How to Create an Ownership Map (Instructions for the Novice Toolkit and ArcGIS User)

by Cliff Merriman and Debbie Kaiser
October 2009

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How to Create an Ownership Map (Instructions for the Novice Toolkit and ArcGIS User (PDF; 192 KB)

There are many ways to show ownership on a map. These set of instructions describe one method. The map is simple, meets the intended use and provides for consistency state-wide. It is not required, but recommended.

Step 1: If you do not have a county template with the desired layers, then click the add data button; and go to F drive => geodata => cadastral.

Step 2: Add the plss layer and ownership layers for the desired county. (These layers can be added one at a time or simultaneously; to load these layers simultaneously, left click on the first shapefile, then press and hold down the ctrl button and left-click on the next shapefile; while holding down the ctrl button, multiple shapefiles can be selected or deselected).

Step 3a: Create the symbology for the Ownership layer. In the Table of Contents (TOC), double-click on the Ownership layer. This should bring up the layer properties window. Select the “symbology” tab.

b. Select “categories” in the left pane. This will bring up the value field. Use the tilde (down arrow) to select the desired category for symbolizing. (See NOTE below f.)

c. Select Ownclass.

d. Click the “add all values” button; this will populate the value field pane with all values in that field.

e. Select values that do not need to be represented in map (i.e. right of way, undetermined and water) and use the remove button (be careful not to use the remove all button, if the remove all button is used the pane will have to be repopulated). Make sure the box next to “(all other values)” has been unchecked. Once proper values have been selected, click OK.

f. In the data frame pane left click on each values symbol to bring up the symbol selector. Each value should use the color that legally describes each ownership (i.e. State = Blue, BLM = Yellow or Sun, BLM (LU) = Rose, Local Government = Grey & Private = Black Outline with White Fill Color).

NOTE: A symbology stylesheet named MT_Ownership.style has been created for the ownership layer. Once you have it copied to C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Styles, follow these steps: In step b., under “Categories”, select “Match to symbols in a Stylesheet”. c. Select Ownclass, then, under “Match to Symbols in Style” click the browse button and browse to C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Styles and select MT_Ownership.style. d. Click the “Match Symbols” button; this will populate the value field pane. Follow step e. to complete the symbology.

Step 4: Set the symbology for the plss layer. Any color will work; however, a red outline is most widely used. Double-click on the layer, double-click on the symbol and change to “hollow” and change the color and size.

Once step 3 and 4 are completed the map should look like this:

Step 5: Add the desired cons plan for the producer. Click on the Cyberfarmer, then select the desired plan, then click OK. Optional – If desired, turn off practice layers except the consplan layer (i.e. Practice (points) & Practice (lines)). (It is recommended to show practices if practices will be installed in or across non-private land.)

Or, create a new layer using the “New Toolkit Layer” (Hardee star icon), and select the desired tracts from the clu layer.

Step 6: Create a Tract boundary layer using the tract boundaries option under the “New Toolkit Layer” (Hardee star icon). The Consplan can be turned off now to simplify the map.

Step 7: Use the Toolkit Map Labels tool to label the tracts and ownership. This chart shows the options for labeling ownership by column:

Highlight and delete all duplicate labels. Edit labels as needed (i.e. in this example, the owner name was added to Private, and State Government was renamed.) Once this is done the map should look like this:

Step 8: Click on the Map Products Button (or the marshmallow button). Select the features to be displayed then click OK. Once all features have been selected do not use the Map Products Button again. Use the Map & World Buttons at the bottom right. If Map Products Button is used all the setting will have to be reset. If desired, add an inset to show actual location in the county. (See MT Tip – Creating Inset Maps.)

Step 9: Go to File, Export and export the map to a pdf document. Make sure resolution is “medium”. Open the pdf to insure the map has been created successfully and then print from the open pdf document. This is much faster than printing from the map layout screen.

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Last Modified: 10/15/2009