Introduction

to the

Wisconsin Land Information Program

and the Wisconsin Land Information Association

WLIA Annual Conference

March 1, 2000Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Land Records

The Story Begins...In 1848 Wisconsin records were patented;

PLSS completed

Wisconsin became responsible for the

collection andmanagement of its

land records

The emergence of the issue…The 1976 DOA-funded Larsen Study found the Annual Cost to Collect & Manage Wisconsin’s Land Records to be $78.6 million, with the greatest share of the activity and expenses occurring at the local government level

State 15%

$41m

Federal 19%Utilities 14%

$11.6m

$10.7m

$15.3m

Local 52%(City, Village, Town,

County)

The Larsen Study also identified seven significant problems related to land records:

Lack of accessibility Not available comprehensively Cannot be duplicated Cannot be aggregated Cannot be combined Proprietary interests limit full public access Institutional reluctance to share

In 1985, as a result of the Larsen Study,

the Governor appointed the Land Records Committee to:

Examine and address the immediate needs of state and local agencies regarding land records collection and management

Develop recommendations on how Wisconsin should approach the long-term issues of land records modernization

The Wisconsin

Land Records Committee

Concept for a

Multipurpose

Land Information

System:

Integrating the

Records of Individual

Custodians

Section 22, T8N, R9E, Town of Westport, Dane County, WI

Data Layers Responsible Agency

A. Parcels Surveyor, Dane County Land Regulation and Records Dept.

B. Zoning Zoning Administrator, Dane County Land Regulation and Records Dept.

C. Floodplains Zoning Administrator, Dane County Land Regulation and Records Dept.

D. Wetlands Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

E. Land Cover Dane County Land Conservation Committee

F. Soils USDA Soil Conservation Service

G. Reference Framework Public Land Survey System corners with geodetic coordinates

H. Composite Overlay Layers integrated as needed, example shows parcels, soils and reference framework

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

A Vision for

Wisconsin Land Records

Emerges

• Statewide Coordination and Guidance• Funding for Local Land

Records Modernization• Development of a

Coordinated System of Independent Land Information Systems

Wisconsin Land Information Program

Land Information BoardOffice

Grants-in-Aid Program(WLIB)

Land Information Producers and Users

Governor/Legislature

CountyUnits(LIO)

LandInformationAssociation

(WLIA)

LRC Recommendation: Establish the WLIP as the means to reach this goal

WLIA Wisconsin Land Information

Association

A key component of the WLIP was the formation of an

independent autonomous organization of land records professionals to promote and

advocate for the WLIP

15.03(b)WLIB Membership

State agencies………………………………...…...4 County and municipal government……..4 Public utilities and private business….4 State Cartographer…………………………..….1 DOR (1998)……………………………………………..1 WLIA (1998)…………………………………………..1

WLIP Established

15.105 (16)

16.967WLIB Duties

Provide technical assistance to state and local agencies

Direct and supervise the WLIP and serve as the state clearinghouse for access to land information

Maintain an inventory of land information

Prepare guidelines to coordinate modernization

Review grant applications

Review state agency land integration plans

Report on possible additional revenue sources

16.967 (7)County Duties Establish a land information office (LIO) The LIO shall:

Coordinate land information projects

Prepare and maintain a plan for land records modernization

Review and recommend projects (grants) for local governments

16.967 (7)

Aid to Counties (Use of Fees & Grants)

Property and ownership records, including boundary information

A parcel ID and tax assessments

Soil surveys

Wetlands

Modern geographic reference system

Zoning restrictions

(1) Implement a land information system that, at a minimum, contains:

WLIP Foundational Elements (original)

Geographic reference frameworks: Geodetic reference systemsPLSS corner remonumentation and

coordinatesGeographic data (basemaps, orthophotos,

etc.)

Parcels Wetlands mapping Soils Mapping Zoning mapping Institutional arrangements Communications, education, training Public access

Funded by a $6 increase in document recording fees…

$4 stays with the local government for local land information modernization activities (WLIP retained fees)

$2 goes to WLIB for operational expenses and re-distribution to local governments through grants-in-aid for local land information modernization activities (WLIP grant dollars)

WLIP Funding

Expenditures: 1989-1998

• Retained Fees ($4)…………………………...$34,914,692• Grants and Board Expenses ($2)…..$18,395,528 (about 7%) $53,310,220

$10.36 per capita (5,142,999 people)$ 1.49 per acre (35.7 million acres)$17.00 per parcel (3,136,719 parcels)

Summary of WLIP Expenditures

WLIP Funding by County 1991-1998

WLIP Economic Contribution

Using the inflation rate calculated from the annual Consumer Price Index, and no new additional tasks, local government spending from 1991 through 1998 was an estimated $857 million for land records collection, use and management

Since 1991, the WLIP has generated $53 million (or about 6% of the above $857 million) to help modernize local land record systems in Wisconsin

WLIP Economic Impact & Benefits

For every WLIP dollar, another dollar has been matched from another source in some

form

A variety of local governments participate in the grant process ranging from cities and villages to regional planning commissions, tribal governments and others

At least 10 new companies and 75 new jobs have been established

“Lost” taxable parcels are discovered in Waukesha county

Time needed to choose new landfill site in Portage County reduced by 90%

Reduced Title Insurance Costs in Dane County

Benefits Summary Money: $300 savings per transaction saves Dane

County landowners $6 million annually.

Space: Digital record-keeping results in expanded public-access office area,while total office space was cut by 25%. Document-storage space alone was reduced by over 90%.

Staff: Modernization means that 17 full-time staff are performing duties that would require 27 full-time positions to manage record-keeping the old way.

Improved Floodplain Mapping in Winnebago

County

Benefits Summary Money: Annual insurance savings of $300-$500

for approximately 1,100 households. There is also a reduced burden on emergency and

disaster- relief funds.

Home values: Home values have increased by more than $1 million for affected homes.

Staff: Two-foot contour maps have led to more accurately determined flood-prone areas and

flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) (the old FIRMs relied on 10-foot contours).

A diverse land records community emerged

The Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP) helped initiate modernization in Wisconsin

Mega amounts of human energy were unleashed

All 72 counties prepared modernization plans

Cross-county and cross-governmental consortiums were created

Wisconsin became the national envy of the land information community

WLIP Social Impact

In 1987, theWisconsin Land

Information Association (WLIA)

was formed to advocate for the establishment

and funding of the WLIP

WLI-? Relationship of WLIB, WLIP, &

WLIA...

Wisconsin Land Information ProgramThe Program is that collection of people, organizations, and activities involved in modernizing and managing Wisconsin’s

land information and land information systems, including:

WLIB, WLIA, government agencies at all levels, academia, private firms and businesses, and professional and non-profit

organizations

Wisconsin Land Information Board

Program Governance

Wisconsin Land Information Association

Program Advocacy and Professional (Technical and

Policy) Support

Wisconsin Land Information Association

Nearly 600 members representing the wide variety of professions active in Wisconsin land records modernizationPlanners Zoning AdministratorsLand Conservationists AssessorsForesters PhotogrammetristsEngineers CartographersSurveyors Systems AnalystsTitle Examiners ConsultantsRegisters of Deeds EducatorsReal Property Listers Students

Wisconsin Land Information Association….advocacy, leadership, and

support of Wisconsin land records modernization...

• Policy and Program Advocacy•To actively promote modern land information and systems development.•To provide a unified professional voice on land information issues.•To represent the voice of the Wisconsin land information community.•To participate in WLIP strategic planning and program management.•To review and respond to legislative actions.

• Liaison and Networking•To promote interaction among WLIA members, other professional associations, and public and private sector groups.

• Technical Expertise and Research•To investigate and resolve land information issues.•To develop standards and guidelines that support the WLIP.•To provide a forum for examining new ideas and methods.•To provide resources for research and evaluation of land information development, implementation, and maintenance.

• Education and Public Relations•To develop, and help others develop, a variety of educational programs and materials related to land information and land information systems.•To promote public understanding of WLIA, its members and its activities through a variety of media.

WLIA Gatherings…provide opportunities to exchange ideas, learn new skills, participate in discussions, and expand professional networks...• Annual Conference (over 500 attendees)

• Pre-conference workshops• Technical sessions and presentations• Technology and applications demonstrations• Vendor exhibits• Poster session• Public Night (free and open to general public)• WLIP Town Forum• WLIA Business Meeting

• Quarterly Meetings (typically 50-80 attendees) • Public Night featuring local activities• Educational program on WLIP technical and policy issues• WLIA Business Meeting

• Ongoing Activities• Program advocacy and professional support• Communication about Wisconsin land information activities• Task Forces investigating technical issues• Development of WLIP standards and guidelines

WLIA Membership 1998575 members

Regional Planning 2%(13)

County 41%(215)

Municipality 7.3% (city 32, village 4, town 0)

University 8.5% (faculty 17, student 28 )

State 14.7% (77)

Business GIS Provider 17.5% (92)

Business GIS User 4.4% (23)

Federal Govt. 2%(12)

Tribal 2%(10)

Better

Land Records

NOW!

WLIA Policy Objectives

To actively promote modern land information development;

To provide a unified professional voice on land information issues;

To provide advice on land information issues to public and private decision makers;

To promote positive legislative actions regarding land information issues;

To promote land information activities that benefit the citizens of Wisconsin.

Add WLIA Guiding Principles Poster

Here

Wisconsin Challenges Needing Our Attention

Protect the independence, authority & role of the WLIB and WLIP

Protect WLIP funding

Increase technical assistance for local governments

Develop and implement modern standards

Improve public and agency data access/sharing

Increase statewide data integration

Into the

FUTURE

Increased National Opportunities

Into the

FUTURE

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposes new national/local floodplain mapping program

National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) proposes new desktop GIS program for all rural U.S. counties

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) proposes new federal/local partnerships to help build the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

The WLIP is YOUR Program!

Be active and involved…

WLIA 1-800-344-0421www.wlia.org

WLIB 608-267-2707www.badger.state.wi.us/agencies/wlib