Welcome to Witness Tree Consulting, Inc. 

Dennis J. Mouland, PLS

Witness Trees are the more antiquated term for bearing trees. These are specific trees noted and marked by the original General Land Office surveyors as they crossed the country laying out future homestead properties. A Witness Tree aids future surveyors in the accurate positioning of ancient monuments and other evidence of the first survey. They have withstood the test of time by providing survey location data for hundreds of years, in spite of development, mining, forestry, and other improvements made by civilization.

                                             Witness Tree                                                                                                                                                                                                               Original Witness Tree, Missouri         
 

Who is WTC?   
What we do  
Where we will be  
FAQ's  
Cool Survey Stuff  
Contact Us  
 Continuing Education: (Downloadable)  


                                                                                                   


                          Continuing Education does not have to be BORING, useless, expensive or inaccessible!!!!

  

 

                                                                                             

Three Mile Notes CO

The existence of and measurement data for Witness (or Bearing) Trees is contained in the original field notes of the General Land Office.  Although often difficult to read or decipher, they contain important information for the re-establishment of property lines in their original locations. 

Modern-day surveyors are required to search for and utilize this data, even if their measurement capabilities are extremely more precise than those used to mark and locate the tree.  Original Public Lands Survey System (PLSS) monuments and other marks, like these, control land locations in all 30 public domain states.  The PLSS was instituted by Congress in 1785 and continues to be the basis for land titles in those states.

         The sample field notes to the left are from Colorado's Mesa County. 

Witness Tree Consulting, Inc.

P.O. Box 1197

Dewey, AZ  86327-1197

928-460-0230 

Bearing Tree- Arizona

                                                                                                          Bearing Tree in Arizona near Grand Canyon

May's advice from Dennis:

If all that matters are coordinates, let's get rid of licensed land surveyors.  No need to waste time on the records, evidence, or the source of those coordinates.  Hand-held GPS units can replace our entire profession....based on how some of us operate!