UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
 
March 11, 2008
 
In Reply Refer To:
9600 (350) P
 
EMS TRANSMISSION 03/19/2008
Instruction Memorandum No. 2008-087
Expires: 09/30/2009
 
To:                  All Field Office Officials
                       Attn: DSDs and Chief Cadastral Surveyors
 
From:              Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection
 
Subject:          Certified Federal Surveyor Transition
 
Program Area: Cadastral Survey
 
Purpose: The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to provide guidance and direction for transition to a fully implemented Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS) Program. This IM also develops the initial processes and procedures (Internal) to be implemented while preparing Standards for Indian Trust Lands Boundary (Boundary Standards) documents during this implementation period.
 
Policy/Action: Each BLM State Office will carefully track all associated expenditures using Program Elements BJ, BK, AP or AQ, as appropriate. This accounting will be used to establish a historical baseline from which to refine fee structures for each service provided or product delivered.
 
A) A CFedS is authorized to prepare certain portions of boundary evidence documentation using procedures detailed in Departmental Manual, 303 DM 7, Standards for Indian Trust Lands Boundary Evidence, as guidance.
 
This includes the preparation of certain portions of the following boundary evidence documents:
  • A Land Description Review Certificate (LDR);
  • A Chain of Survey Certificate (COS);
  • A Certificate of Inspection and Possession (CIP); and
  • A Boundary Assurance Certificate (BAC).
These documents each provide a portion of the total boundary assurance process and are not discretionary. The signature of the appropriate Chief Cadastral Surveyor, on the LDR, COS, CIP and BAC certificates, affirms an opinion and not a record of decision of the United States Government. 
 
Attachment “1” outlines the processes which will be used in the oversight and approval of these documents. All costs will be coded to program element AQ.
 
B) When a Federal agency, Tribe, or trust beneficiary requests a Federal authority survey, they may approach the completion of the survey using one of two methods: 1) They may choose to have BLM Cadastral Survey conduct the entire process, or 2) enter into an agreement with a CFedS to provide the commercial activities portion and BLM Cadastral Survey for the remaining portion.
 
Attachment “2” outlines the process to be used for completing a Federal authority survey when utilizing the services of a CFedS.
 
Timeframe: This IM is effective immediately.
 
Budget Impact:  There is no immediate impact on BLM’s base appropriation for Cadastral Survey services via sub-activities 1410 and 1420 as these services will be funded by reimbursable accounts (1910) or trust fund accounts (7130).
 
Background:  In 2004, the Fiduciary Trust Model (FTM) was created by the Department of the Interior to provide policy and business processes to expedite the delivery of cadastral services to trust beneficiaries and fellow agencies. The FTM identified four main Cadastral Initiatives:
 
  • Installation of a BLM Indian Lands Surveyor at each BIA Regional Office;
  • Enhancement of the Public Lands Survey System in Indian Country;
  • Development of a Cadastral Based Geographic Information System (CGIS) system to pictorially display Indian Trust data; and
  • The CFedS program.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: The reader is referred to BLM H-9687-1, Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS) Program Handbook; and 303 DM 7, Department of the Interior, Standards for Indian Trust Lands Boundary Evidence for detailed information.
 


Contact: If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at (202) 208-4201, or your staff may contact Donald Buhler, Chief Cadastral Surveyor, Washington, D.C. at (202) 452-7781; Douglas Haywood, BLM Cadastral Indian Program Manager, Washington D.C. at (202) 785-6561 or Daniel Ontiveros, Cadastral Survey Fiduciary Trust Manager, Washington D.C. at (202) 452-5173.
 
Signed by:                                                                    Authenticated by:
Michael D. Nedd                                                          Robert M. Williams
Assistant Director                                                         Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection
 
2 Attachments