UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
February 27, 2006
In Reply Refer To:
9600 (350) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 03/22/2006
Instruction Memorandum No. 2006-113
Expires: 09/30/2007
To:
All State Directors
From:
Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection
Subject:
Marking and Posting of Bureau of Land Management Property and Jurisdictional Boundaries
Program Area: All land managers with activities on or near Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property
or jurisdictional boundaries.
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) supersedes IM 2005-211, and is intended to (1) establish a
BLM policy which ensures legally defensible and visible property boundaries and jurisdictional
boundaries are clearly posted, and to (2) minimize legal proceedings and adverse publicity for the BLM
which result from improperly identified and marked boundaries.
Policy / Action: Boundary identification is required for land management activities that could imply a
false property boundary to the adjoiner or to the public.
The BLM’s Cadastral Surveyors are the subject matter experts for Federal boundary
identification. Bureau employees, contractors, or agents, shall consult with their respective Cadastral
Survey program before any action is taken to identify or mark a BLM property boundary. This includes,
but is not limited to the following situations:
Utilization or manipulation of Federal resources of high value along property boundaries. (i.e., energy
development, timber harvesting, fencing, wilderness boundary, etc.)
Adjoining landowner activity is planned and cost savings can be achieved through cooperative
agreements.
Litigation is pending or title claim has been asserted.
Encroachment is suspected.
Consultation with the Cadastral Survey program will ensure existing boundary survey records are
evaluated and an appropriate method for identifying the boundary is selected. The BLM manager
responsible for the direction and oversight of activities on the Federal land will determine when
boundaries require identification and select the best method. Circumvention of this policy by “backing
off the line” (offsetting from a theoretical position of the boundary line) and placing boundary signs or
marks is hereby prohibited.
Any BLM sign which indicates or states that it marks the boundary of a property line between BLM and
an adjacent landowner must be placed within one foot of the legal boundary.
Timeframe: Effective immediately.
Budget Impact: A case by case assessment will be necessary to determine the true budgetary impact of
this IM. The protection of the Federal interest in natural resources, as well as protecting the rights of
private property owners, must be weighed in this determination.
Background: The Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976, Section 201(b), 43 U.S.C. § 1711,
requires the Secretary to ascertain the boundaries of the public lands and provide means of public
identification to those lands. When an approximation or an inaccurate marking or posting of Federal
boundaries occurs, it misleads the public and can undermine the Federal interest in its resources. The
creation of conflict free and positively-identified Federal boundaries is essential to total resource
management.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None.
Coordination: This IM has been coordinated with program managers throughout the BLM.
Contact: If you have any questions about this IM please contact Don Buhler, Chief Cadastral Surveyor, at
(202) 452-7781.
Signed by:
Thomas P. Lonnie
Assistant Director
Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection
Authenticated by:
Robert M. Williams
Policy and Records Group,WO-560