Land tenure in Arizona: public land domination and the paradoxal complexity of land management

Land tenure in the Western US, in particular in the most recent states, reflects the processes of appropriation which took place after the annexing of Northern Mexico by the US in 1848. It is characterized by a high proportion of public (federal and state) lands, as well as by a spatial configuration where influences of the homesteading and of land grants to railroad companies are still highly visible. Another aspect of land tenure in those states is its complexity, the number of public agencies involved and the multiple scales of intervention implied in its management. The state of Arizona is a good example of such dynamics. The paper therefore describes the private appropriation of lands in this state and the current extent of private lands. We then review the categories of public lands and their history. Finally, we pinpoint a number of difficulties that derive from the contemporary configuration of land tenure in Arizona, especially when local policies are to be developed.