Cadastral Surveying in Alaska

New methods are being used to facilitate the task of surveying public lands in Alaska. These methods include the computation of positions of corner monuments so they can be positioned from triangulation when necessary. The description of a tract of land, according to the rectangular system of base lines and principal meridians, can be written if its position on a topographic map can be determined. The use of aerial photographs, electronic distance measuring devices, and precise theodolites aid in the setting of corner monuments and the meander measurements of bodies of water. The helicopter and float plane provide transport for field parties, and two-way radios permit communication. Intersection of positions from control stations sometimes can be used in place of pulling the chain over difficult terrain. Electronic computers reduce the time and labor of computations for the surveys. Grants of land to the state will be in larger parcels than those given to the older states. This may postpone indefinitely the need for the detailed survey of townships and sections.