As any surveyor knows, our nation was built on land surveying — with many of our early leaders getting their start as surveyors (Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson, to name a few). Early surveyors laid the essential groundwork for land records that have served us well for many years. Unfortunately, land records in many states are based on original surveys done in the 1800s or even earlier. 

That’s fine when land remains unchanged for decades … but it creates a fundamental problem when property changes hands or land is developed. I’ve spent a good part of my surveying career updating land records and re-surveying section corners, so I know the importance of remonumenting.