BLM exhibits at RootsTech2020

Ancestors from across the world leave behind valuables to their family. Some family members agree that just having the knowledge of who the ancestors were make them feel completely unique. Others seek heirlooms, including a certification of the land record patents from the family's homesteader. At RootsTech2020 from February 26-29, 2020, in Salt Lake City, the world’s largest family history event leveraged technology to discover ancestry and heritage for thousands of genealogists and interested public. 

From left to right: Diana Barg, museum collection manager; Robert Patterson, land law examiner; Delores Coleman, quality assurance specialist; Chad Ennis, GIS specialist, as Seymour Antelope; Daniel Fleming, branch chief of GLO Records Automation; Andrea Israel, cadastral survey clerk; and Kelsey Combs, legal instruments examiner in the Expo Hall at RootsTech 2020. 

RootsTech is a 4-day event held annually in Salt Lake City, and is dedicated to celebrating family and discovering family histories. With more than 300 breakout sessions, a lineup of celebrity speakers, and a gigantic expo hall, RootsTech2020 was visited by almost 25,000 people.  

RootsTech celebrated a 10-year anniversary this year with hundreds of presentations in a massive expo hall with local, out of state, and international exhibitors. The Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) Geospatial Services Division participated for a consecutive third year as exhibitors. The General Land Office Record (GLO) team members, with BLM Utah’s Diana Barg, partnered with the National Park Service Homestead National Monument (NPS Homestead) to help families discover their homesteading history.  

The GLO’s strategic goal this year was to generate stakeholder and audience perceptions that were favorable for the BLM.  Based on attendee feedback, this goal was accomplished by GLO’s website demonstration, assistance with attendees’ research, and production of real-time printing of their family’s historic records. Additionally, communication objectives were accomplished: GLO website traffic increased and BLM-wide information was conveyed via face-to-face communication.  

From left to right: Chad Ennis, GIS specialist; Delores Coleman, quality assurance specialist; Andrea Israel, cadastral survey clerk; Robert Patterson, land law examiner; Kelsey Combs, legal instruments examiner; Amber Kirkendall, NPS Homestead NM park ranger volunteer coordinator; Brandon Clark, NPS Homestead NM IT specialist; and Mark Engler, NPS Homestead NM superintendent attending RootsTech 2020. 

Each family has a unique story to unriddle. The BLM-ES facilitated attendees on accessing GLO records through the GLO Records Automation website. They also printed documents and gave each visitor a record certification with a stamp at no cost. Meanwhile, NPS Homestead NM experts helped individuals access Homestead Land Entry Case Files. Overall, the BLM and the NPS were fantastic partners and provided complimentary services to the RootsTech2020 attendees. 

Andrea Israel, cadastral survey clerk, and Jonathan Fairchild, NPS Homestead NM historian, collaborate at RootsTechs2020.  

 The combination of unlimited land record patents and case files gave the opportunity for individuals to receive information of other family members and aspirations to visit the locations during a possible family road trip in the future.  

Chad Ennis assisting with the web site and certificating land record patents.

The GLO is well known for personalizing great experiences, many who passed by the booth mentioned, “I was looking for you guys, I have brought more information that can help me this year find more records” or “BLM has the best swag.”  

Seymour Antelope had the a official profile photo taken in the RootsTech2020 Expo Hall.   

To make the event a memorable one this year, Seymour Antelope visited the conference. Seymour took selfies with friends, handed out swag, and played with kids on family day Saturday, where kids attended Fee-Free.  

Delores Coleman, quality assurance specialist; Robert Patterson, land law examiner; Diana Barg, museum collection manager; and Andrea Israel, cadastral survey clerk. 

The GLO team had the opportunity to be key speakers in the Demo Theater, Daniel Fleming, branch chief of GLO Records Automation; Kelsey Combs, legal instruments examiner; and Seymour Antelope presented the history about GLO and how ArcGIS technology has facilitated the development of the BLM-Eastern States GLO Record of the Week (ROTW). The storage of more than five million land patent records makes content creation and storytelling in Story Maps limitless. They reminded the audience to keep up with each story because it might be relevant to their personal life and family history. The BLM-ES Communications and the NOC have partnered and supported the dedicated streamline of work to complete deadlines, making it possible for the ROTW to have accurate publishing dates, social media distribution, and increased views and reach. In the end, a lucky audience member walked away with a giveaway bag full of goodies and swag that promoted the BLM and the GLO website.

Daniel Fleming, branch chief of GLO Records Automation, provided a presentation on the General Land Office Records in the brown bag meeting at the Utah State Office.  

During its Salt Lake City visit, the GLO team also conducted outreach and made connections with the BLM-UT State Office employees in a brown bag meeting. The room was full of multigenerational and multidisciplinary employees eager to understand how the ROTW is created and gave feedback on possible ideas for the future.  

The GLO website provides live access to Federal Land Conveyance records for the Public Land States, including image access to more than 5 million Federal land title records issued between 1788 and the present. The site also hosts images of survey plats and field notes, land status records, and control document index records, and is the most visited website in the Department of Interior. Visit glorecords.blm.gov for more information. Start your personal genealogy research and receive information that will be cherished for a lifetime.   

Find more photos about the event in our BLM-ES Flickr album, Twitter and Facebook social media accounts.