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5
Conclusions
5.1 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
There is a critical need for a better land-information system in the United
States to improve land-conveyance procedures, furnish a basis for equitable
taxation, and provide much-needed information for resource management
and environmental planning. Numerous conferences have been held and re-
ports prepared that discuss the problems with our present land-information
systems, such as duplication, lack of accessibility, single-purpose data systems,
lack of standards, and institutional arrangements that limit coordination
among land-related functions.
The benefits resulting from the development and use of a multipurpose
cadastre system have been recognized for some time. Most of the densely
populated European countries have utilized such systems for many years.
Multipurpose cadastre programs are being developed in portions of Canada
and Mexico. Within the United States, the federal government, several states,
and many communities are developing programs that provide an integral part
of a multipurpose cadastre. Several states and some cities have control-survey-
ing organizations that provide the framework for accurate mapping. Several
communities have base-mapping programs that provide accurate large-scale
maps with overlays depicting needed information. There is increasing utiliza-
tion of computers and data systems by assessors, recorders, planners, title
insurance companies, and utilities. Pilot programs are under way that will
help to evaluate various components of a multipurpose cadastre.
Current technology is adequate in most cases for the surveying, mapping,
101
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102
NEED FOR A MULTIPURPOSE CADASTRE
data collecting, filing, and dissemination of information. Improved surveying
and mapping instruments and techniques will probably reduce the cost of
some of the mapping required. Advancements in computer applications, com-
munication networks, and copying processes offer promise of more-efficient
use of the multipurpose cadastre.
The major obstacles in the development of a multipurpose cadastre are the
organizational and institutional requirements. Reorganization and improved
quality control for existing governmental functions will be required. Each of
the components of the cadastral system already exists somewhere within our
existing governmental structure. Many of the required data are being generated
at the local level, and in most cases the users are the individual citizens and
the local government officials and planning organizations. Each state has orga-
nizations that prepare maps and collect data that would be an integral part of
a multipurpose cadastre. At present, much of this effort is directed toward a
single purpose and cannot be utilized for other programs. The federal agencies
conduct surveys, prepare maps, and collect information that would be required
for the development of a multipurpose cadastre. The federal government has
a need for vast amounts of information that must be collected through partic-
ular programs such as the Taxable Property Values Survey and the monitoring
of foreign ownership of land in the United States.
The development of a multipurpose cadastre will require coordination be-
tween various levels of government—local, state, and federal—as well as that
of parallel organizations at each level. New laws that relate to governmental
responsibilities, practices, and finances will be required in some areas. To en-
sure the reliability of the information that is filed, standards and practices
must be developed and uniformly adopted. Uniform indexing and common
terms must be used in each community so that the information systems main-
tained in various offices are compatible.
Development of a multipurpose cadastre will be gradual. Many of the func-
tions necessary for the land-information system are being performed now.
Modifications of procedures and standards and progressive upgrading of maps
and files will result in a cost-effective acceptable multipurpose cadastre, if
carried out in coordinated, areawide programs.
5.2 SPECIFIC CONCLUSIONS
5.2.1 Local Level
The cadastral records and other data registers are more related to functions of
local government than to those of state or federal agencies. The primary uses
of the multipurpose cadastre are related to local activity: real estate transfer,
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Conclusions
103
assessments, zoning, location of utilities, and planning. In most communities,
there is no single source of the much-needed information for these activities.
An integrated land-~nformation system as outlined In this report would pro-
vide a coordinated approach that would eliminate much of the waste current-
ly encountered in land-related activities. In addition to the savings in time and
money, the decision-making process about local projects would be improved
because of the ready access of all necessary information.
It is essential that local governments be the access points for local land in-
formation and that they have the primary responsibility for developing and
maintaining the multipurpose cadastre in their community. There are about
3500 land-title-record systems in counties, towns, and cities in the United
States. A few have developed components of a multipurpose cadastre. To pro-
vide an efficient land-information system, most communities will require the
following:
1. Coordination among existing land-related functions either by establish-
ing an Office of Land Information Systems or by designating an existing
office as the lead agency.
2. Standardization of procedures and terminology to assure efficient ac-
quisition, storage, maintenance, and retrieval of land information and records
within the community.
3. Preparation and maintenance of a system of base maps and cadastral
overlays that meet standards for a multipurpose cadastre.
4. Creation and maintenance of a land-parcel register, including a unique
parcel identifier, position of the parcel in a common reference frame, and
data from boundary surveys, including boundaries of any easements or use
restrictions.
5. Coordination with private sources such as utilities, transportation sys-
tems, title insurance, and abstracters.
5.2.2 State Level
Most of the laws relating to land titles, recording procedures, zoning practices,
and surveying and mapping standards are state laws. Many of these laws and
procedures are unique to a particular state. Generally, the states are responsi-
ble for many land-related activities that are applicable statewide or regionally,
such as transportation systems, state lands and water bodies, coastal zone
management, and environmental regulations. Legislation will be required in a
number of states to ensure the compatibility of county and local records with
the multipurpose cadastre; committees of the American Bar Association and
the North American Institute for Modernization of Land Data Systems are
working on this problem. This legislation should address questions such as
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NEED FOR A MULTIPURPOSE CADASTRE
1. Regulations for recording conveyances and subdivisions;
2. Surveying and mapping practices such as monumentation, computa-
tions of coordinates, and property boundaries and filing of field notes, plats,
and plans;
3. Funding of local cadastral system by fees and matching funds.
Existing offices in many states are producing land-related information that
would be helpful in the development of a multipurpose cadastre such as con-
trol surveys, state and regional maps, basic survey and boundary information
performed by federal and state agencies, and statewide transportation and
utility systems. Because of the legal responsibilities and the interrelation of
land-related activities, the state agencies are vital to the development of a
multipurpose cadastre. An Office of Land Information Systems should be
established in each state to
1. Promote effective, efficient, and compatible land-information systems
within the state;
2. Establish standards for state, regional, and local surveying, mapping,
and land-data-collection efforts;
3. Provide guidance to local offices such as recorders, assessors, engineers,
and planners;
4. Serve as the focal point and clearinghouse for state and federal agencies
that are collecting land information;
5. Coordinate the land-related information resources of other state agen-
cies that are responsible for surveys, maps, state-owned lands, construction,
zoning, and management of public lands.
5.2.3 Federal Level
Most of the federal agencies are involved in collecting information, much of it
land related or geographically oriented. In addition to being users of land in-
formation, several federal agencies generate much of the basic information re-
quired for the development of a multipurpose cadastre: control surveys by
the National Geodetic Survey; maps by the U.S. Geological Survey; cadastral
surveys of all public lands by the Bureau of Land Management; and surveys
and maps by other agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.
Forest Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Department of Housing and
Urban Development. At present, there is minimal coordination of these efforts
toward the establishment of a multipurpose cadastre. The most recent effort
at coordination has been meetings held by the Bureau of Land Management,
the National Geodetic Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey to determine
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Conclusions
105
the extent to which their current organizations can contribute to the pilot
projects in Colorado.
If an effective land-information system is to be established in the United
States, it is imperative that the federal effort be coordinated through a single
surveying and mapping agency as recommended by the report to the Office of
Management and Budget by the Federal Mapping Task Force on Mapping,
Charting, Geodesy and Surveying (1973) or that a lead agency for the multi-
purpose cadastre be designated.
In addition to performing their present functions relating to basic horizon-
tal and vertical control surveys, small- and medium-scale mapping, cadastral
surveys of all federally owned land, and filing of land information, the federal
agencies have the facilities and expertise to help in the development of a
multipurpose cadastre. Although some standards and procedures are only
applicable to local situations, many of the standards and procedures can be
used throughout the nation. It is appropriate that the federal agencies should
continue technical studies that are beneficial throughout the country. Some
of the technical subjects that should be addressed are
1. Integrating mechanisms for cadastral, cartographic, engineering, and
geodetic surveying for federal and federally supported programs;
2. Integrating mechanisms for the storage and retrieval of other land infor-
mation in data files;
3. Procedures for development of local systems, leading to the distribu-
tion of prescribed methods and rules for ties to geodetic coordinate systems
and adjustment of state plane coordinates for property boundary surveys;
4. Compatibility among the large-scale maps to be produced by the indi-
vidual counties within each state.
5.2.4 Future Committee Activities
This panel has concentrated its efforts on the basic components of the multi-
purpose cadastre: (1) geodetic reference frame, (2) base maps, and (3) cadas-
tral overlay. Other organizations are studying components of land-information
systems, such as laws, computer applications, assessment practices, real estate
transfer procedures, and computer mapping and records systems. The panel
lacked the time to consider a number of subjects that developed during this
study, such as detailed technical subjects and those related to other aspects of
a land-information system. Further study by committees with members drawn
from this panel and elsewhere should result in worthwhile recommendations
about particular problems, such as
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106
NEED FOR A MULTIPURPOSE CADASTRE
1. Evaluation of the technical standards currently available for the items
listed in Section 4.3.1 as to their appropriateness for development of a multi-
purpose cadastre;
2. The development of a multidisciplinary curriculum leading to a gradu-
ate-level degree in the multipurpose cadastre;
3. Study and evaluation of the existing multipurpose cadastre efforts and
pilot projects to determine their effectiveness;
4. Analysis of the Bureau of Land Management's Bureau Resource Infor-
mation Management System activities and how they can be integrated into
the multipurpose cadastre;
5. Mechanisms and suggested procedures for progressing from the rudi-
mentary mapping and filing procedures discussed in the report to the more-
advanced systems;
6. Economic analyses to determine the feasibility and cost of a federal
program of assistance to states and localities for development of multipurpose
cadastres as described in Section 4.3.2;
7. Development of a glossary of terms.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
land information
