Why Does CDFW Have Land Surveyors?
CDFW’s team of land surveyors play a crucial role in the review of land packages for both advance mitigation and permittee responsible mitigation, as well as other lands the department must review. CDFW’s land surveyors review maps and documents prepared by a bank sponsor or permittee’s land surveyor that define the mitigation property’s location and acreage to ensure accuracy and adherence to applicable laws.
These maps and documents are required to be prepared by and approved by individuals who have been licensed to practice land surveying, in accordance with California Business and Professions code sections 8700 – 8805, known as the Land Surveyors’ Act. Individuals who have been licensed are either land surveyors, or civil engineers, although civil engineers are only authorized to practice land surveying if licensed prior to 1982 (unless separately licensed as a land surveyor).
Prior to 2023, CDFW only had one land surveyor for the entire state, resulting in difficulties ensuring submitted land packages had no outstanding issues. CDFW has since hired several more licensed land surveyors to both ensure the quality of newly submitted land packages and address boundary issues that arise with previously accepted lands. As part of the MRPDA team, CDFW’s land surveyors are committed to providing clear guidance and expectations to permittees, consultants, and bank sponsors to ensure lands set aside as mitigation for California’s fish and wildlife resources are adequately protected in perpetuity. To contact our land surveyor team, please reach out to HCPBLandSurveyor@wildlife.ca.gov.
There are other land surveyors in CDFW who are not part of the MRPDA Team. These land surveyors, or those the department contracts to assist them, perform topographic surveying, boundary surveying, construction surveying, and other land surveying functions for the department’s lands and facilities.