News Release 396

STATE LAND SURVEY INDEX NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB

Newly appointed members of the Land Survey Advisory Committee convene in Rolla

Volume 35-396

Contact: Hylan Beydler

(For immediate release)

573-368-2118

ROLLA, MO, SEPT. 12, 2007 – Visitors to the Department of Natural Resources’ Land Survey Program’s Web site are now able to perform a number of searches from their home computers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the vast holdings at the state’s Land Survey Repository. Searches on the Land Survey Index include legal descriptions (township, range and section), subdivision plats, U.S. survey number, General Land Office plats and field notes by township, surveyor name or number and City of St. Louis city blocks and roads.

Land survey documents play an extremely important role in the determination of land boundaries and corners. Private land surveyors, title insurers, recorders, assessors, attorneys, real estate professionals and landowners rely on these documents. Land survey documents are provided to the public in ever increasing numbers. Customer requests that required a week to research can now be completed by staff in a fraction of the time.

“Having the index on the Web is an exciting feature for us and definitely moves us into the digital world. The online index will provide the ability to research and order any of the 1.3 million survey documents available from the Land Records Repository,” said Flowers. Flowers is the state land surveyor and director of the Land Survey Program with the department’s Division of Geology and Land Survey in Rolla.

A popular method for searching is using the “subdivision plats” search feature. A query on “Phelps County” for subdivisions named “Brown” yields 12 records, including those named Brown, Browns and Brownwood. The document date, the surveyor’s name, or number, and other references are returned that aid not only the person requesting the information but also staff at the State Land Surveyor’s office in filling orders for plats, field notes and other boundary documents. Citizens are encouraged to check out the new service at www.dnr.mo.gov/molandsurveyindex/.

Additionally, the department’s Land Survey Advisory Committee met in Rolla Aug. 24. Paul Dopuch, who is serving his second term, was elected to chair the committee. Dopuch is the Gasconade County surveyor and owns a private surveying company in Hermann. Newly appointed members are Ray Riggs, the Douglas County surveyor, West Plains; Cara Detring, president, Preferred Land Title Company in Farmington; Stan Emerick, professional land surveyor in Chesterfield; and Darrel King, Moniteau County assessor in California, Missouri.

Flowers spoke for staff and current committee members when he thanked outgoing chair Gaylon Smith for his seven years of service. Smith is with City Utilities in Springfield. Smith provided information describing statutory responsibilities for the committee, including the responsibility for providing advice and counsel on planning and prioritization for the Land Survey Program to Doyle Childers, director of the Department of Natural Resources, and to the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors, the statewide organization that represents the land surveying profession.

Flowers and staff demonstrated the online Land Survey Index to committee members and reported on this year’s activities and projects that are ongoing throughout Missouri. Committee members and department staff discussed plans for the restoration of corners of the U.S. Public Land Survey System and continuing densification of geographic reference system surveys in Missouri. Additional information about the committee may be found at www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/landsurvey/.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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Editor: Photo available at /newsrel/images/landsurv07.jpg
Cutline: Mike Flowers, Department of Natural Resources; Gaylon Smith, City Utilities, Springfield; Ray Riggs, Douglas County surveyor; Darrel King, Moniteau County assessor; Stan Emerick, professional land surveyor, Chesterfield; Cara Detring, president, Preferred Land Title Company, Farmington; and Paul Dopuch, Gasconade County surveyor.