May 1, 2024 (Saint Paul, MN) - Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), through the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), awarded $9.1 million in Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Monument Grants. Statewide, 34 counties will use the funding to restore, maintain, and update PLSS survey markers.

The PLSS divides land into townships and sections, simplifying land identification and descriptions, and enabling efficient land management and real estate transactions. The PLSS uses physical survey markers to identify corners of a section or township. Legislation in 2023 established the PLSS Monument Grant Program, which is administered by MnGeo. Survey marker locations are the basis for accurate geographic information system (GIS) data sets that inform decision-making.

“The PLSS is the original geographic information system of the United States and serves as the foundation for land ownership, original natural resource inventories, and generating and tracking revenue,” said MNIT Commissioner and State of Minnesota CIO, Tarek Tomes. “Preserving the PLSS links historical knowledge to present-day needs, helping make data-driven decisions for all people who live and use land in Minnesota.”

“MnGeo leads, guides, and coordinates GIS usage in the state. We make sure Minnesotans have access to the appropriate spatial tools, data, and analysis techniques to help state government work efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Minnesota’s Chief Geospatial Information Officer, Alison Slaats. “This is an important step to ensure accurate information informs our decisions.”

Minnesota has more than 312,000 PLSS corners across the state, and many have been damaged, buried, or lost and require maintenance. Counties submitted 65 applications for $15.5 million total in funding. The $9.1 million of available funding through the current PLSS Monument Grant Program will allow Minnesota counties to engage licensed land surveyors to certify the markers and advance required maintenance.

County grant recipients include: Becker, Big Stone, Carlton, Chippewa, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Grant, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, Meeker, Mower, Murray, Norman, Pennington, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Roseau, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wadena, Waseca, Watonwan, and Yellow Medicine. Find more information on the grant website.

About Minnesota IT Services  

Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,600 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.