Congressionally Required Maps and Legal Descriptions – Wilderness

 

May 20, 2011

In Reply Refer To:

6300 (9320) P

 

EMS TRANSMISSION 5/24/2011

Instruction Memorandum No. AZ-2011-017

Expires:  9/30/2014     EXPIRED

 

To:                  District Managers and Field Managers

 

From:              State Director

 

Subject:           Congressionally Required Maps and Legal Descriptions – Wilderness

 

Purpose:  Direction is provided to implement Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Manual 6120 - Congressionally Required Maps and Legal Boundary Descriptions for National Landscape Conservation System Designations.

 

Policy/Action:  District and Field Office Managers and appropriate staff are directed to review the "coded copy map" for each wilderness area in their Field Office jurisdiction when that map has been prepared by the BLM Arizona State Office.  The District Manager, Field Manager, and additional key staff will be notified by email when the coded copy map for a wilderness area is available at a directory link to be provided in the email.

 

Timeframe:  When notified that a map is available for review, District Managers, Field Managers and appropriate staff will be given about 1 week to check the map and return any information related to mapping errors so that the mapping process and submission of the maps according to the manual can continue to progress.  The timeframe to complete and transmit required maps and files for all 47 Arizona BLM wilderness areas is expected to be 2 to 3 years.

 

Background:  BLM Manual 6120 was released last year.  Work is under way at the BLM Arizona State Office on preparing the maps and legal descriptions for Arizona BLM wilderness areas according to the guidance provided in the 6120 Manual.

 

As directed in the 6120 Manual, the coded copy map is prepared based on the legislative map that was referenced in the law designating the wilderness area.  The coded copy map, also called the annotated map, provides point-to-point detail concerning the intent of a boundary line in relation to other boundaries (public land survey system, surface management agency, rights-of-way, etc.), roads, and other geographic features.  Where a wilderness area has been surveyed, the coded copy map will show the surveyed boundary line with survey Monument locations.  The coded copy map will be used to prepare the final congressional map and legal description of the wilderness area boundary.  The coded copy map becomes a part of the serialized case file for the wilderness area.

 

A serialized case file is established for each BLM wilderness area in Arizona.  The serialized case file will include the legislative map, the congressionally required map and legal boundary description, the coded copy map, the certification sheet with signatures as directed in the manual, the designating legislation, relevant parts of the congressional record, the master title plat, the historic index, transmittal letters and receipts.  Additional information about the maps, the case file, and their transmittal is contained in the manual.

 

The 6120 Manual and the list of Arizona BLM wilderness area serialized case file numbers are attached.

 

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected:  None

 

Contact:  If you have questions about the above information and the process to complete the congressionally required maps and legal descriptions for BLM wilderness areas in Arizona, please contact Ken Mahoney, Program Leader for National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness, and Wild and Scenic Rivers at 602-417-9238.

 

Signed:                                                                  Authenticated by:

James G. Kenna                                                    Lyn-Ayn Muehring

State Director                                                       Staff Assistant

 

2 Attachments

1 - BLM Manual 6120 - Congressionally Required Maps and Legal Boundary Descriptions for National Landscape Conservation System Designations (18 pp)

2 - Case File Numbers – Arizona BLM Wilderness (2 pp)