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CHAPTER 30 - LAND EXCHANGE
31.3 - Preliminary Discussions.
For most appraisals of rural property, acreage is directly related to total property value.
Relatively minor differences between BLM record acres and surveyed acres can have a
significant influence on total property value. There has been a dramatic increase in the number
of property surveys, both federally and privately financed. The private sector is more often
relying on surveyed acres rather than BLM record acres as the basis to determine value. To
identify the most accurate acreage figures for appraisal purposes that are reasonably possible
based on cost and data available (FSM 5410), follow the procedures below.
1. When a land exchange/purchase proposal is made, examine available record data to
identify title problems (as related to legal descriptions or acreage), errors in legal descriptions,
and to determine acreage. However, the record acreage may be used in estimating preliminary
values to determine whether a viable exchange exists. When nonfederal parties intend to
purchase lands to be offered to the Forest Service, complete the acreage determination process
before commitment to purchase.
2. The Forest land surveyor should use the following procedure to determine acreage.
Invite nonfederal parties to participate and/or comment.
a. Obtain legal description of property and the latest title report if available.
Compare the legal description with the current land status print/out and the patent.
b. Obtain copies of official survey records and any available private survey data.
c. Analysis of research and preliminary conclusions.
(1) Examine and analyze data.
(2) Verify consistency of data.
(3) Make computations to verify the reliability of measurements.
(a) When the only survey data available is GLO/BLM, compute the acreage by
appropriate method used by GLO/BLM to compute other areas on the same record
plat. This approach will usually result in an acreage different from the official record
rounded off by the "5 percent rule", but is preferable except in unusual circumstances.
(b) When an acceptable private survey is available, use the double meridian distance
(DMD) method.
(c) When a mixture of private surveys, government surveys, and other source data is
used for an acreage computation, the surveyor shall decide what appears to be the
most accurate available survey data and the best method to calculate acreage; but
DMD is highly recommended in this instance.
(d) Compute acreages only to the nearest hundredth of an acre. Accuracies beyond
this are misleading and have little or no effect on property value.
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(4) Apply the proper theory of construction of the legal descriptions to identify any
real or possible conflicts created.
3. Private surveys used shall comply with current minimum survey standards in effect, in
the appropriate State, at the time the survey was executed. No survey data shall be used if it is
not in compliance with the applicable "Manual of Surveying Instructions" (GLO/BLM
Publication).
4. Upon completion of the analysis, the surveyor shall provide a written report on
acreage and legal descriptions. As a minimum, this report should include: record acreage,
acreage according to the best available survey information, discussion of reasons for any
difference, recommended acreage, statement as to whether private party agrees with surveyor's
recommendation (if not, why not), and recommendation for a survey when conditions such as the
following exist: (1) surveying elsewhere in the township indicates significant distortion; (2)
when lands are of high value; or (3) where there are mineral surveys. Provide a copy of
surveyor's report to Regional Office (and Arizona Zone for Arizona exchange cases).
Document, and make a part of the official case file, all of the survey information and
rationale used in determining the size. The surveys used should identify: the individual or
agency performing the survey; type of survey; and date of survey and/or approval date.
5. The Forest Supervisor shall furnish the nonfederal party and/or appraiser with the
most reliable and agreed to acreage figure. Appraisers will be notified that sales investigations
need to address the issue of size. Ask buyers/sellers what they understood to be the size of the
comparable sales and how the size was determined.