What We Do

The BLM has approximately 200 law enforcement rangers (uniformed officers) and approximately 70 special agents (criminal investigators) on staff who promote safety, security, and environmental protection of public lands, public land users, and employees. For example, BLM law enforcement rangers and agents regularly engage with their State and local counterparts to investigate wildland arson, mineral resource theft, hazardous materials dumping, archaeological and historical artifact and paleontological theft, and illegal marijuana cultivation.  Good working relationships with local law enforcement and other stakeholders are essential for the BLM to successfully resolve these crimes.

BLM law enforcement officers also work closely with State agencies and county law enforcement offices to protect public safety for large-scale recreational events, including the King of the Hammers off-road race in southern California, Burning Man festival in Nevada, and a variety of off-highway vehicle races in California’s Imperial Sand Dunes and Utah’s Little Sahara Sand Dunes.

Finally, BLM-managed public lands include nearly 200 miles directly along the international boundary in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.  Along international boundaries, the BLM helps protect the public lands along the border through innovative initiatives and partnerships with federal, state and county agencies.  These efforts are producing tangible results in the areas of illegal smuggling, resource protection, and identifying transnational threats. In Arizona, for example, off-road travel, littering, and vandalism associated with illegal border crossings threatens fragile desert ecosystems and poses risks to visitor safety. In response, the BLM has launched a coordinated strategy – known as Operation SABR (Securing America's Border Resources) – to enhance law enforcement operations and communications, place barriers to deter unauthorized traffic, and remove trash.