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United States Government Accountability Office: 
GAO: 

Testimony:

Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Committee on 
Natural Resources, House of Representatives:

For Release on Delivery: 
Expected at 9:00 a.m. MDT:
Thursday, May 3, 2012:

Federal Land Management:

Availability and Potential Reliability of Selected Data Elements at 
Five Agencies:

Statement of Anu K. Mittal, Director:
Natural Resources and Environment:

GAO-12-691T:

GAO Highlights:

Highlights of GAO-12-691T, a statement before the Subcommittee on 
Energy and Mineral Resources, Committee on Natural Resources, House of 
Representatives. 

Why GAO Did This Study:

The federal government manages about 650 million acres, or 29 percent, 
of the 2.27 billion acres of U.S. land. Four land management agencies—
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Fish and Wildlife Service 
(FWS), the National Park Service (NPS) in the Department of the 
Interior (Interior), and the Forest Service, in the Department of 
Agriculture—manage about 95 percent of these federal acres. Interior’s 
Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) manages another 1 percent of these acres. 
The five agencies collect certain data to help manage federal lands 
under their jurisdiction. 

This testimony summarizes GAO’s findings from GAO-11-337, a report 
issued in April 2011. In this report, GAO reviewed the extent to which 
the five agencies collect certain federal land and resource data 
(referred to as data elements), how these data elements are stored, 
and their potential reliability. GAO included over 100 data elements 
at each agency in its analysis. These elements can be categorized as 
information on (1) federal land and the resources the five agencies 
manage, (2) revenues generated from selected activities on these 
lands, and (3) federal land subject to selected land use designations, 
such as wilderness areas. 

What GAO Found:

The five agencies varied in the extent to which they collected the 
over 100 land and resources, revenue, and federal land use designation 
data elements that GAO asked them about. Specifically, all five 
agencies collected data on four basic data elements, which related to 
total surface acres managed, total acres managed within each state, 
the number of special use permits generated for filming activities on 
federal land, and the number of cultural and historic sites listed on 
the National Register of Historic Places. In contrast, none of them 
collected information for 33 other data elements, such as the percent 
of total acres under oil, gas, or coal leases that have surface 
disturbance or where the surface disturbance has been reclaimed, or 
information on the potential quantities of oil, gas, and coal 
resources on federal land. Agency officials cited various reasons why 
the agencies did not collect certain information, such as believing 
another federal agency collected it, it was inconsistent with the agency
’s mission, or they lacked the authority or resources to do so. 

When an agency collected information, it was usually stored in a 
primary agency data system—a centralized electronic data system 
maintained at an agencywide level.  For example, GAO queried each 
agency about 57 federal land and resources data elements, and while 
the number of data elements each agency collected varied 
significantly, ranging from 3 to 22, the majority of the information 
that was collected was stored in a primary agency data system. 
Similarly, GAO asked each agency about 35 specific revenue data 
elements, and again while the number of data elements each agency 
collected varied significantly, ranging from 6 to 22, the majority of 
the information that was collected was stored in a primary agency data 
system. When the agencies collected information but did not store it 
in a primary agency data system, it was available in other formats 
such as paper files, land use plans, or other agency documents and 
files that may have been located in multiple field locations. 

GAO assessed the potential reliability of the data elements that the 
five agencies collected and determined that less than half of the data 
elements stored in a primary agency data system were potentially 
reliable. Generally, data elements were assessed as potentially 
reliable when information about the completeness and accuracy of a 
specific data element provided high assurance of its reliability. It 
is important to note that GAO assessed the potential reliability of 
these data elements for a given period of time, and additional 
analysis would be needed to determine the reliability of specific data 
elements for specific purposes. Among the reasons some of these data 
were assessed to be potentially unreliable were insufficient 
information about the accuracy and completeness of data elements and 
lack of internal controls for data quality. 

What GAO Recommends:

GAO made no recommendation in its 2011 report and is making no new 
recommendations in this testimony. 

View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-691T]. For more 
information, contact Anu K. Mittal at (202) 512-3841 or 
mittala@gao.gov. 

[End of section] 

Chairman Lamborn, Ranking Member Holt, and Members of the Subcommittee:

I am pleased to be here today to participate in your field hearing on 
land inventory management. The federal government manages about 650 
million acres, or 29 percent, of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the 
United States. Four land management agencies--the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the 
National Park Service (NPS) in the Department of the Interior 
(Interior), and the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture--
manage about 95 percent of the federal land. The Bureau of Reclamation 
(BoR), also in Interior, manages another 1 percent of this land.

The agencies manage their land for various purposes. For example, BLM 
and the Forest Service manage land for a variety of uses--including 
recreation, timber harvesting, livestock grazing, oil and gas 
production, mining, and wilderness protection. In contrast, FWS and 
NPS primarily manage land to conserve fish and wildlife and their 
habitat and park resources, respectively, and resource development is 
generally not allowed on FWS-and NPS-managed land. BoR focuses on 
managing, developing, and protecting water and related resource 
projects, such as dams, irrigation, and hydroelectric plants. Lands 
managed by these federal agencies may also be specially designated, 
for example, as wilderness areas or national trails.

To help manage federal land, the five agencies collect data that 
track, among other things, land use, revenues generated from 
activities occurring on the land, and land that has been designated 
for a specific use, such as wilderness areas. However, in the past, 
we, the departments' Offices of Inspectors General, and others have 
raised concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the data used 
to manage federal land and resources and revenues collected from 
activities on federal land. As these prior reports have concluded, 
without accurate and complete data, managers cannot make fully 
informed decisions and effectively manage and evaluate agency 
activities.

In 2010, at the request of the House Committee on Natural Resources 
and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, we undertook 
a study to review the extent to which each of the five federal land 
management agencies collect data that were considered by the 
committees as key to managing federal lands and resources. In April 
2011, we issued a report--Federal Land Management: Availability and 
Potential Reliability of Selected Data Elements at Five Agencies (GAO-
11-377)-- that described which data the agencies collected, where the 
agencies stored these data, and the potential reliability of these 
data. My testimony today is based on the findings of this report, 
which contained no recommendations. The 2011 report contains a 
detailed explanation of the methods used to conduct our work, which we 
performed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 
standards.

Background:

The four major federal land management agencies--BLM, the Forest 
Service, FWS, and NPS--manage their land and resources in accordance 
with their respective missions and authorities. BLM and the Forest 
Service are responsible for managing about 69 percent of federal land 
for a variety of uses, including recreation, timber harvesting, 
livestock grazing, oil and gas production, and mining. FWS is 
responsible for managing about 14 percent of federal land, primarily 
to conserve and protect fish and wildlife, and their habitat, although 
other uses, such as hunting and fishing, are allowed when they are 
compatible with the primary purposes for which the lands are managed. 
NPS manages approximately 12 percent of federal land to conserve, 
preserve, protect, and interpret the nation's natural, cultural, and 
historic resources.

In comparison, BoR, which manages about 1 percent of federal land, has 
a much narrower primary mission--to manage, develop, and protect water 
and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound 
manner. Accordingly, BoR maintains 348 reservoirs, 476 dams, and 58 
hydroelectric plants on federal land and is the largest wholesale 
supplier of water in the United States and the second-largest 
hydroelectric power producer in the nation. BoR land is largely 
managed to meet its primary mission, but this land also provides other 
benefits, such as recreation.

These agencies may collect a variety of data to manage and oversee 
their activities. For our 2011 report, we examined over 100 data 
elements that fall into three broad categories: (1) information on 
federal land and the resources the agencies manage, (2) revenues 
generated from selected activities on federal land, and (3) 
information on federal land subject to selected land use designations. 
We developed this list of data elements by reviewing, among other 
things, the request letter for the work, past GAO and Congressional 
Research Service reports, and interviewing agency officials. The five 
agencies may collect other data related to land management that were 
not included in this review. The three data element categories are 
described below.

* Federal land and resources. We identified 57 data elements in this 
category that relate to (1) information on the total surface and 
subsurface acres of federal land managed by each of the five land 
management agencies and the total acres managed for specific purposes, 
such as hardrock mining or grazing, and (2) the volume of various 
resources, such as oil and gas and timber extracted or harvested from 
federal land.

* Revenues generated from activities on federal land. We identified 35 
data elements in this category that relate to information on revenues 
generated from activities on federal land, which are derived from the 
use or sale of land and resources. Sources of revenue include revenues 
generated from oil and gas activities, hardrock mining, and special 
use or right-of-way permits issued for transmission lines, filming 
activities, and concession activities. We also included cost recovery 
fees--which are intended to recover agency costs for processing 
certain plans, applications, or permits associated with various 
activities on federal land--in this category of data elements.

* Federal land use designations. Data elements in this category relate 
to information on the number of acres each agency manages that are 
associated with various special designations of federal land, such as 
wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, paleontological sites, and 
critical habitat set aside for endangered species. Some of these land 
use designations apply to all five federal land management agencies, 
but some are unique to a specific agency, and the number of land use 
designations applicable to each agency varies.

Extent to Which Data Elements Are Collected by the Five Agencies Varied:

The five agencies varied in the extent to which they collected the 
over 100 land and resources, revenue, and federal land use designation 
data elements that we queried them about. Specifically, all five 
agencies collected only 4 of the same data elements of the over 100 
data elements that we asked them about. These 4 elements related to 
total surface acres managed, total acres managed within each state, 
the number of special use permits generated for filming activities on 
federal land, and the number of cultural and historic sites listed on 
the National Register of Historic Places. In contrast, none of the 
agencies collected information for 33 data elements that we asked them 
about, such as the percent of total acres under oil, gas, or coal 
leases that have surface disturbance or where the surface disturbance 
has been reclaimed, or information on the potential quantities of oil, 
gas, and coal resources on federal land.

Specifically, of the 57 federal land and resource data elements we 
asked each of the five agencies about, BLM and the Forest Service 
collected the most--22 and 20 data elements respectively--and BoR 
collected the least--3 data elements. Table 1 lists the 57 federal 
land and resources data elements we asked about and indicates which of 
the five agencies collected them.

Table 1: Federal Land and Resource Data Elements Collected by the Five 
Federal Agencies:


Data element: 1. Total surface acres managed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 2. Total subsurface acres managed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 3. Total acres managed within each state; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 4. Total acres acquired that facilitated the 
establishment of buffer areas around military installations; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 5. Total acres withdrawn that facilitated the 
establishment of buffer areas around military installations; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 6. Total acres acquired for national park units; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 7. Total acres acquired for wilderness areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 8. Total acres acquired for battlegrounds; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 9. Total acres acquired for wildlife refuges; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 10. Total acres acquired for national recreation areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 11. Total acres acquired for other purposes; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 12. Total acres that were added to the federal estate 
through eminent domain powers of the federal government; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 13. Total acres disposed of through sale or exchange; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 14. Potential quantity of coal resources on federal 
lands (tonnage); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 15. Potential quantity of coal reserves on federal lands 
(tonnage); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 16. Total acres of federal lands available for coal 
leasing under existing land management plans; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 17. Total acres of land that have been leased for coal 
development; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 18. Total acres of federal lands leased for coal 
development that are in producing status; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 19. Extent to which coal has been produced from leased 
lands (tonnage); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 20. Potential quantity of oil and natural gas resources 
on federal lands (barrels/cubic feet); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 21. Potential quantity of oil and natural gas reserves 
on federal lands (barrels/cubic feet); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 22. Total acres of federal lands available for oil and 
natural gas leasing under existing land management plans; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 23. Total acres of federal lands that have been leased 
for oil and natural gas development; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 24. Total acres of federal lands leased for oil and 
natural gas development that are in producing status; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 25. Extent to which oil and natural gas has been 
produced from leased federal lands (barrels/cubic feet); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 26. Value of bonds held by your agency to ensure 
reclamation of oil and gas operations; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 27. Potential acres of federal lands available for 
timber sale; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 28. Potential quantity of timber on federal lands 
suitable for commercial harvesting (board feet); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 29. Total acres of federal lands that have been approved 
for commercial timber harvesting (acres) under existing land 
management plans; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 30. Extent to which timber on federal lands has been 
commercially harvested (board feet); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 31. Total acres of federal lands from which timber has 
been commercially harvested; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 32. Potential acreage for livestock grazing on federal 
lands; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 33. Total acres of federal lands authorized for 
livestock grazing use under existing land management plans; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 34. Total acres of federal lands used for livestock 
grazing; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 35. Potential quantity of hardrock (locatable) minerals 
on federal lands; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 36. Total acres of federal lands available for hardrock 
(locatable) mineral mining under existing land management plans; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 37. Extent to which hardrock (locatable) minerals have 
been extracted from federal lands (tonnage); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 38. Value of bonds held by your agency to ensure 
reclamation of hardrock (locatable) mineral operations; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 39. Total acres of federal lands that were burned as a 
result of wildland fires (Forest Service and NPS)/wildfires (BLM); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 40. Costs associated with wildland fires (Forest Service 
and NPS)/wildfires (BLM); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 41. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under a coal lease that have surface disturbance; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 42. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under an oil and natural gas lease that have surface disturbance; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 43. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under a notice or plan level hardrock (locatable) operation that have 
surface disturbance; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 44. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under a coal lease where the surface disturbance has been reclaimed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 45. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under an oil and natural gas lease where the surface disturbance has 
been reclaimed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 46. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under a notice or plan level hardrock (locatable) operation where the 
surface disturbance has been reclaimed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 47. Percentage of total acres of federal lands that are 
under a coal lease where surface is undisturbed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 48. Percentage of the total acres of federal lands that 
are under an oil and natural gas lease where surface is undisturbed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 49. Percentage of the total acres of federal lands that 
are under a notice or plan level hardrock (locatable) operation where 
surface is undisturbed; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 50. Total acres of wildlife refuge with energy 
development and production currently taking place; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 51. Total acres of wildlife refuge with mineral 
development and production currently taking place; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 52. Ownership of the fluid mineral estate being 
developed on wildlife refuge (federal, state, private); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 53. Ownership of the solid mineral estate being 
developed on wildlife refuge (federal, state, private); 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 54. Total percentage of federal mineral estate that has 
been withdrawn from mineral entry under the General Mining Act of 1872; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 55. Total percentage of federal mineral estate that has 
been withdrawn from mineral entry under the Mineral Leasing Act of 
1920; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 56. Total percentage of federal mineral estate that has 
been withdrawn from mineral entry under the Mineral Leasing Act for 
Acquired Lands; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 57. Total percentage of federal mineral estate that has 
been withdrawn from mineral entry under the Mineral Materials Disposal 
Act of 1947; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Source: GAO. 

[End of table] 

Of the 35 revenue data elements we asked each of the five federal 
agencies about, BLM collected the most and NPS collected the least, 22 
and 6, respectively. Table 2 lists the 35 data elements that relate to 
revenues generated from activities on federal lands and which of the 
five agencies collected them.

Table 2: Revenue Data Elements Collected by the Five Federal Agencies:


Data element: 1. Oil and gas bonus bids; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 2. Oil and gas rents; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 3. Oil & gas royalties; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 4. Coal bonus bids; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 5. Coal rents; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 6. Coal royalties; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 7. Geothermal bonus bids; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 8. Geothermal rents; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 9. Geothermal royalties; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 10. Other leaseable commodities bonus bids; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 11. Other leaseable commodities rents; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]; 

Data element: 12. Other leaseable commodities royalties; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 13. Grazing fees; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 14. Claim maintenance fees for hardrock mining; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 15. Location fees for hardrock mining; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 16. Special use permits for transmission lines; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 17. Right-of-way permits for transmission lines; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 18. Special use permits for water projects; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 19. Right-of-way permits for water projects; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 20. Special use permits for solar projects; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 21. Right-of-way permits for solar projects; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 22. Special use permits for wind projects; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 23. Right-of-way permits for wind projects; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 24. Special use permits generated from camping 
activities; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 25. Special use permits generated from day use 
activities; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 26. Special use permits generated from filming 
activities; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 27. Special use permits generated from concession 
activities; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 28. Cost recovery fees associated with hardrock mining; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 29. Cost recovery fees related to Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) preparation; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 30. Cost recovery fees for processing oil and gas 
Applications to Drill; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 31. Cost recovery fees associated with geothermal 
activities; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Empty]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 32. Recreation fees; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 33. Entrance fees; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 34. Use fees; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 35. Concession receipts; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS:  [Check]; 
NPS:  [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Source: GAO. 

[End of table] 

Some land use designation data elements that we asked the five federal 
land management agencies about applied to all five of them, and some 
were unique to a specific agency. As a result, the number of land use 
designations applicable to each agency varied. Specifically, 26 
federal land use designation data elements applied to BLM, 21 to the 
Forest Service, 21 to FWS, 30 to NPS, and 17 to BoR. NPS collected the 
most information on federal land use designation data elements and BoR 
collected the least, 25 and 1, respectively. Table 3 lists the data 
elements collected for federal land use designations by those that 
apply to all agencies and those that apply to each of the five agencies.

Table 3: Federal Land Use Designation Data Elements Collected by the 
Five Federal Agencies:

Federal land use designation data elements applicable to all five 
agencies: 

Data element: 1. Total acres designated as Wilderness Areas under the 
Wilderness Act of 1964 and subsequent associated legislation; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 2. Total river miles designated as Wild and Scenic River 
under all categories of designations under the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act of 1968, as amended; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 3. Number of cultural and historic resource sites listed 
on the national register of historic places under the Historic Sites 
Act of 1935 or the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Check]. 

Data element: 4. Number of National Historic and National Scenic 
Trails designated under the National Trails System Act of 1968, as 
amended; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 5. Number of National Recreational Trails or roads 
designated under the National Trails System Act of 1968, as amended; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 6. Number of paleontological sites; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Check]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 7. Total acres designated as Research Natural Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 8. Total acres designated as critical habitat under the 
Endangered Species Act; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Check]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 9. Total acres designated under the United Nations 
Biosphere Reserve Program; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 10. Total acres designated as World Heritage Sites; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 11. Total acres designated as Wetlands of International 
Importance/Ramsar sites; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 12. Total acres designated as Globally Important Bird 
Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Empty]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 13. Total acres designated as International Historic 
Sites; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]; 
Forest Service: [Empty]; 
FWS: [Empty]; 
NPS: [Check]; 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Federal land use designation data elements specific to BLMData element: 

Data element: 1. Total acres designated as National Conservation Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 2. Total acres designated as National Monuments by 
public proclamation of the President under the Antiquities Act of 
1906, or by the Congress; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 3. Total acres designated as Cooperative Management and 
Protection Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 4. Total acres designated as National Recreation Areas; 
[Empty]; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 5. Total acres designated as Special Recreation 
Management Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 6. Total acres designated as Outstanding Natural Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 7. Total acres designated as Forest Reserves; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 8. Total acres inventoried as Wilderness Study Areas 
through Section 603(a) of the Federal Land Policy Management Act; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 9. Total acres designated as Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Data element: 10. Total acres designated as administrative sites; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]. 

Data element: 11. Total acres designated as Visual Resource Management 
Classifications; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]. 

Data element: 12. Total acres designated as Wildland Fire Use 
Management Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Empty]. 

Data element: 13. Total acres designated as Herd Management Areas; 
Collected: 
BLM: [Check]. 

Federal land use designation data elements specific to the Forest 
Service: 

Data element: 1. Total acres designated as National Forests; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 2. Total acres designated as National Grasslands; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 3. Total acres designated as National Monuments; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 4. Total areas designated as National Tallgrass Prairie; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 5. Total acres designated for Land Utilization Projects; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 6. Total acres designated as administrative sites; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 7. Total acres within inventoried roadless areas; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Check]. 

Data element: 8. Total acres for other land use designations listed in 
existing forest plans; 
Collected: 
Forest Service: [Empty]. 

Federal land use designation data elements specific to FWS: 

Data element: 1. Total acres within the National Wildlife Refuge 
System; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Check]. 

Data element: 2. Total acres within the National Fish Hatchery System; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Check]. 

Data element: 3. Total acres designated as Waterfowl Production Areas; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Check]. 

Data element: 4. Total acres designated as Coastal Wetlands; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Empty]. 

Data element: 5. Total acres designated as Wetlands Conservation; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Empty]. 

Data element: 6. Total acres designated as Migratory Bird Habitat 
Areas; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Empty]. 

Data element: 7. Total acres managed as administrative sites; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Check]. 

Data element: 8. Total acres designated as National Monuments; 
Collected: 
FSW: [Check]. 

Federal land use designation data elements specific to NPS: 

Data element: 1. Total acres designated as National Parks; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 2. Total acres designated as National Parkways; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 3. Total acres designated as National Cemeteries; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Empty]. 

Data element: 4. Total acres designated as National Monuments; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 5. Total acres designated as National Battlefields; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 6. Total acres designated as National Battlefield Parks; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 7. Total acres designated as National Battlefield Sites; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 8. Total acres designated as National Military Parks; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 9. Total acres designated as National Historic Parks; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 10. Total acres designated as National Historic Sites; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 11. Total acres designated as National Lakeshores; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 12. Total acres designated as National Memorials; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 13. Total acres designated as National Preserves; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 14. Total acres designated as National Reserves; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 15. Total acres designated as National Seashores; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 16. Total acres designated as National Recreation Areas; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Check]. 

Data element: 17. Total acres designated as administrative sites; 
Collected: 
NPS: [Empty]. 

Federal land use designation data elements specific to BoR: 

Data element: 1. Total acres designated as Wetlands; 
Collected: 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 2. Total acres designated as National Monuments; 
Collected: 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 3. Total acres designated as National Natural Landmarks; 
Collected: 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Data element: 4. Total acres designated as administrative sites; 
Collected: 
BoR: [Empty]. 

Source: GAO. 

[End of table] 

Agency officials cited various reasons why their agencies did not 
collect certain information, such as they believed another federal 
agency collected it, it was inconsistent with the agency's mission, or 
they lacked the authority or resources to do so. For example, 
according to BLM officials, the agency does not collect information on 
the total acres of land designated as Globally Important Bird Areas. 
The American Bird Conservancy designates these areas and, along with 
the National Audubon Society, collects information about these sites. 
BLM is informed if any designations are on its land but does not track 
these areas. Similarly, according to FWS officials, the United Nations 
World Heritage program keeps records for acres designated as World 
Heritage Sites, and FWS relies on this entity for information about 
these sites.

In addition, some agencies did not collect data because they believe 
collecting it would be inconsistent with the agency's mission. For 
example, according to NPS officials, with regard to data related to 
various aspects of coal, oil and gas, and hardrock operations on NPS 
land, these activities, if they are allowed at all, are quite limited 
on NPS land because they are inconsistent with the mission of the 
agency. For this reason, NPS does not collect information on the 
potential amounts of these resources on NPS land. These officials also 
told us that for any quantities of oil and gas extracted from NPS 
land, the Department of the Interior's Office of Natural Resources 
Revenue would collect this information. In addition, BoR did not 
collect 54 of the 57 federal land and resource data elements we 
examined because, according to agency officials, these data did not 
relate to BoR's mission. The officials noted that while BoR manages 
land associated with its mission, other activities do occur on its 
land that are incidental to its mission and are generally managed by 
another agency. For example, Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona is a 
National Recreation Area located on BoR land and managed by NPS. Thus, 
NPS would collect data on the number of acres acquired for national 
recreation areas, such as Lake Mead, and not BoR.

Further, some agencies cited a lack of authority or resources to 
collect certain data elements as their reason for not doing so. For 
example, according to agency officials, the Forest Service does not 
collect information on surface land disturbed by coal mining because 
it is not within Forest Service authority to require collection of 
this information. Forest Service officials said Interior's Office of 
Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement may collect this 
information. They added that it is not within the scope of the Forest 
Service's authority to require the collection of information on 
surfaces disturbed by oil and gas activities, but they thought that 
BLM might collect this information. BLM officials stated that they 
would like to collect this information, but funding is not available 
to do so.

Approximately Three-Quarters of the Data Elements Collected Are Stored 
in a Primary Agency Data System:

When information was collected by the five agencies, it was more often 
stored in a primary agency data system--a centralized electronic data 
system maintained at an agencywide level--than in other formats. 
Specifically, approximately three-quarters of the data elements that 
the agencies collected were stored in a primary agency data system. 
For example, we queried each agency about 57 federal land and 
resources data elements, and while the number of data elements each 
agency collected varied significantly, ranging from 3 to 22, the 
majority of the information that was collected was stored in a primary 
agency data system. BLM collected 22 federal land and resource data 
elements, and 15 of these elements were stored in a primary agency 
data system. These included data elements related to the total acres 
that have been leased for coal development, total acres that have been 
leased for oil and gas development, and total acres for livestock 
grazing. However other data, such as acres of surface and subsurface 
land, acres managed within each state, and potential quantity of coal 
reserves on leased land that the agency manages, were kept in BLM 
state offices in other formats, such as electronic spreadsheets or 
hard copy. In contrast, all the data elements the Forest Service, FWS, 
and BoR collected were available in a primary agency data system.

Similarly, we asked each agency about 35 specific revenue data 
elements, and again while the number of data elements each agency 
collected varied significantly, ranging from 6 to 22, the majority of 
the information that was collected was stored in a primary agency data 
system. For example, BLM stored all 22 of the revenue data elements it 
collected in primary agency data systems, including those related to 
revenues generated from right-of-way permits for transmission lines 
and water and wind projects and special use permits for camping, day 
use, filming, and concession activities. In contrast, of the 6 revenue 
data elements that NPS collected, 3 were stored in a primary agency 
data system--including those related to recreation fees, use fees, and 
concession receipts--and 3 were stored in other formats--including 
special use and right of way permits, which are kept at the park unit 
level.

With regard to data elements on federal land use designations, the 
number stored in primary agency data systems or in other formats also 
varied significantly by agency. For example, only 1 of the 17 land use 
designation data elements applicable to BLM was stored in a primary 
agency data system. Other data elements, such as those related to the 
number of cultural and historic resource sites, National Monuments, 
and National Historic and National Scenic Trails, were documented in 
spreadsheets at BLM headquarters. Some data elements, such as the 
number of paleontological sites and total acres designated as critical 
habitat under the Endangered Species Act, were maintained at multiple 
field offices in other formats, such as electronic files or hard copy. 
In contrast, 13 of the 15 data elements that the Forest Service 
collects on land use designation are stored in primary agency systems. 
These include information on total acres designated as Wilderness 
Areas, National Forests, National Grasslands, National Monuments, 
National Tallgrass Prairie, Land Utilization Projects, administrative 
sites, and Research Natural Areas; and the total river miles 
designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers. At NPS, the format for data 
storage was more of a mix, with 18 of the 25 data elements stored in 
primary agency data systems and 7 stored in other formats, including 
electronic spreadsheets, Web sites, or paper files at agency 
headquarters or in park units.

Less than Half of the Agency Data Stored in Primary Agency Data 
Systems Were Assessed to Be Potentially Reliable:

We assessed the potential reliability of the data elements that the 
five agencies collected and determined that less than half of the data 
elements stored in a primary agency data system were potentially 
reliable. Generally, we assessed data elements as potentially reliable 
when information about the completeness and accuracy of a specific 
data element provided high assurance of its reliability. It is 
important to note that we assessed the potential reliability of these 
data elements for a given period of time, and additional analysis 
would be needed to determine the reliability of specific data elements 
for specific purposes.

With regard to federal land and resource data elements, we assessed as 
potentially reliable 24 data elements that the five federal agencies 
stored in a primary agency data system:

* At BLM, of the 15 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, 6 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At the Forest Service, of the 20 data elements that were stored in a 
primary agency data system, 4 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At FWS, of the 10 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, 6 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At NPS, of the 10 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, 8 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At BoR, of the 3 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, none was assessed to be potentially reliable.

Reasons why these data were found to be potentially unreliable 
included concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the data and 
internal controls for data quality. For example, all of the federal 
land and resource data elements in the Forest Service's Land Area 
Report data system and the Automated Lands Program data system were 
assessed as potentially unreliable, in part because their associated 
data systems had weak internal controls for data quality.

With regard to the revenue data elements stored in primary agency data 
systems, we assessed 17 as potentially reliable:

* At BLM, of the 22 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, 13 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At the Forest Service, of the 9 data elements that were stored in a 
primary agency data system, 1 was assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At FWS, of the 10 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, none was assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At NPS, of the 3 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, all 3 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At BoR, of the 4 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, none was assessed to be potentially reliable.

Reasons why these data were found to be potentially unreliable varied. 
For example, at BLM, we assessed two data elements--revenues generated 
by coal bonus bids and coal rents in the Collection and Billing System--
as potentially unreliable, in part because BLM did not provide 
sufficient information about the accuracy and completeness of these 
data elements in the Collection and Billing System. In addition, at 
FWS, we assessed the revenues generated from the right-of-way permits 
data element as potentially unreliable, in part because the revenues 
cannot be broken down by type of permit, and even if the type of 
permit were known, the frequency of revenues generated from these 
permits is unknown (e.g., annually or one-time).

With regard to the data on land use designations, we assessed as 
potentially reliable 25 land use designation data elements stored in 
primary agency data systems:

* At BLM, the 1 data element that was stored in a primary agency data 
system was not assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At the Forest Service, of the 13 data elements that were stored in a 
primary agency data system, 2 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At FWS, of the 6 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, all 6 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At NPS, of the 18 data elements that were stored in a primary agency 
data system, 17 were assessed to be potentially reliable.

* At BoR, the 1 data element collected was not stored in a primary 
agency data system.

As with the other two types of data elements, the reasons why these 
data were found to be potentially unreliable varied. For example, we 
found the land use designation data element at BLM potentially 
unreliable, in part because of limitations with the accuracy of 
historic data. In contrast, we found eight data elements stored in the 
Forest Service's Land Area Report data system potentially unreliable, 
in part because the data system used few internal controls for data 
quality, and the data in the system had not been audited.

Chairman Lamborn, Ranking Member Holt, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, while we recognize that managing the vast federal estate 
is a daunting task, this task becomes even more challenging when 
federal land managers do not have access to complete, accurate, and 
comprehensive land inventory data. This concludes my prepared 
statement. I would be pleased to answer any questions that you may 
have at this time.

GAO Contacts and Acknowledgements:

For further information about this testimony, please contact Anu K. 
Mittal at (202) 512-3841 or mittala@gao.gov. Contact points for our 
Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on 
the last page of this testimony. Elizabeth Erdmann, Assistant 
Director; Antoinette Capaccio, Carol Kolarik, Rebecca Shea, and Lisa 
Turner also made key contributions to this testimony.

[End of section] 

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