The GIS community is guilty of using non-professional surveyors or individuals who do not have the appropriate skills or background in surveying. The Montana Cadastral Database is based on GCDB standards. Remember, it took 100 years to get bad land record information improvement won t happen overnight. The key is to build the accuracy of all the data sets and to eliminate the concern of misuse. It would be in everybody s best interest to contribute that control point information to the collective good to build more accuracy into the parcel database.
Liability never ends.
Once you file a certificate of survey, it is only the beginning. There is a statue regarding point of discovery. GIS professionals are just as concerned with accuracy and the appropriate use of the data as surveyors are, and that is the common ground between the two groups. GIS is new, surveying is old and has a history. People will use data inappropriately and therefore, surveyors are reluctant to release their information.