Hi Jon,

Regarding your suggested presentation for the real estate profession about mapping and surveying, I though I could put some ideas together here, and maybe get some comments.  The presentation will be the first week in February.

Part one; Research basics.  What information is available, and where to get it.   Topics will include; Inter-net research, the fine points of interpreting Assessor's parcel maps, Records of Survey, Parcel and Subdivision Maps, and understanding easements documents.  We can make related copies of all these, as we discussed

I would like to also have a second part that goes a little deeper into maps with Topographic maps and site plans.  I don't know what the general level of map-literacy is among this audience, but I suspect that it varies a lot.  This would also be an opportunity to talk about something I care about.  Long-term planning for permanent culture and sustainability.  Now that the speculators are gone, most people buying land are planning to be here for a while. They want to raise their level of self-sufficiency and decrease their feetprints and they are looking for a relationship with a piece of ground that will support them.

Of course real estate people have an interest in selling land, not so much in the development aspects that we spend a lot of time with, and I don't want to spend as much time on philosophy as on practical skills, but it is useful and helpful to think about future uses and the value in mapping for maintenance and development planning.  This can be as simple as understanding zoning requirements and driveway and sewer limitations and the effects of road-building and grading.

The intrinsic value of land lies in work rather than appreciation. It is what it is worth in human denominations,  the abilty to  feed, shelter or provide emotional support, and taking ownership really means taking on a relationship. I don't know if I can work the importance of maintenance into this. It doesn't really have a part in the presentation, but I keep thinking of Kurt Vonnegut's "everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance."  What I am thinking of is a final segment that might look at some larger scale (regional maps) that show Nevada County general plan, geology or soils information, and maybe seasonal gardening information.  General plan policies incourage infill and protect farmland and timberland and mineral interests.  There are community and accessability issues.    Different areas support different types of activities and I imagine that this will only become more rigidly codified as the years pass.  This is of course, a general discussion, but maybe a good place to end.