Legal Definitions - public land

Public land refers to land or land interests that are owned by the government, regardless of how the government acquired ownership. It includes unappropriated land belonging to the federal or state government. Public land is an immovable and indestructible three-dimensional area consisting of a portion of the earth's surface, the space above and below the surface, and everything growing on or permanently affixed to it.

Examples of public land include:

• Federal land: Land owned by the United States government, which can be classified as public lands or acquired federal lands.
• Swamp and overflowed land: Land that is unfit for cultivation due to its boggy, marshy, fenlike character, requiring drainage or reclamation to render it available for beneficial use.
• School land: Public real estate set apart for sale or exploitation by a state to establish and fund public schools.

These examples illustrate how public land can be owned by the government and used for various purposes, such as education, conservation, or resource extraction.