PLSS - public land survey system

[ski3pin]

what are the last two characters carved into the tree? is that BT?


Yes, "BT", "Bearing Tree". Here's a photo of the section 28 bearing tree for this corner. It reads, "T13N R16E S28 BT". I'll also attach a photo of this monumented section corner. There is a bearing tree scribed on four points around the corner, one marked for each numbered section.

These trees were scribed in 1931 when this survey was done and this section corner placed. Trees are no longer scribed in this way. In modern days we get a bearing tree tag such as in one of your posts.

Interesting that the fine for messing with a land survey monument was $250 in 1931. Quite a bit of money back then. I wonder if the fine has ever been increased. I have not researched that.

 

[highz]

Interesting that the fine for messing with a land survey monument was $250 in 1931. Quite a bit of money back then. I wonder if the fine has ever been increased. I have not researched that.


Here's a link of relevance

http://www.amerisurv.../view/3770/150/

 

[ski3pin]

Informative article, thanks for posting!

 

[HERR42]

pull out a forest service map and look at their explanation of township range and section. they make no mention of being able to work directly with the survey posters.

why explain half of the process?

upon further examination....

the forest service maps come folded....well i found the other half of the explanation on another fold, under the "if you get lost" heading. there they make the connection between the map and the location posters.

 

[Greatbasinguide]

The "forest location poster" is commonly referred to as the "k tag". In the beginning days of the Forest Service rangers had a list of items they were required to have. It's funny the list was alphabetical and not numerical. At "K" was listed "Forest Location Poster" and "k tag" has stuck ever since.

I heard a different story, that the term K tag came during a survey in the Southern Sierra, The survey crew camp had a row of tents, A, B, C, etc. The location tags were kept in tent K, the term grew out from there.

As a former Forest Service person, we used K tags frequently. While wandering some back road looking for our next survey line (not land survey, but fuel loading) , they were our best location marker.

 

[craig333]

Very interesting seeing they've had theft problems from the very beginning. Somehow I figured it was a more recent problem.

 

[HERR42]

i found this. notice the section on monuments. http://www.blm.gov/a...cad/manual.html

and check out this locator tool http://www.esg.montana.edu/gl/trs-data.html

another tag from the gallery