Land Status is a complex issue. To determine the land status of any area you need to understand first how to find and interpret the information you need. Land Matters is here to help. Start with one of the following tutorials.

Land Description Diagram

This quick look diagram provides useful information at a glance. Identify Legal Land Description notations, compass readings, and measurement conversions. A very useful chart for anyone creating a map, or writing a legal land description.

Reading Master Title Plats

Take a look at this well done one sheet tutorial form the BLM on reading a Master Title Plat(MTP). It provides and excellent sampling and explanation of the types of information you will find on an MTP.   DOWNLOAD a list of common BLM abbreviations used on MTPS from our Library.

Demystifying the LR2000

This tutorial will guide you stet-by-step through the process of getting mining claims information from the BLM's LR2000 database. Three sections show you how to; Understand the Serial Register Page, Find Active Claims by Township, & Find Information on an Individual Claim.

Legal Description and Land Status - A Self-Study Guide

This BLM course is a great primer for those who want to understand how to determine land status. The goal of this tutorial is to train BLM employees on how to read and write legal land descriptions using the PLSS and to use the LR2000 to accurately determine the ownership and status of any parcel of public land. Helpful information for all land users.

Legal Description and Land Status - Companion Videos

This is the first of three companion videos for the Land Status Course listed above. The video is dated, as you can see by the image. But the information is still current and helpful. The audio is a little scratchy and it feels a lot like school. But give it a try. The next two videos can be downloaded from the library.