Final answer:
The distance from the Principal Meridian to Tier 4 North, Range 3 West is b. 12 to 18 miles, as each range in the Public Land Survey System is six miles wide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question requires us to determine the distance from the Principal Meridian to a specified location in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The location in question is Tier 4 North, Range 3 West. In the PLSS, each range is six miles wide. Therefore, Range 3 West would span from 12 to 18 miles west of the Principal Meridian.
Similarly, tiers are six miles in height, but since we're only interested in the range (east-west distance), this doesn't affect our calculation. Therefore, the correct answer is b. 12 to 18 miles from the Principal Meridian.