Enhanced Coordination of Cadastral Information

Project summary:

Any Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) project that impacts property owners requires the coordination of cadastral (land ownership) and highway right-of-way information. The timely and accurate identification sharing and coordination of cadastral information is the basis for well-managed highway projects. MnDOT has already taken a step towards improving coordination between MnDOT offices and other government agencies with the State Parcel Map Inventory (SPMI), a resource with information about the status and accuracy of cadastral information in 87 Minnesota counties. Government agencies have seen the potential in the SPMI to better optimize data development and exchange through the use of GIS technologies. The finding of this project suggest that the SPMI is a starting point for helping coordination, but more targeted efforts are called for. Considering the heterogeneity of local government, individual relationships between organizational staff are crucial to overcoming institutional and technical obstacles.