January 19, 2022
Federal Land Management Agencies:
Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations
Each year, thousands of visitors to federal lands require the
counties, Alaska State Police is the authority responsible for
assistance of search and rescue (SAR) services. SAR
SAR activities.) According to these agencies, SAR
operations take place in a wide range of environments and
responses on their lands are typically led by the applicable
conditions and can include brief searches of buildings,
nonfederal authority that has adequate SAR resources and
medical assistance on trails, or more significant multiday
with whom the agency has a standing agreement or
aviation and maritime rescue efforts. This CRS product
relationship. Agencies may occasionally take a lead role in
provides an overview of SAR operations and policies across
SAR emergencies if an immediate and quick response will
the four federal land management agencies: the Bureau of
reduce suffering or save lives; however, once designated
Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS),
local authorities are available, the agency assumes a
and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), all within the
supportive role to provide assistance where requested.
Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Forest Service
(FS), within the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
BLM, FS, and FWS also may serve as the primary SAR
responder in certain scenarios. Typically, these are small-
What Is Search and Rescue?
scale or minor SAR incidents where agency personnel can
According to the National Search and Rescue Plan of the
respond without outside assistance or incidents that do not
United States (NSARP), SAR consists of operations
require substantial resources to conduct.
“provided to assist persons and property in potential or
actual distress in a non-hostile environment.” The NSARP
SAR Response on NPS Lands
is a voluntary agreement among several federal agencies,
NPS is the lone DOI agency that generally serves as the
including DOI (although not USDA) that provides a
primary responder to SAR incidents on its lands. NPS
uniform policy and guidelines for SAR services. The
management policies direct the agency to “make reasonable
NSARP specifies that SAR services include “distress
efforts to search for lost persons and rescue sick, injured, or
monitoring, communication, coordination and SAR
stranded persons” (NPS, Management Policies 2006,
functions, including provision of medical advice, initial
§8.2.5.3). Agency policy also allows for qualified SAR
medical assistance, or medical evacuation, through the use
organizations or authorized local authorities to conduct or
of public and private resources including cooperating
assist with SAR efforts pursuant to a formal agreement;
aircraft, vessels and other craft and installations.”
however, local authorities are typically not the lead entity in
such scenarios.
SAR Activities by Agency
SAR operations vary across agencies, regions, and
SAR Data Tracking
individual federal land units. Each federal land management
There is no comprehensive source of SAR data across
agency has general authority to conduct SAR activities on
federal land management agencies. Some agencies track
federal lands under a variety of statutes; however, the
SAR data on an annual basis, whereas others do not. For
authority is discretionary. For example, FS has authority to
example, since FS is not the entity primarily responsible for
incur necessary expenses in SAR operations, but this
SAR operations on National Forest System lands, the
authority does not require FS to provide such services (16
agency does not track annual SAR data.
U.S.C. §575). Similar authorities apply to DOI agencies (43
U.S.C. §1742). Due to a number of factors, the degree to
For DOI agencies, data are more readily available. DOI’s
which agencies conduct SAR activities varies. Some federal
Office of Law Enforcement and Security oversees
lands may not see enough visitation or demand for SAR
implementation of the Incident Management Analysis and
services to require a fully staffed and trained SAR team. In
Reporting System (IMARS), which tracks law enforcement
other instances, agencies view SAR operations as the
incidents across DOI agencies, including those requiring
responsibility of local authorities or entities. As a result,
SAR services. However, use of the IMARS system is not
depending on where an incident takes place, SAR responses
mandatory and agencies have not used the system
by federal land management agencies range from support of
consistently since its introduction. For example, FWS uses
local law enforcement authorities and volunteer groups to
its own Law Enforcement Management Information System
primary SAR coordination and operations.
(LEMIS) to track SAR incidents. As a result, data on SAR
incidents across DOI agencies are not contained in a single
SAR Response on FS, BLM, and FWS Lands
system. In addition, in 2018, NPS established a new system
On FS, BLM, and FWS lands, the responsibility for SAR
of record for reporting SAR incidents. According to the
response efforts generally lies with the local law
agency, that system has not reached 100% reporting
enforcement authority in the county where such lands are
compliance, which may account for the apparent decrease
located. (For agency lands in Alaska, which has no
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Federal Land Management Agencies: Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations
in SAR incidents for NPS beginning in that year (see
authorities. As the lone agency that generally serves as the
Figure 1).
primary responder to SAR incidents, NPS tracks annual
SAR cost estimates; only those incidents classified by the
Figure 1. SAR Incidents on NPS, FWS, and BLM
agency as major are tracked annually. Major SAR incidents
Lands: FY2016-FY2020
are those that incur unprogrammed costs in excess of $500
and are paid for through a national NPS account. By
contrast, costs of minor SAR incidents are borne by the
local park unit and are not tracked annually. Table 1 shows
cost figures for major SAR incidents.
Table 1. NPS Total Cost of Major SAR Incidents:
FY2016-FY2020
(total cost figures in thousands of dol ars)

FY16
FY17
FY18
FY19
FY20

# Incidents
805
760
750
833
671
Source: Data provided to CRS by NPS, FWS, and BLM Offices of
Legislative and Congressional Affairs.
Total Cost
$3,600
$2,989
$3,173
$3,522
$3,035
Notes: Totals do not reflect SAR incidents on FS lands. In addition,
Source: CRS correspondence with National Park Service, Office of
due to changes in reporting, NPS figures for FY2018-FY2020 do not
Legislative Affairs, December 2021.
reflect al SAR incidents on NPS lands for those years, resulting in the
Notes: Total Cost figures are in real dol ars. Major SAR incidents are
apparent decrease in incidents. BLM data include al cal s for service
those that incur unprogrammed costs in excess of $500. Table does
to which BLM Law Enforcement responded between FY2016 and
not include incidents classified by NPS as minor.
FY2020. This includes SAR operations as well as other cal s for
assistance.
At the federal level, agency-led SAR operations are
provided at no cost to the individual. In contrast, a minority
For agencies that have available data, NPS reported the vast
of states have implemented laws that allow the state to
majority (85%) of SAR incidents on federal lands from
recoup costs directly from the person in need of rescue. The
FY2016 to FY2020 (as mentioned, FS data are not
provisions of these laws vary, but they can take into
available). The NPS units reporting the highest number of
account negligence on the part of the individual or the
SAR incidents over this period were Lake Mead National
violation of applicable laws resulting in SAR incidents.
Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, and
Yosemite National Park, in that order.
Issues for Congress
Congressional and stakeholder interest in SAR operations
Cost Considerations
on federal lands has focused on a variety of issues. For one,
The funding for SAR programs and operations is largely
the degree to which the federal government is responsible
borne by the entity responsible for providing such services
for providing and funding SAR services on land under its
in a given region. Program costs can include training,
jurisdiction has been of interest. Because state and local
supplies and equipment, vehicles, personnel costs, and
jurisdictions are responsible for most SAR operations on
registration fees for obtaining and maintaining SAR
federal lands outside of the National Park System, concerns
certifications. The cost of individual SAR operations varies
have been raised regarding the financial burden placed on
widely depending on the type of incident and the
local government in providing such services. Since federal
complexity of the rescue needs.
funding for local SAR services is often tied to broader
federal payment programs (e.g., PILT), issues related to
Generally, agencies do not have statutory or appropriations
reauthorization, formula calculations, and other issues
authority to reimburse outside entities for SAR activities,
regularly arise.
even when incidents occur on federal lands and waters.
However, units of local government—typically counties—
In addition, issues have been raised regarding restrictions
that contain certain tax-exempt federal lands may receive
on the use of third-party SAR groups to aid in rescue or
annual payments for SAR services through various federal
recovery efforts. In 2019, following alleged delays in NPS
programs. For example, the Payments in Lieu of Taxes
permitting of volunteer SAR groups to assist with the
program (PILT; 31 U.S.C. §§6901-6907) provides annual
search for individuals missing in Lake Mead National
formula-based payments to local governments that contain
Recreation Area, Congress enacted the Good Samaritan
certain federal lands to carry out public services, such as
Search and Recovery Act (43 U.S.C. §1742a). Among other
firefighting and police protection, construction of public
provisions, the statute directed the Secretary of the Interior
schools and roads, and SAR operations. See CRS Report
and the Secretary of Agriculture to expedite access to
R46260, The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program:
federal lands for search and recovery missions conducted
An Overview, by R. Eliot Crafton.
by certain individuals or organizations.
There are no nationwide figures for SAR costs across
Mark K. DeSantis, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
federal lands. Not all federal agencies track cost data, nor
are there nationwide figures for the costs borne by local
IF12020
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Federal Land Management Agencies: Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations


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