Course/training: Legal land descriptions and basic math

March 19, 8:30 am – March 21, Noon

$550.00$495 if payment is received by ICC by December 31, 2011

Hotel information will be available laterAgenda

Instructor: Warren Beckwith

Warren Beckwith, an Indian land professional, has worked in the realty field at the Southern California Agency in 1998 and 1999 and with ICC Indian Enterprises from 2004 to 2006 and then again from 2008 to the present. He has taught the Legal Land Descriptions class and has assisted Leon Kabat with the Legal Land Descriptions and Land Descriptions II classes. Warren coordinates much of the behind the scenes arrangements for ICC classes. He has worked in the private sector in the promotional field and has managed Subway Sandwich stores. Beckwith attended Haskell Indian Nations University from 1993 to 1995.

Since the class will include hands on field work, casual attire is recommended.

Course Objective: To provide basic training essential to employment in the field of Federal Indian Lands, as it relates to land descriptions, surveys, map-reading, boundaries and basic math.

I. SURVEYS AND LAND DESCRIPTIONSA. Role and Importance1. General Land Office/Bureau of Land Management2. Bureau of Indian AffairsB. Definitions1. Land Description2. Legal Description3. Sufficient DescriptionC. Methods of Describing Land1. Public/Rectangular Land Survey (Aliquot Part)2. True Metes and Bounds3. Quasi Metes and Bounds4. Recorded SubdivisionD. Rectangular Surveys1. Brief History2. Definition of Cadastral Surveys3. Prime/Principal Meridian & Base Line4. Townships and Ranges5. Sections6. Riparian ConsiderationsE. True Metes and Bounds1. Brief History2. Using the Protractor and ScaleF. Quasi Metes and Bounds1. Strip Descriptions2. “Of” DescriptionsG. “More or Less”H. Recorded Subdivisions1. Townsites2. Housing Subdivisions3. Industrial ParksII. MAPS AND MAP-READINGA. GLO/BLM Survey PlatsB. Reservation Boundary MapsC. County Plat BooksD. BIA Road Atlas MapsE. USGS Quads/Topographical MapsF. Aerial Photographs and Use of the StereoscopeG. Maps as Title Documents1. Subdivision Plats2. Rights of Way3. DedicationsH. Geographical Information Systems (GIS)I. Computing/Measuring Acreage1. Dot Grids2. The PlanimeterIII. BOUNDARIES AND BOUNDARY DISPUTESA. Conducting ResearchB. Identifying and Describing ProblemsC. Problem Resolution1. Administrative2. Legislative3. JudicialIV. THE IMPORTANCE OF FIELD WORKA. Using a Tape and Compass1. Locating Property from Land Descriptions2. Running a Basic TraverseB. Natural vs. Artificial MonumentsC. Locating Corners and Property LinesD. Risks and Responsibilities1. Conveyances and/or Partition by Deed2. Wills3. Leases4. Land Assignments/Possessory Interest HoldingsV. BASIC MATH RELATING TO INDIAN LANDSA. FractionsB. DecimalsC. PercentsD. Conversion Methods

Land Descriptions II

March 21 (1:00) – March 23 (3:00)(The test will be at 1:00 Friday)

San Antonio, Texas$550.00$495 if payment is received by ICC by December 31, 2011Warren Beckwith, Instructor

Prerequisite: Students should have completed the Legal Land Descriptions and Basic Math or an equivalent course, or have practical hands-on experience in field survey and/or writing of land descriptions.

Course Objective: To hone the skills of the participants in order for them to be more professional and effective in completing work assignments and to give them a body of knowledge that will make the participants more competitive in seeking and/or meeting personal career goals.

To achieve these objectives, the focus will shift from long lengthy classroom lectures and is directed to the class participants working as a group, in team settings and/or individually as is necessary to complete the assignments.

These objectives will be accomplished through:

 Short morning and afternoon formal classroom lectures, Group discussions in the classroom and/or in the field, A team effort involving the layout, survey and survey note keeping involving the tract of land, An individual effort in drafting (drawing) a legal land parcel plat, writing its’ legal land description, calculating its interior angles from its surveyed (compass) bearings – actual vs. calculated and calculating the acreage of the tract, Problem solving exercises if needed Short quizzes if needed, and, A short formal exam at the end of the session which will test the participants understanding of Course II.

COURSE OUTLINE

I. Short Review of Course I (Only a brief overview)a. Township and Range Lines and their numbering systemb. Sections and lots and their numbering systemc. Aliquot parts of a section, the reading of descriptions and determination of acreaged. Section corner monumentatione. Affects of water and their termsII. Hand Compass – Determination of Bearingsa. Determination of bearings by azimuth readingb. Measurements and EquivalentsIII. Legal Land Descriptions – The main part of the coursea. Map/plat requirements. A land description is only as good as the survey from which it was writtenb. BIA guidance for writing land descriptions – March 10, 1955c. The writing of sufficient land descriptions – emphasis is on consistency and uniformity1. Aliquot part land descriptions2. True Metes and Bounds3. True Metes and Bounds description with an aliquot part4. Quasi Metes and Bounds5. Recorded Maps or Plats6. Description by Reference7. “Of” DescriptionsIV. Survey Math – This aspect of the course introduces the participants to various geometric shapes, math and applications usable for completing day-to-day assignments. An airy and light hearted session will be presented to avoid frustration.a. Review of various geometric shapesb. Discussion of the mathematical relationshipsc. Practical application of geometric shapes to office and field workd. Introduction to formulas for calculating acreage

ICC is 100% Indian owned. Lela Beckwith, President, Chickasaw; Terry Beckwith, VP, Quinault/Chehalis