Long time lurker here. An access issue has come up, thought you folks could help.
There is a large area of BLM that we've hunted for years. To access, you must cross about 1/4 mi. of private. There is a maintained Fremont County road that ends at a fenced cattle crossing, then as you drive on, the road goes across 1/4 mi. of private land, before continuing through the BLM. This has been going on for 40 years
Everybody, even the former landowner, recognized the road going through private as access easement to the BLM. Recently, ownership of the deeded ground has changed. The new owner has posted the road and she's turning people back who try to use it. She's actually been nice about it and wants clarification of the supposed access easement through her property. New owner is from out of state and public lands are a very foreign concept, so I see where she's coming at She owns 40 acres, non irrigated and she doesn't hold the grazing lease to the adjoining BLM
I had a good conversation with her and volunteered to research this road regarding any documented agreement or easement. Went to the Fremont Co. courthouse and the clerk couldn't find any recorded docs.
Went to the local BLM office late last friday, assuming they've got all of the updated maps and access agreements on file. NOPE. They said that the BLM as a whole is working on a GIS system to include overlays of access roads, easements etc., but not even close to completion and most district offices have very little of that information. Sounds like either the Wyoming state HQ or the national HQ must be the clearing house for these types of Docs
The gentleman who assisted me at the local BLM also mentioned that many of the access agreements don't get recorded with the local county government, but are filed with the BLM state headquarters, which I'm guessing is in Cheyenne? He said that the BLM has their own recording system for easements, pipelines, grazing lease holders, oil & gas stuff. Feds vs State vs Local, i guess?
Found the national BLM website and it looks like they haven't even begun to submit overlays and other GIS stuff for Wyoming. So, not helpful
Anyway, weekend hit and too late to make phone calls to the State office. Tomorrow when I call, what questions do I need to ask, what documents do I need to inquire? My local BLM guy, though helpful, didn't have much information to share and said that sadly, it can be a guessing game for both the public and BLM employees.
There is a large area of BLM that we've hunted for years. To access, you must cross about 1/4 mi. of private. There is a maintained Fremont County road that ends at a fenced cattle crossing, then as you drive on, the road goes across 1/4 mi. of private land, before continuing through the BLM. This has been going on for 40 years
Everybody, even the former landowner, recognized the road going through private as access easement to the BLM. Recently, ownership of the deeded ground has changed. The new owner has posted the road and she's turning people back who try to use it. She's actually been nice about it and wants clarification of the supposed access easement through her property. New owner is from out of state and public lands are a very foreign concept, so I see where she's coming at She owns 40 acres, non irrigated and she doesn't hold the grazing lease to the adjoining BLM
I had a good conversation with her and volunteered to research this road regarding any documented agreement or easement. Went to the Fremont Co. courthouse and the clerk couldn't find any recorded docs.
Went to the local BLM office late last friday, assuming they've got all of the updated maps and access agreements on file. NOPE. They said that the BLM as a whole is working on a GIS system to include overlays of access roads, easements etc., but not even close to completion and most district offices have very little of that information. Sounds like either the Wyoming state HQ or the national HQ must be the clearing house for these types of Docs
The gentleman who assisted me at the local BLM also mentioned that many of the access agreements don't get recorded with the local county government, but are filed with the BLM state headquarters, which I'm guessing is in Cheyenne? He said that the BLM has their own recording system for easements, pipelines, grazing lease holders, oil & gas stuff. Feds vs State vs Local, i guess?
Found the national BLM website and it looks like they haven't even begun to submit overlays and other GIS stuff for Wyoming. So, not helpful
Anyway, weekend hit and too late to make phone calls to the State office. Tomorrow when I call, what questions do I need to ask, what documents do I need to inquire? My local BLM guy, though helpful, didn't have much information to share and said that sadly, it can be a guessing game for both the public and BLM employees.
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