7151.6--1
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
MISSOULA, MONTANA
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
Region 1 Supplement No. 80, 87, & 92
Effective
February 14, 1997
7151.6 - Reports
1. Mandatory Report. The annual cadastral engineering accomplishment report for the past
fiscal year is due in the Engineering Staff Unit by November 1. This report consists of the
Annual Cadastral Engineering Accomplishment Report, form FS-R1-7150-2 (11/80). One copy
of the accomplishment report should be forwarded to the Regional Office. The entry for Section
V, item 2, is the quotient of the Forest landline budget divided by the miles posted and marked to
standard as shown in Section V, Item 1. Proportion GA and administrative costs between Forest
Service and contract. A separate form is required for each State for Forests located in move than
one State. (See exhibit 1.)
The graphic record of lines and corners (form 7100 -53 - exhibit 2) should be prepared and
maintained but should not be forwarded to the Regional Office unless requested. The Forest
should maintain a current master file of forms 7100-53 for all townships within the Forest.
2. Optional Reports - Cadastral Surveys.
Requests for cadastral surveys for
remonumentation assistance by the Bureau of Land Management for the next fiscal year may be
submitted along with the annual accomplishment report.
a. Use form 7100-54 (Request for Cadastral Survey) to submit survey requests. The
following criteria should be used in selecting projects for Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
survey:
(1) Extensive corner obliteration.
(2) Controversial boundary lines.
(3) Known or suspected trespass.
(4) Riparian problems.
(5) Exchange parcels where the selected land is unsurveyed reserved public domain.
(6) Completion or original United States public land surveys.
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7151.6--2
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
Normally, tonwship-sized units will be the minimum size project which will be considered for
submittal to Bureau of Land Management. Exceptions will be considered where circumstances
warrant.
b. Remonumentation assistance by the Bureau of Land Management will be scheduled to
the extent it is available. When requesting this service, be aware that our agreement with BLM
requires the following:
(1) BLM will furnish an experienced cadastral surveyor.
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7151.6--3
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
(2) BLM will furnish monuments.
(3) Either may furnish transportation upon agreement, but all mileage costs will be borne
by the National Forest.
(4) All labor will be furnished by the National Forest.
(5) Survey plats and notes will be furnished by the National Forest.
(6) Corners must be presearched by the Forest Service, and a minimum of time should
normallly be necessary to relocate the corner.
(7) BLM has final authority regarding the authenticity of any corner evidence.
(8) BLM is responsible for supervising but not physically accomplishing the stamping and
setting of the monument and the selection, marking and measurement of accessories.
(9) BLM is responsible for recording the notes of the remonumented corner.
(10) Forest Service is responsible for all other work accomplished at the site (i.e., signing,
posting, clearing, etc.). See exhibits 3 and 4.
EXHIBITS 1 - 4 MAY BE VIEWED IN HARD COPY.
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7151.6--4
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
Exhibit 1
FS-R1-7150-2 (Revised 11/80)
ANNUAL CADASTRAL ENGINEERING ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT
(Reference FSM 7151.5)
<SEE HARD COPY>
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7151.6--5
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
Exhibit 1a
FS-R1-7150-2 (Revised 11/80)
ANNUAL CADASTRAL ENGINEERING ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT
(Reference FSM 7151.5)
<SEE HARD COPY>
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7151.6--6
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
Exhibit 2
REPORT
CORNER SEARCH, EVALUATION, MONUMENTING
and
BOUNDARY MARKING
<SEE HARD COPY>
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7151.6--7
TITLE 7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
Exhibit 3
1. Cool Creek. Secs. 12 and 13, T. 5 N., R. 25 W., P.M.M.
Subdivide the two sections to the extent necessary to delineate private ownership. The
subdivision is necessary to insure that fencing contemplated by the private landowners is
correctly located. This area was searched and remonumented during 1966, and it was
determined that 3 miles of resurvey would be necessary to reestablish lost corners; and 5 1/2
miles of original survey would be required to subdivide the two sections. Estimated cost is
$4,250. This project is accessible from June 15 to November 15. Two survey aids from the
District will be available to assist for approximately 1 pay period. We intend to post the lines as
they are established. A 2" = 1 mile status map is shown (page 7151.6--7); it shows ownership
found corners, corners searched for but not found, and lines desired.
2. HES 243. HES 514, T. 7 N., T. 23 W., P.M.M.
All the corners of both homesteads were searched during 1965 for right-of-way acquisition for
the new Smart Creek Road. All found corners were remonumented by the BLM in 1966. We
need corners 2, 12, and 13, of HES 243; and corners 5, 7, 9, and 14, of HES 514, reestablished in
order to post the boundaries. The new road has opened the homesteads to speculations and
subdivision; and several potential trespasses are developing. Prompt delineation of the property
lines should avoid trouble in the future. Approximately 2.3 miles of re-survey are desired at a
cost of $1150. The District Engineer will be available to assist in the survey during most of July
and August.
<SEE HARD COPY>
FMS 9/81 R-1 SUPP 80
7152.03--2
7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
7152.03 - Policy
1. Legal
a. Employees whose duties include acting as Contracting Officer's Representative for land
survey contracts must possess current registration as a Land Surveyor in the State where the
project is situated. This requirement must be explicitly stated in the employee's job description.
e. (1) A written request for Cadastral Survey shall be completed before any contract or
force account Land Survey project is initiated. This formality is necessary to prove that the
responsible Forest Service Line Officer authorized expenditure of funds for the particular survey.
The process is designed to remove the threat of tort actions against the surveyor alleging that he
or she was acting outside of the scope of their duties.
Each Forest shall develop a standardized process, that meets the objective, stated above, for
obtaining a written Forest Supervisor's request for every Cadastral Survey. The completed
request shall be permanently retained in the project folder.
The request shall be signed by the Forest Supervisor, or it may be formally delegated to a Staff
position who shall sign "for" the Forest Supervisor.
(2) All Land Survey plats (including those obtained by contract) to be entered into the
public records shall contain a Certification block stating:
"This survey was made at my request for
National Forest Management purposes."
_________________
Forest Supervisor
____________
Date
The signature can be formally delegated to the Forest Engineer who shall sign "for"
the Forest Supervisor.
2. Administration
c. Peer Review of Survey Plats
(1) Plats of land surveys performed under State authority by licensed land surveyors
employed by or under contract to the Forest Service shall be reviewed by the Regional Land
Surveyor. To facilitate the review process, the following policy will be followed:
FSM 7/86 R1 SUPP 92
7152.03--3
7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
(a) Submit all corner recordation forms (filed or not) and one paper copy of all survey
plats to the Regional Office prior to filing in the county records. This process will require that
cadastral survey Contracting Officer's Representatives secure Regional Office plat review and
approval prior to allowing the contractor to file the plat in the county records.
(b) Plats of surveys performed by licensed land surveyors under contract to the Forest
Service shall be reviewed by the Regional Land Surveyor and returned within 10 working days
of receipt. Plats of surveys performed by licensed land surveyors employed by the Forest
Service shall be reviewed by the Regional Land Surveyor and returned within 30 working days
of receipt. A letter of approval, conditional approval, or disapproval shall accompany the plat.
(c) Unapproved plats shall not be filed in the county records.
(2) The approved plat will be filed with the appropriate county. Fees normally charged by
the counties for review and filing will be paid from project funds.
(3) Distribute approved plats as follows:
(a) One paper copy and one cloth-backed copy are required in the Regional Office.
(b) Supervisors shall determine the distribution policy on Forests with the objective of
making plats available to field personnel.
(4) Land survey plats shall be permanent records at all levels of the Regional organization.
Retirement or disposal of these records is not permitted.
(5) Review of land survey plats may be delegated to Forests with sufficient journeyman
level surveyors to conduct adequate peer reviews.
e. Property Corners and Line Visibility
(1) Property Corners. Property corners shall be monumented in accordance with EM7150-3, Land Surveying Guide.
FSM 7/86 R1 SUPP 92
7152.03--4
7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
(2) Line Visibility Objectives.
Property lines must be visible to the general public to identify public lands for recreational and
other public uses; to adjoining landowners to prevent inadvertant encroachment on public lands;
and to Forest Service administrative personnel and their agents to prevent encroachment of
management activities onto private lands. Another objective of these standards is to mark the
boundary line so that future maintainance of the boundary marking may be performed with little
or no actual surveying, which is the major cost center in the Landline Location Program. The
intensity of marking and hence the degree of visibility needed to accomplish these objectives
may vary considerably, depending on the situation.
(3) Line Visibility Standards.
Three marking and posting standards are approved for defining National Forest property
boundaries in Region One. Any one or a combination of the three, may be used on a given
segment of boundary. These standards will provide the land manager flexibility in marking
boundaries that will meet the objectives most effeciently.
(a) Laterally Visible. Readily visible to a person approaching the line at or near a right
angle from either side, and easily followed by a person walking the line in either direction. This
class shall be used in areas with intensive resource utilization occurring on either side of the line
such as timber sales or areas where recreational use is intensive and the public needs to know the
exact location of the boundary.
This class shall use posts with sign 54-2 attached. Signs would be intervisible if line trees and
undergrowth were removed. Posts with signs shall be placed at all roads, trails, live streams and
other areas of intensive use. The posts will define the line and will be used to maintain line in
the future. It is recommended that a supplemental line marker be placed at each post to insure
that the line can be relocated if the post is removed. Blazes shall be used on all line trees.
Clearing of undergrowth along the line and painting of the line blazes may be necessary to render
the line more visible for specific users.
(b) Longitudinally Visible. Readily obvious to a person following the line in either
direction. This class shall be used in areas where the line is not critical to current resource
utilization projects, and recreational use is permitted the same as on the adjoining private or state
lands.
FSM 7/86 R1 SUPP 92
7152.03--5
7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
This class shall use posts with sign 54-2 attached, spaced no more than 300 feet apart. Blazing,
painting and clearing of undergrowth may be omitted. The posts will define the line and will be
used to maintain the line in the future. A supplemental line marker will be placed at each post so
that the line can be relocated if the post is removed. Signs may be placed on fences that meet the
Forest Service standard for boundary line location. When a road overlays the boundary line
signs may be placed on an off-set line or a right-of-way fence line when available.
(c) Subdued Visibility. These lines are marked, but may not be readily visible. This class
shall be used when posts and signs are objectionable to adjoining landowners or the general
public for aesthetic reasons and the lack of visibility of the boundary line does not hinder the
management of the public lands or the public use of those lands. The use of this class shall be
confined to the immediate vicinity of these aesthetically sensitive areas and in most cases shall
not extend beyond the area visible from a residence or public facility.
This class shall use line markers instead of posts and shall omit blazes, paint and signs. Standard
Line Marker monuments with caps shall be used and their location along the line shall be
measured and recorded in the atlas records to facilitate future maintenance. Referencing of line
markers to other more permanent objects may be desirable in areas subject to vandalism.
f. Geodetic Control Policy
(1) Use the National Geodetic Network for cadastral project datum whenever access to the
network is reasonable.
(2) When using conventional control techniques, establish new control stations to a
minimum of Federal Geodetic Control Committee (FGCC) second order, class II standards.
When using Global Positioning Systems (GPS), establish new control stations to the same
standard using the proposed GPS standards dated October 17, 1985 until such time the FGCC
publishes final standards for this system.
(3) Stations will be monumented with standard station tablets cemented in rock, standard
cadastral posts, pipe, or drivable rods. Azimuth marks are optional.
(4) Connections from horizontal control stations to cadastral monuments shall be made to
a minimum of FGCC third order, class I standards.
(5) Control for photogrammetric cadastral projects shall be connected to the National
Geodetic Control Network and aerotriangulation shall be adjusted to the State Plane Coordinate
datum whenever access is reasonable.
FSM 7/86 R1 SUPP 92
7152.03--6
7100 - ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
(6) Plats for cadastral projects shall provide the state plane coordinate position for only
those corners that meet the standards described in item 4 above. A statement shall be placed on
the plat as to the methods used to determine the positon. Indirect ties between cadastral
monuments and geodetic stations shall be shown as a computed inverse. The plat shall also
show the name of the establishing agency, the station name, date established, and the state plane
coordinates of the control station.
FSM 7/86 R1 SUPP 92
7153.81 - Plats
1. Plats of land surveys performed under State authority by licensed land surveyors
employed by or under contract to the Forest Service shall be approved by the Regional Forester.
To facilitate the approval process, the following policy will be followed:
a. Submit one paper copy of all survey plats to the Regional Forester prior to filing in the
county records. This process will require that cadastral survey Contracting Officer's
Representatives secure Regional Office plat review and approval prior to allowing the contractor
to file the plat in the county records.
b. Plats shall be reviewed by a Regional land surveys specialist and returned within 10
working days of receipt. A letter of approval, conditional approval, or disapproval shall
accompany the plat. When approval is obtained, a notation will be affixed to the original
indicating Regional Forester's approval and date.
c. Plats not approved shall not be filed in county records.
2. When approval is obtained, the plat may be filed with the appropriate county. Fees
normally charged by counties for review and filing will be paid from project funds.
3. Plats shall be distributed in the following manner:
a. County requirements vary. The minimum is usually one signed, cloth-backed copy and
one reproducible copy on a stable base polyester film or equivalent.
b. One paper copy, one cloth-backed copy, and one reproducible copy are required in the
Regional Office.
c. Supervisors shall determine the distribution policy on Forests with the objective of
making plats readily available to field personnel.
4. Plats shall be permanent records at all levels of the Regional organization. No retirement
or disposal of these records is permitted.
FSM 12/80 R-1 SUPP 87