In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries. The following examples illustrate some of the range.

Commonwealth countries

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In several Commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, public lands are referred to as Crown lands. Recent proposals to sell Crown lands have been highly controversial.

France

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In France, public land (French: domaine public) may he held by communes, départements, or the central State.

United States

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In the United States governmental entities including cities, counties, states, and the federal government all manage land which are referred to as either public lands or the public domain.

The majority of public lands in the United States are held in trust for the American people by the federal government and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Secretary of Interior or the U.S. Forest Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. National Parks and Monuments are also public lands managed by the National Park Service, which is also part of the Interior Department. Other federal agencies that manage public lands include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

In general, Congress must legislate the creation of new public lands, although the Executive may use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate new national monuments (or to protect existing public lands with such a designation).

Each western state also received trust lands to manage upon entering the union. The trust lands (two sections, or 640 acres per township) are usually managed extractively (grazing or mining), to provide revenue for public schools. All states have some lands under state management, such as state parks, state wildlife management areas, and state forests.

Wilderness is a special designation for public lands which have been completely undeveloped. Wilderness areas can be managed by any of the above Federal agencies, and some parks and refuges are almost entirely designated wilderness. A wilderness study area is a tract of land that has wilderness characteristics, and is managed as wilderness, but has not received a wilderness designation from Congress.

Typically each parcel is governed by its own set of laws and rules that explain the purpose for which the land was acquired, and how the land may be used.

Recreation on U.S. public lands

Most state- and federally-managed public lands are open for recreational use. Recreation opportunities depend on the managing agency, and run the gamut from the free-for-all, undeveloped wide open spaces of BLM lands to the highly developed and controlled national and state parks. Wildlife refuges and state wildlife management areas, managed primarily to improve habitat, are generally open to wildlife watching, hiking, and hunting, except for closures to protect mating and nesting, or to reduce stress on wintering animals. National forests generally have a mix of maintained trails and roads, wilderness and undeveloped portions, and developed picnic and camping areas.

External links for U.S. public lands

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• Public Lands Information Center: state and federal lands in the Western U.S.
• Recreation on Federal Lands: United States/ nationwide

Real property law | United States public land law