The Largest Landowner in Massachusetts Owns a Ridiculous 62,680 Acres

As the 7^th smallest state in the United States, Massachusetts comprises about 10,555 square miles of mountains, lakes, and coastline. While this is a historic state in which to own land, acreage is expensive, and competition is high. So, it may not come as a surprise that the largest landowner in Massachusetts isn’t a resident but the U.S. federal government.

The Largest Landowner in Massachusetts

Considering the state has over 20 national parks, historic sites, and trails, it makes sense that the United States federal government is the largest landowner in Massachusetts. Of the available 5,034,880 acres of land in the state, the federal government owns 62,680 acres. That means the federal government controls 1.2 percent of the land in Massachusetts.

Overall, the total land area of the United States is 2.27 billion acres, of which the federal government owns about 640 million acres or 28 percent. And, out of all the states, Massachusetts ranks 40^th for the amount of land federally controlled.

Other Federal Agencies Managing Massachusetts Land

Three main federal agencies oversee the public lands in Massachusetts. They are the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Defense. Of the three, the National Park Service manages most of the acres owned by the largest landowner in Massachusetts. Here are the number of acres each department controls based on reports in 2020.

• U.S. National Park Service (33,336 acres or about 53 percent of federally owned land.)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (23,342 acres or about 37 percent of federally owned land.)
• U.S. Department of Defense (6,002 acres or about 10 percent of federally owned land.)

How the Federal Government’s Ownership Has Changed Over Time

In 1990, the federal government owned 63,291 acres of land in Massachusetts. In 2000, those holdings grew to 63,998 acres. And then, in 2010, the federal government gained 17,694 acres, making its total acreage 81,692. But by 2018, federally owned land in Massachusetts dropped to 62,680 acres. That means that since 1990, the federal government has lost about 1 percent of its holdings. However, though the amount of acreage has fluctuated since 1990, the federal government remains the largest landowner in Massachusetts. And the other three top landowners in Massachusetts may surprise you.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Joshua Lehew/Shutterstock.com