions related to allocation and public recreational use.

The Fish and Wildlife Service makes listing and de-listing determinations related to threatened or endangered species.

The Minerals Management Service collects, accounts for and distributes revenues associated with mineral production from leased federal and Indian lands.

The Office of Surface Mining regulates existing mines and abandoned mine lands (AML).

The National Park Service oversees the country’s national parks and makes access and use decisions in such places a Yellowstone, Teton Park, and Devil’s Tower.

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

In addition to providing services related to food safety and rural and community development, the Department of Agriculture is home to the U.S. Forest Service , which manages public lands in national forests and grasslands.

In Wyoming, the Forest Service manages the Bighorn , Bridger-Teton, Medicine Bow, and Shoshone National Forests, as well as the Thunder Basin National Grassland.

For a full index of federal departments and agencies, click here.