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Bureau of Land Management Maps of Oregon, 1944-1993

By Finding aid prepared by Anna Stewart and Elizabeth Nielsen.

Collection Overview

Title: Bureau of Land Management Maps of Oregon, 1944-1993

Predominant Dates: 1950-1970

ID: MAPS BLM

Primary Creator: United States. Bureau of Land Management

Extent: 1.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: This collection is arranged into three series: I. Master Unit Maps, 1944-1960; II. Statewide Recreation Maps, 1960-1993; and III. Oregon Color Quadrangle Maps, 1965-1970.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Bureau of Land Management Maps of Oregon consist of maps published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the public as guides for outdoor recreation and maps prepared by the BLM for management of forest lands, primarily in western Oregon. The Bureau of Land Management was formed in 1946 by the merger of the General Land Office and the United States Grazing Service. BLM lands in Oregon are primarily forest lands in western Oregon and grazing and range lands in eastern Oregon.

Scope and Content Notes

The Bureau of Land Management Maps of Oregon consist of maps published for use by the public as a guide for outdoor recreation as well as maps prepared for management and oversight of forest lands under the purview of the Bureau. The maps depict the boundaries of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Oregon, master units (primarily in western Oregon), and the extent of national forests. The master unit maps show the locations of O&C Lands (Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands), which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The maps in the collection range in scale from 1:125,000 to 1:1,000,000 and depict towns and cities, highways and major road systems, and major physiographic features. A 1981 map of wilderness areas in Oregon is also part of the collection.

Biographical / Historical Notes

The United States Bureau of Land Management was formed in 1946 from the merger of the General Land Office and the United States Grazing Service. The Bureau of Land Management is in charge of administering over 245 million acres of public land, most of which is located throughout the 12 western states. The Bureau's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America's public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations, which also includes managing the lands for energy development, livestock grazing, timber harvesting, and recreation. In Oregon, the western region is characterized by 2 million acres of checkerboard timberland ownership which is considered some of the most productive forests in the world, while the eastern Oregon portion of their ownership is known for large basin and range topography in semi-arid landscapes benefiting livestock grazing and range land habitat.

The Bureau of Land Management manages the Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands (O&C Lands) in western Oregon. These lands (approximately 2.6 million acres) were originally granted to the Oregon & California Railroad for development of a railroad between Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California. The lands were reconveyed to the federal government in 1916 and have been managed by BLM since 1937.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 111 maps; 2 map folders and 1 oversize box

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These materials were transferred from the Oregon State University Libraries' maps collection to the Special Collections & Archives Research Center in 2014.

Related Materials: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center includes many collections with maps of forest lands in Oregon including the National Forests in Oregon Maps (MAPS USFS), the Donald B. Zobel Collection of Historic Forestry and Vegetation Maps (MAPS ZobelMaps), and the Gerald W. Williams Collection (MSS WilliamsG). The Rangeland Resources Department Maps (MAPS Rangeland) document range type surveys and studies in eastern Oregon.

Preferred Citation: Bureau of Land Management Maps of Oregon (MAPS BLM), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Creators

United States. Bureau of Land Management

People, Places, and Topics

Forest reserves--Oregon.
Forests and forestry--Oregon.
Natural Resources
Oregon--Maps.
Oregon and California Railroad Company
Outdoor recreation--Oregon--Maps.
Public lands--Oregon--Maps.
Railroad land grants--Oregon--Maps.
United States. Bureau of Land Management
Wilderness areas--Oregon.

Forms of Material

Forestry maps.
Maps (documents)


Box and Folder Listing