Chapter PM

LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP,

POWDER RIVER BASIN

By T.T. Taber and S.A. Kinney

In U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625-A.
PM-ii

Contents

Explanation of Cultural Information........................................PM-1

Map Information for the Powder River Basin Land Use

and Land Cover map...........................................................PM-2

Map Information for the Powder River Basin Subsurface

Ownership map.................................................................PM-3

Map Information for the Powder River Basin Surface

Ownership map.................................................................PM-4

Figures

PM-1. Land Use and Land Cover; Powder River Basin

PM-2. Subsurface Ownership; Powder River Basin

PM-3. Surface Ownership; Powder River Basin
PM-1

EXPLANATION OF CULTURAL INFORMATION

Roads—These are selected roads from USGS 1:2,000,000-scale

digital line graphs (DLG). These contain two types of roads.

Interstate—Major roads that are part of the national interstate

system.

Highway—State and other highways.

Railroads—Railroads from USGS 1:2,000,000-scale digital line

graphs (DLG)

City/Towns—General locations of cities and towns in the basin.

Latitude/Longitude Tic Marks—These tics show locations of key

parallels and meridians that pass through the basin.
PM-2

MAP INFORMATION FOR THE POWDER RIVER

BASIN LAND USE AND LAND COVER MAP

Sources—Biewick, Laura R.H., Urbanowski, Shayne R., Cain, Sheila, and

Neasloney, Larry, 1998, Land Status and Federal Mineral Ownership in the

Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: a digital data set for

geographic information systems: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report

98-108, coverage scale 1:100,000.

See figure PM-1.

Description—The land use and land cover maps were simplified from their

original format for increased readability. The narrowly defined categories

were grouped into the following categories:

Agriculture—Cropland, pastures, hay fields, and other agriculture.

Barren Land—Sandy areas, bare rock, and/or bare ground.

Forest—Deciduous and/or evergreen forest land.

Rangeland—Shrub, brush, and/or herbaceous rangeland.

Urban/Industrial—Residential, commercial, and/or industrial land

uses.
PM-3

MAP INFORMATION FOR THE POWDER RIVER

BASIN SUBSURFACE OWNERSHIP MAP

Sources—Biewick, Laura R.H., Urbanowski, Shayne R., Cain, Sheila, and

Neasloney, Larry, 1998, Land Status and Federal Mineral Ownership in the

Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: a digital data set for

geographic information systems: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report

98-108, coverage scale 1:100,000.

See figure PM-2.

Description—This map gives an overview of subsurface areas managed by

Federal agencies within the Powder River Basin.

Federal all minerals—The Federal government owns the rights to

all minerals. This includes coal, oil, gas, and other mineral rights.

Federal coal—The Federal government owns the rights to coal

minerals only.

Federal oil and gas—The Federal government owns the rights to oil

and gas minerals. This classification may include other mineral

rights also.

Federal oil, gas, and coal—The Federal government owns the rights

to oil, gas, and coal resources.

Federal other minerals—The Federal government owns mineral

rights not listed. These mineral rights may include oil and gas rights.

No Federal minerals—The Federal government did not own

subsurface mineral rights at the time the data were compiled.
PM-4

MAP INFORMATION FOR THE POWDER RIVER

BASIN SURFACE OWNERSHIP MAP

Sources—Biewick, Laura R.H., Urbanowski, Shayne R., Cain, Sheila, and

Neasloney, Larry, 1998, Land Status and Federal Mineral Ownership in the

Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: a digital data set for

geographic information systems: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report

98-108, coverage scale 1:100,000.

See figure PM-3.

Description—This map gives an overview of surface areas managed by

Federal agencies within the Powder River Basin. The following surface

ownership groups are identified.

Bankhead-Jones Lands—Special Use lands administered by the U.S.

Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management

(BLM).

U.S. Bureau of Land Management—Lands administered by the

BLM.

U.S. Forest Service—Lands administered by the USFS.

National Grasslands—Grasslands administered by the USFS.

Other Federal Lands—May include lands administered by the U.S.

Department of Defense or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Reservations—Indian reservation lands.

State Lands—Lands administered by the state in which they reside.

Private—All other ownership types.

Water—Water bodies are identified, but ownership is not designated.
Montana

Montana

Wyoming

Wyoming

Powder

River

Basin

45 00’

Agricultural

Barren Land

Forest

Rangeland

Urban/Industrial

Water

Cities/Towns

Interstates

Highways

Railroads

Legend

0 10 20 30 40 50 Miles

N

107 15’

105 45’

46 15’

44 45’

44 00’

43 15’

Lame Deer

Sheridan

Buffalo

Gillette

Epsie

Figure PM-1. Land Use/Land 

Cover Powder River Basin
Montana

Montana

Wyoming

Wyoming

Powder

River

Basin

45 00’

Federal All Minerals

Federal Coal

Federal Oil, Gas & Coal

Federal Oil & Gas

Federal Other Minerals

No Federal Minerals

Cities/Towns

Interstates

Highways

Railroads

Legend

0 10 20 30 40 50 Miles

N

107 15’

105 45’

46 15’

44 45’

44 00’

43 15’

Lame Deer

Sheridan

Buffalo

Gillette

Epsie

Figure PM-2. Subsurface 

Ownership Powder River Basin
Montana

Montana

Wyoming

Wyoming

Powder

River

Basin

45 00’

107 15’

105 45’

46 15’

44 45’

44 00’

43 15’

Lame Deer

Sheridan

Buffalo

Gillette

Epsie

Figure PM-3. Surface 

Ownership Powder River Basin

Bankhead-Jones Lands

U.S. Bureau of Land Management

U.S. Forest Service

National Grasslands

Other Federal Lands

Indian Reservations

State Lands

Private

Water

Cities/Towns

Interstates

Highways

Railroads

Legend

0 10 20 30 40 50 Miles

N