The executive branch
public lands
Land owned by the federal government, about a quarter of the country, managed by agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Park Service.
In full
Different agencies operate under different mandates: the Park Service preserves, the Forest Service and BLM manage for multiple uses including grazing, timber, and minerals. The President can designate national monuments on federal land unilaterally under the Antiquities Act of 1906, which is why monument boundaries change between administrations and end up in court.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.