ARRA Project (WBS)#: LXUAA0300000

Project Title: Control Document Index Scanning for Renewable Energy Authorizations and Permits

Index Map Locator #: 29

State: Oregon

Unit: BLM - State Office

Description:

Applications for leasing activities on federal lands are evaluated against several criteria and the process can take time. BLM must first conduct an evaluation of the current federal title and interest and review applicable withdrawals. The source documents for this information are currently accessed from one set of aging micro-film aperture cards and cumbersome to research. On-line access to the information in the Control Document Index will make this evaluation more efficient.

Recovery Act Funding:

This project includes the scanning of approximately 600,000 land status records from both micro-photographic copies of legal documents mounted in aperture cards and hard copy records. These records date back to the early 1850s and include copies of patents and deeds which convey the title of public lands to and from the United States.

Benefits:

Scanning the Control Document Index will make the process of evaluating leases for renewable energy projects more efficient, thereby saving time in the application process. The project will further support the automation and quality assurance of our current land status information. By making these records available through an automated process BLM’s ability to process lease applications and other resource management activities will be streamlined.