ABSTRACT
Not many Americans realize that they collectively own one third of the surface area of the country and billions of acres of the outer continental shelf The resources are extensive and valuable: huge supplies of oil, coal, natural gas, uranium, copper, gold, silver, timber, grasslands, w a^ter, and geothermal energy. The nation's public lands also consist of vast tracts of wilderness forests, unspoiled coastline, sweeping prairies, the aweinspiring Rocky Mountains, and dozens of beautiful rivers and lakes. Public lands represent an unparalleled commons for the American people, held in trust by the U.S. government.
