Program Description

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

National



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Subactivity: Cadastral Survey

Program Overview

BLM is responsible for performing cadastral surveys on all Federal and Indian lands. Cadastral surveys are the foundation for all land title records in the United States and provide Federal and tribal land managers with information necessary for the management of their lands.

Program Components

The Cadastral Surveys program provides direct support to BLM’s minerals, realty, law enforcement, forestry, recreation, and fire programs. Increasingly, demand for cadastral products and services have been for the purpose of supporting renewable energy including wind, solar and geothermal projects. As directed under Secretarial Order 3285, dated March 11, 2009, renewable energy development is a priority for the Department of the Interior. Cadastral Surveys facilitates implementation and streamlining of renewable energy projects through providing boundary location products and services. Cadastral services and the resulting land records help remove obstacles to renewable energy permitting, siting and development.

Cadastral Surveys assists BLM programs and other federal land management agencies by interpreting and analyzing survey plats, locating boundary markers in the field, and performing new cadastral surveys when necessary. This work is central to BLM’s efforts to lease public lands for renewable and nonrenewable energy development. These energy projects require geospatial information to assist in granting rights-of-way for energy and electric transmission lines. Other requests for cadastral services involve resolution of trespass upon public lands, defining the boundaries of timber sales, leasing lands to local communities under the Recreation and Public Purpose Act, identification of boundaries of lands to be exchanged or sold, and identification the boundaries of Wilderness Areas and other special areas. Additionally, the Program has established a strong relationship with the BIA’s Real Estate Services program and the Office of Special Trustee for the purpose of providing cadastral services on Indian Trust lands. This relationship has produced positive results as the four components of the Fiduciary Trust Model are being implemented. The components provide a framework from which many reimbursable cadastral Trust services are provided.

The Cadastral Surveys program is critical for supporting the Bureau of Land Management’s mission goals. The program provides expert, professional guidance, clearly defined boundaries and other locational information for the protection and utilization of Federal lands. Through providing these products and services, BLM is better prepared to manage risks related to land boundary location as it strives to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of future generations. However, most of the public land boundaries remain unmarked, and boundary monuments on surveyed lands have been damaged over time by human activity or by natural forces. Boundaries that are correctly surveyed, with well-marked and well-maintained boundary markers, support effective decision making and minimize the risk of litigation by preventing the inadvertent use of the wrong lands. Surveyed and well-marked boundaries allow for better management of natural resources because the location of these resources is clearly defined.

Image of an original wood post monument

Original surveys completed in the 1800’s typically have corner monumentation consisting of scribed wooden posts or marked stones. Finding this original evidence is the first step in locating property boundaries of federal lands. After evidence is identified, it is replaced with modern brass-capped metal posts and properly recorded in the Federal records system -- preserving evidence for future generations.

Geographic Coordinate Data Base (GCDB) Program – Managed by the Cadastral Survey Program, this is a system to represent land ownership boundaries in a coordinated, standardized digital fashion. The 2010 budget would allow for management of the GCDB, which includes overseeing the validation of the data base, sharing of GCDB (exporting and importing) with States and counties, and stewardship of the database. These information systems, such as the National Integrated Lands System (NILS), depend on GCDB as the base layer for BLM processes including leasing, sales, exchanges, and stipulations. The GCDB system represents the best practices for storing, displaying, and updating land records into the Public Land Survey System and the NILS. The BLM, other Federal agencies, States, and local governments utilize the GCDB system for many purposes. GCDB facilitates renewable energy planning, wildland fire and emergency response, and provides for real time access to digital land title records. Additionally, GCDB facilitates development of parcel data information, in cooperation with USGS, in support the Federal Government’s proposal to bail out distressed mortgages. The Western Governors’ Association, through resolution 06-14, the Association is supportive of the GCDB because of its ability to portray survey grade positions in a common, seamless digital environment.

Online Records -- The OMB has designated the BLM as the custodial agency for land tenure records that date back to the 1800s. The Cadastral Surveys program manages over nine million title documents as well as Cadastral survey records from across the nation. The General Land Office (GLO) Automated Records System, located at the Eastern States Office, is responsible for making these documents available on the Internet via the BLM GLO Records website. Staff at Eastern States assists in the scanning, indexing and verification of cadastral survey plats and field notes ( both old and new) that reside with the other historical land records on the website (www.glorecords.blm.gov).

Means and Strategies –Many of the services provided by the Program have increasingly involved office analysis of geospatial information in a land survey based GIS. This analysis is coupled with land records research to provide less costly office-generated products and services. Whenever these types of products and services can manage risks at acceptable levels, expensive field survey operations are avoided. Each request for a cadastral service submitted to the Program is analyzed to discern the actual need and a recommendation made to as to the type of cadastral service needed to manage risks at acceptable levels. This strategy has become the dominant business model for providing the Program’s customers with services at the lowest possible cost. An example of established policy for providing office products is the Standards for Indian Trust Lands Boundary Evidence and referenced in Departmental Manual, 303 DM 7.

Long-Term Vision – A variety of Federal statutes dating back to 1785 have vested authority in the BLM to provide cadastral services for all federally managed lands. Providing these services has required the program to develop new and innovative approaches. The new business model includes:

Cost recovery as a key premise in addressing the funding of project requests;

Avoiding costly field surveys whenever possible by substituting office products as described above in Means and Strategies; and

Maintaining core in-house expertise to carry out the inherently governmental functions while contracting out as much of the commercial portion as is cost effective.
Proactively coordinate with other BLM programs, and other Federal land management agencies to address land boundary concerns in efforts to prevent loss of natural resources, minimize trespass and avoid costly litigation.

Critical Factors – The BLM is vested with the authority to provide cadastral surveys and services for all lands with a Federal interest. All Federal land management agencies rely on BLM Cadastral Surveys to provide Federal authority surveys when needed or requested.

Increasingly, renewable energy has been identified as the driver in requests for cadastral services. Financial institutions require accurately located facilities, in connection with land boundaries, prior to financing of energy projects on Federal lands.

Each request for a cadastral service is reviewed to determine the type of service required to minimize costs while managing risks. Cost recovery is employed to the greatest extent possible to preserve scarce resources.

Image of BLM surveyors setting up GPS equipment

BLM employs the latest in survey-grade GPS technology in identifying the positions of original survey corner evidence. Identifying the location of federal interest lands assist in streamlining development of renewable energy and other purposes while preserving locations of boundaries established in the 1800’s

Strategic Plan – The Cadastral Survey program supports the Resource Use mission goal of the Department’s Strategic Plan by facilitating the proper use of public lands. The end outcome goal of the Resource Use mission goal is to manage and influence the use of the public land resources to enhance public benefits, promote responsible use, and ensure optimal values for energy. Cadastral Survey plays a vital role, through providing survey and geospatial products in support of BLM mission goals. These products and services help make it possible for BLM to manage and facilitate access to renewable energy resources not only through its leasing function, but also through the issuance of rights-of-way that authorize private energy producers and transporters to build the necessary infrastructure on public lands to produce or transport energy. A key intermediate outcome measure is to reduce the number of pending cases of right-of-way applications.

The Cadastral Surveys program supports the Serving Communities mission goal of the Department’s Strategic Plan and fulfills the Secretary’s responsibility to maintain the Public Land Survey System. By creating, identifying, surveying, and maintaining the legal boundaries of federal-interest lands, information is readily available to States, tribal, local governments, local communities, and the public.

Cadastral Survey Guidance Manual – Pursuant to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16, revised 2002, Government-wide leadership for cadastral data coordination is carried out by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Subcommittee for Cadastral Data. The lead agency responsible for cadastral data is the BLM Cadastral Survey program. The publication of the next edition of the Manual of Surveying Instructions is a critical factor in providing guidance and disseminating information in properly executing cadastral surveys. The FGDC is adopting this Manual as the definitive Federal document governing the procedures for conducting cadastral surveys.

Fiduciary Trust Model - The Fiduciary Trust Model was the Secretarial approved initiative designed to provide cadastral services to the Tribes, individual American Indians, and the Alaska Natives. There are four components to this initiative which are in various phases of implementation:

BLM Indian Lands Surveyors. The intent of this component is to install one highly experienced Cadastral Surveyor into each of the twelve BIA Regional Offices. This person was installed to provide expedited cadastral survey services to the various American Indians, Alaska Natives, Agency Offices and Regional Offices in support of the Secretary's Fiduciary Trust responsibility.
Create the Certified Federal Surveyor Program (CFedS). The intent of this component was to assist licensed land surveyors, in good standing, to continue their professional development by designing, creating and implementing a training program that would emphasize the proper methods, orders and procedures of surveying or resurveying Indian or trust lands. The Program consists of a distance-learning course containing training exercises, quizzes, video lecture and a final exam. This training program started in Fiscal Year 2007 and has 692 surveyors licensed in 47 states enrolled in the program as of March 2009. To date, 233 of these surveyors have been certified.
Improve the condition of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The intent of this component is to upgrade the PLSS by rehabilitating inferior monumentation, re-establishing lost or obliterated corners, resurveying questionable boundaries and provide for a posting and marking program. This component will be implemented as funding becomes available.
Create the Cadastral Geographic Information System (CGIS). The CGIS creates one standardized source of land status information based on cadastral data that delineates the official legal land descriptions. This CGIS will pictorially represent the records that compose the ownership and possession of the individual or the tribe. When the CGIS is complete the program or tribal manager will be able to more effectively or efficiently promote individual or tribal lands and resources. BLM and a few tribal entities are currently collecting the Geographic Coordinates that compose the base layer of the CGIS.

BLM continues to refine an inventory of the survey needs on Indian Trust lands. This inventory includes a mechanism to prioritize lands for survey by evaluating each land parcel using specific criterion. This criterion, developed in collaboration with BIA and Office of Special Trustee, includes trespass abatement, timber harvest, mineral leasing, and other priorities related to Indian Trust assets and the disbursement of funds into Individual Indian Monetary accounts.

Emphasis for the Future -- Cadastral Survey has developed an array of new and innovative survey-related products and services. These new products and services, beyond the traditional “Federal Authority Survey”, have been designed and developed to address the financial and time-sensitive challenges of today’s BLM Manager. These new products are specific to federal interest lands and address the following:

Provide modern locational data and tools for more efficient and effective surface and subsurface management.
Properly determine and post boundaries to remove any “assumed liability” and to make boundaries more visible and user-friendly reducing the propensity for inadvertent trespass.
Locate property corners of the public lands to provide accurate and precise spatial management tool for managers. Established and secure boundaries greatly improve relationships and goodwill among adjacent landowners.
Satellite imagery, in conjunction with modern cadastral surveys or survey related products, assists in determining and locating “jurisdictional boundaries” of law enforcement to better map areas of illegal activity, i.e. drug activity and cultural-site vandalism and theft.
Update and modernize riparian boundaries where resources and land values are at a premium.
Determine and locate “administrative boundaries” to protect sensitive or special areas.
Provide up-to-date and accurate locations and acreages for land sales or exchanges.
Locate and graphically illustrate habitat areas of endangered species.
Accurately position legal descriptions of rights-of way, oil and gas leases, and mineral leases.
Locate and graphically display roads, trails and trail heads.
Facilitate the sharing of cadastral information from states and counties for values at risk for wildland fire management.
Provide updated and accurate boundary locations for wildland fire rehabilitation management.
Provide managers with accurate and precise locational data or information to better assist in settlements and negotiations.

Energy Policy Act of 2005 – The 2005 Energy Policy Act calls for efficient processing of all applications related to energy production on Public Lands. Renewable energy activities, such as wind, solar and geothermal, are increasing, but could be impacted without a reliable survey network. Although private industry is required to “pay as they go”, this funding will, in part, provide for the planning, oversight and management of any cost recovery procedures. Seven BLM Pilot Project offices have been established to implement improvements in coordinating, processing and monitoring oil and gas authorizations. The Cadastral Survey program assists these offices by providing geospatial information, which relates directly to on-the-ground property boundaries, well heads, and other physical features. Much of this work is expected to result in providing spatial information for the NEPA and the EPCA studies. Starting in 2006, each State Office with an energy pilot office within its jurisdiction has been directed to provide the necessary land surveyors and the GCDB personnel to provide support.

In 2008, 25 percent of all projects in the Cadastral Survey Services Inventory were funded. Additionally, over 54 percent of funded projects were completed within 18 months. The program also performed nearly 4,000 consultations related to land boundary location on public and Indian Trust lands.

The Program completed the following key performance outcomes in 2008:

Completed 6,100 miles of field survey work. All except 768 miles were funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program. Reduced funding, from both BLM and other agencies, resulted in fewer cadastral field miles than in 2007.

Approved 6,300 miles of existing field survey efforts. All except 1002 miles were funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program. Reduced funding, from both BLM and other agencies resulted in fewer approved cadastral miles than in 2007.

Collected GCDB data on 1,133 townships; all except 344 were funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program. Collection of data in some of the plains states, including Oklahoma and the Dakotas, increased because of an increased emphasis in oil and gas exploration.

Performed GCDB data updates and maintenance on 3,000 townships; all except 562 were funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey Program

Supported the seven Bureau Energy Pilot Project Offices. Each State office with an energy pilot office within its jurisdiction continued to dedicate the GCDB personnel, as funding permited, to support these offices. Over 50 percent of this workload was funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey Program.

Provided over 700 units of Boundary Standard Evidence Products to Native American trust beneficiaries. These products fall within the four categories as defined in the Standards for Indian Trust Lands Boundary Evidence.

Success Stories:

Arizona – Provided assistance to the Office of the Solicitor in a case where 160 acres, claimed by a private party and planned for development, was determined to be lands held in trust for the Quechan Indian Tribe.

California – Provided cadastral survey of lands extensively contaminated through mining activity. After extensive search for survey markers covering several miles, it was discovered that contamination was on private lands near to BLM lands.

Eastern States – Provided surveys involving trespass on Federal lands; some of which involve the construction of improvements by private parties on public lands. A recent survey allowed the Park Service to recoup the damages done to Park Service land.

NTC -- Continued development of the training and management associated with the Certified Federal Surveyors Program. This Program has graduated over 200 qualified surveyors to date. Graduates have begun contracting with the BLM to perform the non-inherently governmental portion of cadastral surveys. Also developing training for the next edition of the Manual of Surveying Instructions.
Idaho – Conducted multiple surveys to identify boundaries for the President’s Blue Ribbon hazardous fuels treatment projects. These projects are typically in areas of wildland urban interface where hazardous fuels pose a fire threat to improvements.

New Mexico – Provided administrative surveys and plats of home sites for many Native American Pueblos. Title companies and financial institutions will not accept inadequate legal descriptions and these updated land records make it possible for Native Americans to obtain financing.

Oregon – Provided surveys involving various trespass cases. Several involved trespass on Federal lands involving timber harvest and resulting in cost recovery. Another survey involved timber trespass on adjoining private lands.

- In 2009, the Cadastral Survey program plans to accomplish the following:

Complete 2,900 miles of field survey work. All except 450 miles expect to be funded by sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Approve 6,000 miles of existing field survey efforts. All except 900 miles expect to be funded by sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Collect 525 townships of the GCDB data; all except 250 expect to be funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Perform the GCDB data updates and maintenance on 2,250 townships; all except 375 will be funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Each state office with an energy pilot office within its jurisdiction has been directed, to dedicate the necessary cadastral survey services personnel, as funding permits, to support of the energy pilot office mission goals as well as renewable energy project planning.

Energy Policy Act of 2005 - In 2009, the following cadastral services will be provided within the BLM Energy Pilot Project offices:

In Colorado, Utah and Wyoming – In areas of intensive energy exploration where original survey markers are missing, townships will be resurveyed. These townships were last surveyed by the U.S. Government in the late 1800's with minimal remaining survey markers. The new surveys, with markers set to replace those that were missing and updated survey records, help BLM land managers assure that the construction of access roads, well pads, and placement of new well bottom targets did not infringe on other property or mineral rights. The updated survey data will be entered into the GCDB. The GCDB allows cadastral staff to work closely with the GIS staff, minerals experts, and the energy pilot office to display all stipulations and current leases in an automated format. These services enable Federal land management agencies and industry to make informed decisions as APDs are processed.

In Montana – In addition to resurveying 1800’s era townships, the GCDB will be enhanced through a cooperative project with the State of Montana. This information is made available to the BLM internally and to external users via the NILS GeoCommunicatior.

In New Mexico – Provide resurveys of 1800’s era townships and also provide GIS expertise to assist several BLM field offices with building a tracking data base for NEPA processing and reporting of acres reclaimed and restored in areas of prior oil and gas activities. As part of the “Restore New Mexico” effort, this tracking system has provided valuable information for the Healthy Lands Initiative. In areas of current energy development GCDB is being used to reference boundaries to on-the-ground survey measurements between Public Land Survey System corner markers.

2010 Program Performance - In 2010, the Cadastral Survey program plans to accomplish the following:

Complete 5,000 miles of field survey work. All except 190 miles expect to be funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Approve 5,500 miles of existing field survey efforts. All except 270 miles expect to be funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.
Collect 225 townships of the GCDB data; all expect to be funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Perform the GCDB data updates and maintenance on 3,000 townships; all except 650 will be funded through sources other than the Cadastral Survey program.

Each state office with an energy pilot office within its jurisdiction has been directed, to dedicate the necessary cadastral survey services personnel, as funding permits, to support the energy pilot office mission goals as well as renewable energy planning.

In 2010, the Cadastral Survey program will continue the core functions of approving surveys, addressing public inquires, consulting with staff from other programs to advise on boundary issues, providing guidance and oversight for field surveys paid for by other programs and bureaus, and managing the GCDB.