Manual of Surveying Instructions - 2009 & 1973: For the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States

Development of the Manual

Originally, the Land Ordinance of May 20,
1785, itself served as the survey instructions. There is
no record of additional instructions to or from the Chief
Geographer.

More detailed regulations and instructions, improving
the system for greater accuracy, permanency, and
uniformity, were issued in book form as Manuals.
These early Manuals of instructions were prepared
by Surveying District Surveyors General, issued to
their Deputy Surveyors, and pertained to a single
district. The earliest known and extant instructions
by a Surveyor General were issued in 1804 by Jared
Mansfield. Knowledge of the specific Manual requirements
for original surveys is key to the proper performance
of subsequent surveys.

The early Manuals emphasized original surveys
and contained little mention of retracements or
resurveys. The need for increased instruction for the
resurvey of public lands was marked by passage of the
General Resurvey Act of March 3, 1909, as amended
June 25, 1910 (43 U.S.C. 772). Retracement and resurvey
responsibilities were further expanded with passage
of the Act of September 21, 1918 (43 U.S.C. 773),
which provides a general authorization for the definition
of boundaries of those lands to which title has
passed from Federal control. The first full Manual
discussion of resurveys was contained in the Advance
Sheets, published June 16, 1919, and became part of the
Manual of 1930.