| The public land survey system is a common way | | | | level of information which is included in the National |
| used to sub dividing and the description of the | | | | Atlas. Further the townships are subdivided into |
| land in the United States. All the lands in the public | | | | 36 one mile square sections. After this the |
| domain of U.S. are subjected to the rectangular | | | | sections are sub divided into quarter sections, |
| system of surveys. The system of PLSS is | | | | quarter- quarter sections or even the irregular |
| regulated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, | | | | government lots. Generally the PLSS staff uses a |
| Bureau of land management. The PLSS is an | | | | permanent monument or a marker which they |
| effective way of sub dividing the public domain | | | | place at each section corner. Further the |
| lands which are owned by the Federal | | | | monuments are also placed at the quarter section |
| Government so as to benefit of the citizens of | | | | corners and other places of significant importance |
| U.S.A. It is one of the methods designed by the | | | | like the corners of the Government lots. These |
| Government of the U.S so as to divide the lands | | | | days it is important to note that the permanent |
| of the thirteen states. Originally the public domain | | | | monuments are like the inscribed tablets set on |
| included the land taken over by the Federal | | | | the iron rods or in the concrete. The original |
| Government by the thirteen original states. The | | | | modules of monuments are usually marked by |
| domain also included the acquisitions of the native | | | | wooden stakes or posts, marked trees, pits or |
| land taken over from the Indian and the foreign | | | | even piles of rock and the other forms of less |
| powers. The survey also contains the majority of | | | | permanent markers. |
| the land area of the thirty southern and the | | | | The system of PLSS was originally proposed by |
| western states. As the original surveys of the | | | | Thomas Jefferson and this system began soon |
| Public surveys are concerned the majority of the | | | | after the process of Revolutionary War, and it |
| land which was the part of the PLSS has been | | | | was at this time that the Federal Government |
| shifted to the private ownership and there have | | | | became very much responsible for large areas |
| also been instances where some of the areas of | | | | west of thirteen original colonies. As the |
| the PLSS had been extended just following the | | | | Government was very happy with the service of |
| exact rules of division, even in the areas of the | | | | the soldiers so it distributed the land to the |
| non public areas. The rules of the PLSS are quite | | | | soldiers of the revolutionary service it was also |
| complex in nature. For the areas that are part of | | | | considered as an effective way of raising the |
| the public domain, legal land descriptions are | | | | money for the revenue of the nation. Anyhow |
| written in terms of the PLSS descriptions. | | | | before this distribution could take place the land |
| The system of PLSS divides the land into the | | | | survey had to be taken. |
| sections of 6 mile square townships; this is the | | | | |