A new report jointly published by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and State Cartographer’s Office discusses how Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP) funding is invested in county geospatial infrastructure, the 2013 county survey results, and the challenges and opportunities for the aggregation of county map data into statewide GIS layers.
The WLIP, administered by the Division of Intergovernmental Relations within the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), provides over $10 million annually in public funding to Wisconsin counties for the modernization of local land records.
In 2012, counties retained a statewide total of $9.7 million in local register of deeds recording fees for land information and received $740,000 in WLIP grants.
In order to retain fees and receive grants, counties must meet several WLIP requirements, including submitting annual expenditure reports that categorize how WLIP funds have been spent. Analysis of expenditure reports for 2012 shows that counties mainly spent funds on activities related to parcel mapping and GIS (Geographic Information System) hardware and software. WLIP funding also supported acquisition of aerial imagery and LiDAR, as well as the development of zoning, emergency service districts, and address point map layers, among other land records modernization activities.
The full report is available on the SCO publications page.