Introduction 



5. Encouraging, performing, or arranging for 

 historical and archaeological research; and 



6. Arranging for the availability of maps, reports, 

 books, brochures, and other interpretive 

 publications for distribution at interpretive 

 centers and other visitation points. 



Bureau of Land Management 

 Responsibilities 



Bureau of Land Management responsibilities 

 are to take the initiative in carrying out the 

 recommendations included in the comprehensive 

 plans on the public lands under its jurisdiction. 

 However, if some of those recommendations 

 cannot be implemented, the reasons for not doing 

 so will be made clear to the public. 



The BLM is responsible for protecting and 

 interpreting the trail resources under its 

 jurisdiction. This management plan is being 

 written to describe how the BLM proposes to carry 

 out that responsibility on sites and segments of 

 the National Historic Trails on the public lands. 

 Specific BLM management responsibilities 

 include the following: 



1. Regularly monitoring the status of all 

 Wyoming sites and segments identified in the 

 comprehensive plan in order to ascertain 

 changes in ownership or impending 

 developments; keep NPS informed. 



2. Arranging to have inventories and studies 

 performed; seeking public access; defining 

 boundaries; erecting and maintaining trail 

 markers; providing and maintaining local 

 facilities; issuing and enforcing regulations; 

 working closely with the National Park 

 Service, the states through which the trail 

 passes, or other public or private interest 

 groups; and nominating qualified sites to the 

 National Register of Historic Places. 



3. Because of the Trails' status as congres- 

 sionally designated components of the 

 National Trails System, management 

 decisions have been made that significant 

 segments of the Oregon and Mormon Pioneer 

 Trails are to be protected. It is incumbent on 

 BLM managers to maintain the scenic/historic 

 integrity of historic sites and cross country 

 segments on the public lands, to avoid 

 destruction of trail resources, to mitigate 

 unavoidable impacts, to accord the trails a 

 priority status in the land use planning 

 process, and generally extend to the trails the 

 type of protection afforded to other nationally 

 significant historic sites. 



Previous BLM planning efforts have dealt with 

 Oregon and Mormon Pioneer Trail issues. 

 Protective measures have been prescribed 

 within the individual districts for sites and 

 segments on public lands. This planning effort 

 will refine the previously established pro- 

 tective measures and provide uniform 

 statewide management guidelines. 



TRAIL DESCRIPTION 



There are over 315 miles of Oregon, Mormon 

 Pioneer and California Emigrant, and Pony 

 Express Trail on public lands in the State of 

 Wyoming. With the exception of a short segment 

 of the Pony Express route, all 315 miles are 

 referred to as the Oregon or Mormon Trails. 



The Oregon and Mormon Pioneer Trails entered 

 the state of Wyoming along the North Platte River 

 near Torrington. The trails followed the North 

 Platte to the present city of Casper. From near 

 Casper, the trails left the North Platte and head 

 west, then southwest, ascending high hills, toward 

 the Sweetwater River and Independence Rock. 



The trails then followed the Sweetwater for 

 ninety miles crossing it numerous times. At Burnt 

 Ranch the trail crossed the river for the final time 

 and the primary route headed southwest through 

 Parson to Fort Bridger. From Fort Bridger the 

 Oregon Trail headed north and northwest, leaving 

 the state near Cokeville, while the Mormon Trail 

 continued west and southwest and left Wyoming 

 just south of the town of Evanston. 



The general trail routes were originally found 

 and used by prehistoric Native American groups. 

 These nomadic groups utilized the natural routes 

 along the rivers and mountain passes, mostly in 

 search of seasonally available resources. In early 

 historic times, Euro-American fur traders took 

 advantage of these same routes to travel 

 throughout the Rocky Mountain region and 

 beyond in the pursuit of fur resources. This 

 original fur trade route, the Platte River road, 

 Developed over the years into perhaps the most 

 important transportation route ever used during 

 the settlement and early development of the west. 

 Use of the transportation route facilitated 

 settlement of the west. The large increases in 

 settlements in the Pacific Northwest were the 

 single most important factor that solidified the U.S. 

 claim to the Oregon Territory. 



Over the years, alternatives or cutoffs from the 

 primary route were pioneered. These provided 

 better roads, shorter routes, and better access to 

 water and feed for livestock. 



