Updated Statewide Parcel Map Inventory Online

By Jay Krafthefer, Mn/DOT and Norman Anderson, Land Management Information Center

The Statewide Parcel Map Inventory (SPMI), originally conducted and published by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 2003, has been updated for June 2007 – results are available through an online mapping and reporting tool developed at the Land Management Information Center (LMIC): www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/SPMI/. This project collected updated information about Minnesota’s efforts to develop digital parcel data and mapping capabilities. It was funded by Mn/DOT’s Office of Land Management and conducted by LMIC.

Survey Procedure

Results from previous inventories (2003, 2004) populated the 2007 online survey instrument developed and hosted by LMIC. Previous respondents were asked to visit the online survey and update information about their organization. In addition to the state’s 87 counties, 6 cities, 11 tribal governments and both the Chippewa and Superior National Forests have now contributed to the inventory. The survey asked questions regarding each organization’s development of digital parcel data and characteristics of those data. Specific questions were asked about data accuracy, availability and attributes. Contact information for each organization was collected as well.

Site Enhancements

Updated data is served via a Mapserver application developed by LMIC in 2004 and enhanced for 2007. Custom maps and reports can be generated from the site. Full text reports for each respondent are also available. Users can easily define which unit of government, survey questions or area of the state they are interested in querying. Beginning in 2007, organizations can easily update their data on an on-going basis through a suite of new administrative tools LMIC has added to the application.

Findings

This updated survey found a slight increase in the number of organizations creating digital parcel data, but perhaps more significantly, found a larger increase in the total percentage of digital parcel data coverage within many local units of government. There was a 41.3% increase in the number of counties which have completed more than 75% of their digital parcel data.

Uses

This survey is important to Mn/DOT when conducting road right-of-way studies for local transportation initiatives and is also important to many others. Organizations still developing digital parcel data can better understand how their colleagues are managing their data. Local units of government can learn about their neighbors’ development by using the survey results. Eventually, this inventory may lead to uniformity in practice and reduction in data duplication by sharing information about governmental development. A session is being planned on the process and findings of the new inventory at the MN GIS/LIS Conference in October 2007.

Please visit the SPMI 2007 site at: www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/SPMI/ and let us know what you think! Results from previous inventories are still accessible. We look forward to review and comment by the Minnesota GIS community and hope that this inventory will be useful across the state.

For more information, contact Jay Krafthefer at jay.krafthefer@dot.state.mn.us or 651-366-3463, or Norman Anderson at norm.anderson@state.mn.us or 651-201-2483.