Cadastral
and Land Title Information
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has extensive current and historical information
about land ownership and use in the United States. The agency maintains cadastral
survey and historical data on lands patented, along with information on the
mineral estate, resource conditions, and permits or leases on Federal lands.
- Cadastral
survey / Geographic Coordinate Data Base (GCDB)
On-the-ground surveys for establishing Federal and Tribal boundaries and graphical
depictions of the Public Land Survey System
- Land
Patent Records / General Land Office Title Information
Live access to the General Land Office Records Website maintained at BLM's
Eastern States office in Virginia. Searchable database lets users research
4+ million records for all BLM states. Images of documents can be printed
by users for 2+ million records. Additional records are being added to the
website daily.
- Land
Survey Information (LSI)
Public Land Survey System (PLSS) computed from BLM survey records (official
plats and field notes), local survey records, and geodetic control information.
- Public
Land Orders
Implementation of the authority granted to the Secretary of the Interior by
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to make, modify, extend,
or revoke land withdrawals
Cultural Heritage and Fossil Resources
Customer Service
The Bureau of Land Management is dedicated to better serving you, our customer.
Customer Service is one of our highest priorities, and it calls for putting
customers first and striving for a "customer-driven government" that
matches or exceeds the best service available in the private sector.
- President's
Management Council Survey
According to a national survey, most residents of western states who visited
public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management were satisfied with
their experience.
- Use
Authorization Survey Results
The following report provides customer feedback to the BLM from some of its
commercial customers. This information is used to help the BLM improve the
products and services it provides to the American public.
- Service
First
Service First is a partnership to improve customer service by providing seamless,
one-stop shopping in a convenient, efficient, and effective way. (Please note
that this link will take you to the U.S. Forest Service website.)
- High
Impact Agency Goal Update
Table summarizing just two of our major goals to provide better service to
our customers, along with our accomplishments thus far in achieving these
goals.
Economic
and Technical Assistance
- Payments
in Lieu of Taxes (PILT)
Payments made for tax-exempt Federal lands administered by the BLM, the National
Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service,
and for Federal water projects and some military installations
Energy and Minerals
The public lands provide myriad opportunities for commercial activities. Commercially
valuable natural resources include energy and mineral commodities, forest products,
grazing forage, and special uses such as rights-of-way for pipelines and transmission
lines.
- Minerals,
Realty & Resource Protection
Managing commercial energy and mineral production from the public lands in
an environmentally sound and responsible manner
- Fluid
Minerals
The BLM is responsible for the leasing of Federal oil and gas and geothermal
minerals. The BLM is also responsible for supervising the exploration, development
and production operations of these resources on both Federal and Indian lands.
The BLM also manages helium operations on Federal lands
- Solid
Minerals
The BLM is responsible for maintaining viable national policies and processes
for solid minerals resources under Federal jurisdiction. Solid minerals include
coal and non-energy leasable minerals, hardrock minerals on acquired lands,
locatable minerals, and salable minerals.
- Mining
Law
Management of Minerals under the Mining Laws
- Mineral
Materials
How the BLM disposes of construction materials
- Solid
Leasables
Federal leasing of non-energy minerals such as phosphate, potassium, and
sodium
- Coal
Leasing of coal on Federal lands
- National
Energy Office
Recommendations made in The National Energy Policy adopted by the President
specifically affect some of the BLM's energy-related activities. The National
Energy Office is responsible for implementing those recommendations.
- Mill
Site Location and Patenting
On Friday, October 10, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management
Rebecca Watson announced that the Department of the Interior is issuing a
final rule to improve regulations on locating, recording and maintaining mining
claims or sites. The final rule includes a provision, based upon a new Solicitor's
opinion, which will restore the Department's traditional interpretation of
the mining law's mill site provisions.
Environmental
Education
The BLM strives to realize healthier and more productive public lands through
better informed citizens who are willing to participate and assist in solving
complex environmental problems. This site offers teacher resources, classroom
activities, and a wealth of other learning opportunities relating to the 264
million-acre laboratory of BLM managed public lands.
Fish,
Wildlife & Botany
Forests
and Woodlands
Of BLM’s 261 million acres, the Bureau manages 55 million acres of forests and
woodlands, including 11 million acres of commercial forest and 44 million acres
of woodlands within 11 western States and Alaska. Fifty-three million acres
are productive forests and woodlands on Public Domain lands and 2.4 million
acres are on Oregon and California Grant lands in western Oregon.
Geospatial Information Systems
(GIS)
In the business of managing public lands, the BLM collects and utilizes a great
deal of information related to or describing a piece of land and the resources
on and under it. Data might be information about bird nesting sites or wild
horse herd use areas. It might be legal land survey information or legal descriptions
of land parcels. The common thread is that this information is tied to the land.
The technical term for this information is "geospatial data."
- BLM
Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
BLM has established a GeoSpatial Data Clearinghouse as part of the Federal
Geographic Data Committee's (FGDC) Geospatial Data Clearinghouse Network.
- Geocommunicator
Geocommunicator is an interactive Web-based land information portal that provides
a state-of-the-art solution for locating, accessing, and sharing the most
current, up-to-date geographic information.
Information Technology
- Information
Technology Investment Management
The BLM's investment in automation and information technology is fundamental
to our ability to manage the public lands. When managed correctly, these investments
can provide the best return on investment to the American citizens. A disciplined
IT investment management process can help the Bureau mitigate IT project risks,
and bring together information services and products to better serve our customers.
- National
Information Resources Management Center
NIRMC provides information technologies services to BLM States, Centers, and
Partners in support of the Bureau mission.
Kids and the BLM
The BLM encourages children to learn about the public lands and to consider
employment at the BLM as a future career choice.
- "Bring
Your Children to Work" Day
As part of the yearly "Bring Your Children To Work" Day event, the BLM invites
staff to bring their children to work for a day of fun and learning.
- BLM
Eastern States' Kids Page
An informational web site about the BLM specifically for kids, this page includes
details on programs such as Wild Horse and Burro Program and fun online activities.
- Just
For Kids Soils Biological Communities
Wilbur the soil wizard guides kids through a learning journey about soil and
soil inhabitants.
- Walk
on the Wild Side
An online activity guide with information and activities about America's Public
Lands and how kids can protect these important resources.
Lands
and Minerals Records
The BLM has established a web site from which the public may now access land
and minerals information from the agency's LR2000 data base. This site provides
a direct access to services that previously required a visit to an information
access center at one of the BLM's regional offices.
Lands,
Realty and Cadastral Survey
The BLM provides for acquisition, use, disposal, and adjustment of land resources;
determines the boundaries of Federal land; and, maintains historic records for
these ownership transactions.
National
Landscape Conservation System
The Bureau of Land Management has established the National Landscape Conservation
System (NLCS) to help protect some of the nation’s most remarkable and
rugged landscapes. The system includes the agency's National Monuments, Congressionally
designated National Conservation Areas, and other areas designated for important
scientific and ecological characteristics.
- National Monuments
- National Scenic & Historic Trails
- Wild & Scenic Rivers
- Wilderness and Wilderness Study
Areas
- Other National Conservation Designations
Partnerships
The BLM partners with other agencies and organizations to improve customer service.
- USGS-BLM
Science Partnership
These Web pages document the efforts of the partners in addressing the science
needs of three NLCS land areas in Colorado—Colorado Canyons NCA, Gunnison
Gorge NCA, and Canyons of the Ancients NM. Work is being done on issues pertaining
to the management of BLM Mancos shale landscapes, invasive weeds management,
fire risk and its impact on cultural resources, the need for an integrated
geologic inventory and map guide, and visitor attitudes toward potential changes
in how NLCS lands are managed.
Planning
(Land Use Planning)
- Planning,
Assessment and Community Support
Planning schedule identifying plan amendments and new RMPs in progress or
planned over the next three years.
- BLM manual and handbook
for land-use planning.
Under Federal law, the BLM prepares land-use plans that serve as the basis
for all activities that occur on BLM-managed lands. Access the BLM's revised
manual and handbook
for land-use planning here.
Public Land Statistics
Recreation
The BLM public lands provide visitors with a vast array of recreational opportunities.
These include hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating, hang gliding, off-highway
vehicle driving, mountain biking, birding, and visiting natural and cultural
heritage sites. The BLM administers 205,498 miles of fishable streams, 2.2 million
acres of lakes and reservoirs, 6,600 miles of floatable rivers, over 500 boating
access points, 69 National Back Country Byways, and 300 Watchable Wildlife sites.
The BLM also manages 4,500 miles of National Scenic, Historic, and Recreational
Trails, as well as thousands of miles of multiple use trails used by motorcyclists,
hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers.
Reducing Threats to Public
Health, Safety, and Property
- Abandoned
mine lands
Historical mining activity has resulted in many unreclaimed hardrock mines
located on BLM-managed lands. BLM works with Federal and State partners to
identify and evaluate the need for cleanup of sites that are polluting watersheds
or causing other kinds of environmental degradation. Moreover, BLM also works
to remedy physical safety hazards at AML sites and to warn visitors to the
public lands about the many dangers that abandoned mines can pose.
- Law
Enforcement
The BLM's law enforcement program is responsible for protecting public safety
and resources across the nation's 264 million acres of BLM-managed public
land, which it does in partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies.
- Wildland
fire
- Hazardous
materials management
- Facilities
maintenance
- Health
and safety
- National
Office of Fire and Aviation
Regulatory
Responsibilities
Restoring and Maintaining
the Health of the Land
Soil
Biological Communities
Soil is one of the most fundamental and basic of our resources -- as much so
as water and air. We need healthy soil to grow food for humans and other animals,
and products that we use on a daily basis. Without healthy soil the landscape
would be barren. In order to properly manage the public lands the BLM is entrusted
with, we must understand soil processes and how they contribute to the health
of our rangelands
Volunteers
More than 17,000 volunteers contribute to the care of public lands by supporting
the work of the BLM each year, from conducting field work in remote locations
to providing administrative support in some of BLM’s busiest offices.
Wild
horses and burros
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