A Cadastral Geodatabase for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Abstract

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Cadastral Data Working Group, comprised of cartographers and GIS specialists from all management regions, has produced a state-of-the-art database that stores data for all interests in real property in the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System. The FWS Cadastral Geodatabase provides an integral component of the Refuge Lands Geographic Information System (RLGIS) by supplying boundary and parcel information to the biological geodatabases currently within the RLGIS data model. Cadastral data describes the past, current, and future right, title and interest in real property, including the spatial information necessary to describe the geographic extent. The geodatabase is the common data storage format for geographic features and attributes. A consistent and accurate cadastral geodatabase that is common across the nation and can be shared between management regions enables users to leverage the spatial data to its full potential. A web mapping application has been built utilizing the FWS cadastral geodatabase, allowing a non-GIS user to view the FWS managed lands and waters.