Forest Land Ownership

[Clay Diggins]

Land Matters has begun a new section on their website for new projects in development. The most recent new project is Forest Ownership. This new map tracks Forest Boundaries as well as both surface and subsurface (mineral) ownership on the National Forest System.

"Forest Ownership" may sound funny since the common assumption is that all National Forest lands are created equal and are owned by the federal government. Unfortunately it's not really that simple. Land status within the forests varies greatly depending on several factors. We hope by developing this map set individual areas of the forests can be better understood by those who live near, use and research the United States forest reserves.

These maps should help you understand why some areas of forest are off limits, why you see houses and farms within a National Forest and who owns the mineral rights in any particular area of a forest.

In particular visitors to the eastern states forests can discover why they don't have the free use rights western forest users do. This map is going to be an eye opener for those who believe that all National Forests are the same. Many of the eastern forests are not owned or controlled by the federal government. Often when the U.S. has purchased some rights to surface use the minerals and timber are still owned in whole or in part by private individuals or corporations.

When you go to the New Projects Page be sure and click on the "Forest Ownership" tab in the center of the page and read the background I've written for these new map layers. That background can really help you understand what you are seeing on these maps.

The purpose of introducing these new projects while they are still in development is to get user feedback. You can have a direct influence on how these maps are developed and used as well as helping Land Matters define which projects should receive priority in their development. Please leave any comments you may have and if a particular project seems worthwhile consider supporting that project to help it along.

Here is the link to the New Projects Page. Just click on the "Forest Ownership" tab then choose the Forest Ownership map link on the right to open the new project map in a new tab.

Heavy Pans

 

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[IMAUDIGGER]

Post revised so as to not hijack your thread.
I prefer the term “governmental jurisdiction” over “ownership”.

It’s our land.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Post revised so as to not hijack your thread.
I prefer the term “governmental jurisdiction” over “ownership”.

It’s our land.

If you look over the maps IMAUDIGGER you will see "ownership" is all about the private lands within the forests. Look a little closer and you will see that virtually all of the mineral rights in the eastern forests are owned by private parties. In that case ownership is absolutely the correct word even though those lands are within a forest service boundary. As I posted "Many of the eastern forests are not owned or controlled by the federal government."

In fact those lands in the eastern forests are under government jurisdiction and often under government ownership. Wherever the federal government has any rights in those forests those rights were purchased. That's why the eastern forests are properly called "Purchase Units". The government actually purchased every interest in land they have in those units. Purchased rights on private land under the Weeks Act are not public lands they are lands owned by the government. Yep the government owns those lands by law - they were never in the public domain.

Like I wrote - read what's written under the "Forest Ownership" tab on the New Projects page. What's there and on the map is an eye opener for most people - yourself included obviously.

Heavy Pans

 

[delnorter]

As wrote on another forum:

Another fantastic development of your mapping / land use and ownership system Barry. It truly amazes me what you folks have accomplished. Land Matters is the most complete one stop land information repository available to the general public as well as professionals.


 Thank you to you and all of your people, hope you have a great thanksgiving.
 Mike

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

If you look over the maps IMAUDIGGER you will see "ownership" is all about the private lands within the forests. Look a little closer and you will see that virtually all of the mineral rights in the eastern forests are owned by private parties. In that case ownership is absolutely the correct word even though those lands are within a forest service boundary. As I posted "Many of the eastern forests are not owned or controlled by the federal government."

In fact those lands in the eastern forests are under government jurisdiction and often under government ownership. Wherever the federal government has any rights in those forests those rights were purchased. That's why the eastern forests are properly called "Purchase Units". The government actually purchased every interest in land they have in those units. Purchased rights on private land under the Weeks Act are not public lands they are lands owned by the government. Yep the government owns those lands by law - they were never in the public domain.

Like I wrote - read what's written under the "Forest Ownership" tab on the New Projects page. What's there and on the map is an eye opener for most people - yourself included obviously.

Heavy Pans

Keep up the good work.