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pdfBoundary and Annexation Survey
Respondent Guide: Paper
Revised as of December 04, 2015
U.S. Department of Commerce
Economic
and Statistics
Boundary
and Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
census.gov
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Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) State ment ..............................................................................iii
Introduction to the Boundary and Annexation Survey........................................................... iv
CHAPTER 1: Completing the BAS Forms ..................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: Reviewing and Updating the BAS Maps .............................................................8
2.1
Requesting Additional Maps ............................................................................................ 8
2.2
General Guidelines for Reviewing and Updating BAS Maps ......................................... 8
2.3
GPS Location Geocoding ................................................................................................. 9
2.4
Address Range Geocoding .............................................................................................. 9
2.5
Annotating Changes Using Street Centerlines ............................................................. 10
2.6
Legal Boundary Changes ............................................................................................... 11
2.7
Legal Boundary Changes Using Coincident Features.................................................. 12
2.8
Boundary Corrections ..................................................................................................... 14
2.9
Geographic Corridors ..................................................................................................... 15
2.10
Geographic Offsets ......................................................................................................... 17
2.11
New Incorporations ......................................................................................................... 19
2.12
Disincorporations ............................................................................................................ 19
2.13
Tribal Subdivision Updates............................................................................................. 19
2.14
County Review and Consolidations ............................................................................... 22
2.15
Public Land Survey System (PLSS) .............................................................................. 23
2.16
Adding, Deleting and Naming Streets ........................................................................... 23
2.17
Modifying Locations of Streets ....................................................................................... 25
2.18
Adding a Cul-De-Sac or Circle ....................................................................................... 26
2.19
Adding Address Ranges ................................................................................................. 27
2.20
Area Landmarks.............................................................................................................. 28
2.21
Point Landmarks ............................................................................................................. 30
CHAPTER 3: Signing Updated Maps and Returning BAS Materials ....................................32
APPENDIX A Additional Documentation of Changes Forms………………………………A-1
A1.
Places ............................................................................................................................. A-1
A2.
Counties and Equivalent Areas .................................................................................... A-2
A3.
Minor Civil Divisions....................................................................................................... A-3
A4.
Reservations and Off-Reservation Trust Land............................................................. A-4
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APPENDIX B MTFCC Codes……………………………………………………………………...B-1
APPENDIX C Reading a Map……………………………………………………………………..C-1
C1.
Scales ............................................................................................................................ C-1
C2.
Compass Rose ............................................................................................................. C-2
C3.
Legend........................................................................................................................... C-2
C4.
Index Maps .................................................................................................................... C-4
C5.
Inset Maps ..................................................................................................................... C-5
C6.
Parent Maps .................................................................................................................. C-6
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PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT (PRA) STATEMENT
A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty
for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information displays a current valid
OMB Control Number. This collection is voluntary. The authority for conducting this
collection comes from Title 13 U.S.C, Section 6.
The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0607-0151. Public reporting
for this collection of information is estimated to be approximately 2 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions, completing and reviewing the collection of
information.
Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden and suggestions for reducing the
burden should be directed to: Paperwork Reduction 0607-0151, United States Census
Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 3K138, Washington, DC 20233. You may email
comments to [email protected]; use “Paperwork Project 0607-0151” as the
subject.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOUNDARY AND ANNEXATION SURVEY
A.
Overview of the Boundary and Annexation Survey
The Census Bureau conducts an annual survey called the Boundary and Annexation
Survey (BAS) to collect information about selected legally defined geographic areas,
such as counties (and equivalent areas), incorporated places, Minor Civil Divisions
(MCDs), and federally recognized American Indian reservations (including offreservation trust lands and tribal subdivisions). The BAS also provides an opportunity
for participants to review the names and geographic relationships for these areas. Title
13 U.S.C., Section 6, authorizes this voluntary survey.
The Census Bureau uses BAS information to provide a record for reporting the results
of the decennial and economic censuses, and to support the Population Estimates
Program (PEP) and the American Community Survey (ACS). Maintaining correct
boundaries and boundary-to-feature relationships through the BAS helps ensure that
the Census Bureau assigns the appropriate population to each governmental unit (GU).
In compliance with the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16, the BAS
supports the Census Bureau’s spatial data steward responsibilities for the Federal
Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and the Geospatial One-Stop by updating the
inventory and boundaries of GUs.
In addition, the BAS is the source of up-to-date information on changes to the
boundaries, codes and names of incorporated places, MCDs, counties (and equivalent
areas), and federally recognized American Indian areas (AIAs), which include
reservations and off-reservation trust lands used by the U.S. Geological Survey’s
(USGS), the National Map, and the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
For more information on the BAS, please view the “Introduction to BAS” video series on
the Census Bureau’s website at:
http://www.census.gov/geo/partnerships/bas/videos/introbas.html.
B.
What’s New in the 2016 BAS?
With the suspension of the 2014 BAS and the resumption of the BAS in 2015, it is
important to note some key changes in the 2016 BAS cycle.
C.
There is a physical mail out if you request paper maps. All paper BAS maps are
available for download from the BAS website:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html.
State Specific Arrangements and Agreements
The Census Bureau has established a number of arrangements or agreements with
states for reporting boundary changes. Please visit the BAS website at
http://www.census.gov/geo/partnerships/bas.html or call 1-800-972-5651 for information
regarding state agreements.
D.
Legal Disputes
If it comes to the Census Bureau’s attention that an area of land is in dispute between
two or more jurisdictions, the Census Bureau will not make either annexations or
boundary corrections until the parties come to a written agreement, or there is a
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documented final court decision regarding the matter/dispute. If you have questions
concerning this, please contact the Census Bureau Legal Office at 301-763-9844. For
disputes involving tribal areas, the Census Bureau must defer to the Office of the
Solicitor at the Department of the Interior for a legal opinion. Often complicated land
issues require an extended period of time for resolution, and in those cases, the Census
Bureau will retain the current boundary in the database until a legal opinion is issued by
the Solicitor’s office.
E.
Key Dates for BAS Respondents
Deadlines for the current BAS year are:
January 1 – All boundary changes must be legally in effect on or before this date to
be reported under the current BAS year. Please note that the Census Bureau will
accept changes legally effective after January 1 for inclusion in the shapefiles for
the next BAS year. However, these changes will not appear in this year’s American
Community Survey (ACS) or Population Estimates Program (PEP) data. Any
changes you submit that become effective after January 1 will be reflected in the
following year’s ACS and PEP data.
March 1 – You must submit changes by this date if you wish them to be included in
this year’s ACS and PEP data. Changes reported by March 1 will also be included
in the BAS shapefiles for the next BAS year.
May 31 – This is the deadline for changes to be submitted for the current BAS year.
Changes received between March 2 and May 31 will be reflected in the shapefiles
for the next BAS year. However, they will not appear in this year’s ACS or PEP
data.
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F.
Steps of the BAS Review
There are four primary steps required to review and submit BAS materials to the
Census Bureau. Detailed instructions for each step are provided below.
STEP ONE: Complete the BAS forms
Answer all the questions on the BAS form and review all preprinted information.
Confirm that the name and status of the GU is correct and that the Highest Elected
Official (HEO) or Tribal Chair (TC) and BAS contact information is accurate.
Record all legal changes on the BAS form.
STEP TWO: Review the maps
Review boundaries and features for accuracy. If there are no changes to report,
please send an email to [email protected] or fill out the Annual Response form
located at: http://www.census.gov/geo/partnerships/bas/bas_ar_form.html.
STEP THREE: Update the maps
Update maps with legal boundary changes (e.g., annexations), boundary
corrections, and feature changes (e.g., roads). Please follow the specific
instructions on updating maps.
STEP FOUR: Sign and return updated maps and BAS forms
Return the completed BAS form and updated map(s) using the pre-addressed
envelope or return label by March 1st to:
U.S. Census Bureau
National Processing Center
ATTN: BAS Returns, Bldg 64A
1201 East 10th Street
Jeffersonville, IN 47132
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CHAPTER 1:
A.
COMPLETING THE BAS FORMS
Forms Included in the BAS Package
The forms in the BAS package should be used to verify legal names, legal status,
contact information, previous legal boundary changes submitted to the Census Bureau,
and to document any recent or missing legal boundary changes. There are four types
of forms:
B.
BAS-1 for Incorporated Places
BAS-2 for Counties and Equivalent Areas
BAS-3 for Minor Civil Divisions (MCDs)
BAS-5 for American Indian Reservations and Off-Reservation Trust Land
Name or Type Changes
Verify that the legal names and legal status of the GU or AIA are accurate. Make any
necessary corrections by crossing out the error and clearly printing the correct
information. Provide an effective date for name, type, or status changes. County
participants should verify the list of active and inactive entities within their counties.
C.
Contact information
Verify that the Census Bureau has the most recent BAS, HEO, or TC contact
information for the GU or AIA. Fill in any missing or incorrect information, especially
blank emails. If the primary address of the BAS contact, HEO, or TC is a PO Box,
provide the Census Bureau with a physical address that can be used for the delivery of
maps. Contact changes or updates may also be provided to the Census Bureau
throughout the year by email to [email protected].
D.
Legal Boundary Changes
Record all legal boundary changes in the Documentation of Changes section of the
BAS form. Include legal boundary changes that occurred prior to January 1 of the
current survey year if they do not appear on the current BAS maps. Please include
legal authorization, such as a local ordinance or resolution number, and the effective
date of the legal action. If additional pages are needed to record legal changes, a copy
of the Documentation of Changes is provided in Appendix A.
E.
Other Changes
Please indicate if there are any boundary corrections or feature updates that need to be
made on the BAS maps. This will assist the Census Bureau in identifying and
accounting for any updates made to the maps.
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CHAPTER 2:
A.
REVIEWING AND UPDATING THE BAS MAPS
Maps Included in the BAS Package
Your BAS map package includes an index map showing the entire GU or AIA along with
more detailed individual map sheets. Index maps are provided as a reference to help
locate a map sheet. GUs and AIAs with more than 40 map sheets receive only an index
map and the map sheets that show the boundary ring. Entities that require more than
40 boundary ring map sheets receive only the index map.
2.1
Requesting Additional Maps
If you only received an index map for a county, incorporated place, MCD, or AIA where
boundary changes or feature updates need to be made, call 1-800-972-5651 or email
[email protected] to request an individual map sheet(s) or a full set of maps. Do
not make updates on the index map.
2.2
General Guidelines for Reviewing and Updating BAS Maps
1.
Colored pencils are provided in the package. The red pencil should be used to
indicate legal boundary changes and non-legal boundary corrections for all
counties, places, MCDs, and AIAs. The purple pencil should be used to
indicate feature changes or corrections. The blue pencil should be used by
AIAs to add or modify tribal subdivisions.
2.
Compare the BAS maps to a local source for an entity (e.g., a local plat map, or
a county assessor’s dataset). Update the map(s) if the boundaries shown do
not correctly depict the boundaries in effect as of January 1st of the survey
year.
3.
You may also provide annexations and deannexations from previous years in
addition to providing updates as of January 1st. However, the Census Bureau
does require legal documentation when submitting older vintage legal updates.
4.
The maps show boundaries for multiple legal and statistical boundaries. If an
entity’s legal boundaries are coextensive with another boundary, the symbols
on the map will alternate. In Example 1, the county shares a boundary with an
incorporated place and Census Designated Place (CDP); therefore, the
symbols on the map alternate between county, incorporated place, and CDP.
Example 1: The combined line represents a county, incorporated place and CDP boundary.
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B.
Census Bureau Geocoding
Geocoding is the method that the Census Bureau uses to code population to
geographic entities. There are two primary methods of geocoding used by the Census
Bureau. Both of these involve coding an address to a geographic area but one uses
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, while the other uses address ranges.
2.3
GPS Location Geocoding
A field worker stands in front of a house or living quarters, and records the physical
location with a GPS device (Example 2). The GPS point should fall very close to the
front door of the house. However, GPS points were collected in the field where realworld obstacles like locked fences, poor satellite reception, or even aggressive dogs
might sometimes prevent the worker from gaining access to the front door. In these
circumstances, the worker may have to take the GPS coordinate from the sidewalk or
side of the road.
Example 2: Master Address File (MAF) Structure Point (MSP) method of geocoding: Notice
that it is occasionally not possible for the field worker to go all the way to the front door, due
to unforeseen circumstances, like the fence or the dog shown above. Thus, the MSP
(represented here by the red pins) can sometimes fall within the road or the road right-of-way.
2.4
Address Range Geocoding
Where MSPs are not available, the Census Bureau codes houses and living quarters
according to a potential range of addresses associated with the adjacent stretch of road
(Example 3).
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Example 3: Address Range Geocoding. When it is not possible to collect an MSP, houses are
geocoded according to their placement along a range of potential addresses along that road.
Since the address has a relationship with the road, boundaries placed on front lot lines could
lead to mis-geocoding.
While the two methods of geocoding differ greatly, both rely heavily on the integrated
nature of the MAF/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing
(TIGER) System. These geocoding methods are affected by the way streets and
boundaries are represented in relation to one another. This interdependence between
streets, boundaries, and geocoding means that Census Bureau representations of legal
boundaries may sometimes differ from other representations (e.g., in local or state
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)). This is especially true regarding geographic
corridors and road right of ways (or the front lot lines of parcels). In both of the
examples above, delineating a boundary along the front lot line will tend to increase the
risk of incorrect geocoding. Using the road centerline as a boundary is preferred by the
Census Bureau.
2.5
Annotating Changes Using Street Centerlines
When annotating changes on the map in which a road or road right-of-way is owned or
maintained by a GU or AIA but the adjacent housing is not, the respondent should use
the centerline of the road (not the front lot-line) as the boundary where possible. If local
or state law requires the use of the front lot line boundary, the respondent must explicitly
designate the area between the road centerline and the front-lot boundary as a corridor
or an offset (see Sections 2.9 and 2.10 of this document for more details).
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C.
Boundary Changes
Legal boundary changes are the result of legal actions (e.g., annexations), and are the
primary goal of the BAS. AIA Legal documentation (e.g., statute, federal court decision,
trust deed) must accompany all AIA legal boundary changes, while legal boundary
change submissions from incorporated places, MCDs, and counties must provide an
authorization number, such as a resolution or ordinance number 1 .
2.6
Legal Boundary Changes
The following figures illustrate the correct way to draw legal boundary changes on BAS
maps.
Using the red pencil provided, cross out the portion of the boundary that is no
longer current with a string of Xs.
Draw the new boundary line(s) ensuring the boundary is closed.
Add the ordinance number or other legal identifier of the action authorizing the
change, along with the effective date of each annexation or deannexation that is
drawn on the map.
Record all legal changes in the Documentation of Changes section of the BAS
form.
Example 4: Correctly annotating a legal boundary change with the red pencil and recording
the change in the Documentation of Changes section of the BAS form .
1
Legal boundary changes from the State of Georgia are the exception: a state statute requires
participants to include acreage, and the Census Bureau requests that the respondent includes an
authorization number.
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Example 5: Correctly annotating an AIA trust land and recording the change in the
Documentation of Changes section of the BAS form. The original reservation is not deleted
and therefore does not require a string of X’s.
2.7
Legal Boundary Changes Using Coincident Features
Examples 6 and 7 illustrate how to adjust a boundary that is coincident with a feature,
such as a river or street. In this case, the feature location is correct, but the boundary
location is incorrect.
Using the red pencil, cross out the portion of the boundary that is no longer
current using a string of Xs inside circles.
Draw the updated boundary.
Add the authorization number or other identifier of the action authorizing the
change along with the effective date of each addition or deletion.
Record all legal changes in the Documentation of Changes section of the BAS
form.
If both the boundary and feature need to be moved, cross out the incorrect boundary
with a string of red “Xs” and then draw a red line representing the new location of the
boundary and road.
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Example 6: Annotating a legal boundary change coincident with a river feature, where the
river location does not change, but the boundary does. The legal change is also recorded in
the Documentation of Changes.
Example 7: Annotating a legal change to an incorporated place boundary coincident with a
road feature, where only the boundary moves to the new location. The street feature location
is correct, but the boundary location is incorrect.
Example 8 illustrates how to make a correction to the boundary where an associated
feature moves along with the boundary. If these changes are the result of an
annexation or deannexation, include the authorization number and effective date.
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Example 8: Annotating a lega l change to both an incorporated place boundary and an
associated coincident road feature, where both the street and the boundary should be moved
to a new location. The legal change is recorded in the Documentation of Changes.
2.8
Boundary Corrections
A boundary correction is the adjustment of a boundary to correct an error in how the
Census Bureau depicts an existing boundary. Legal documentation is not required
when submitting a boundary correction to the Census Bureau. Boundary corrections
also do not need to be reported on the BAS form.
Example 9 illustrates how to complete a boundary correction.
Using the red pencil, cross out the incorrect boundary with a string of Xs.
Add a line showing the correct boundary.
Print the letters BC inside the change to identify the update as a boundary
correction rather than a legal change.
Example 9: Annotating a boundary correction to an incorporated place boundary.
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2.9
Geographic Corridors
A geographic corridor is an area that only includes road surface and right-of-way and
does not contain any structures addressed to either side of the street. A geographic
offset is an area claimed by a GU or AIA that is only on one side of a road and does not
include structures addressed to that side of the road.
Example 10 and 11: The image on the left (Example 10) illustrates a geographic offset,
designated by red diagonal lines. The offset is part of the GU or AIA (green area). However,
the dwelling units are counted outside of the GU or AIA. The image on the right (Example 11)
illustrates a geographic corridor (Co Rd, south of Samples Rd) and a geographic offset (Co
Rd, north of Samples Rd). The geographic corridor and offset are both part of the GU or AIA
(yellow area), but the dwelling units are not.
Example 12 shows a corridor that has been created where the GU or AIA owns the
right-of-way, and wishes for that ownership to be displayed on the Census Bureau’s
maps, but the housing units are not included in the GU or AIA (shown in color). Without
a corridor, the housing units along this road would be incorrectly geocoded into the GU
or AIA. Thus, if it is important to the GU or AIA that its ownership and/or maintenance
of the road and/or its rights-of-way be displayed on Census Bureau maps, a geographic
corridor should be created. However, the Census Bureau does not require GUs or AIAs
to report rights-of-way: maintaining geographic corridors in MAF/TIGER is not essential
to the mission of the Census Bureau and the right-of-way should only be included if it is
crucial to the GU, AIA, or if state or local laws require it.
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Example 12
Example 13 shows a case where the right-of-way belongs in the unincorporated area,
while the housing units are included in the GU or AIA (shown in color). While depicting
this corridor may be important for local purposes, it is not relevant for Census Bureau
tabulations because no house can be built in a road right-of-way. This type of corridor
should not be included in a BAS response.
Example 13
Please note that the Census Bureau does not require GUs or AIAs to display rights-ofway or road maintenance corridors that do not contain or potentially contain housing or
population. If local or state law does not require depiction of these geographic features,
the Census Bureau prefers that they be left off BAS submissions. If it is necessary for
the GU or AIA to depict them, they must be submitted as a geographic corridor.
Geographic corridors can be provided to the Census Bureau if the centerline
representation results in addresses being assigned to the wrong entity. However,
geographic corridors should only be created if the addresses along the street do not
belong to your GU or AIA. To indicate a geographic corridor on your map, use the red
pencil to draw a line on each side of the road. Mark the beginning and end of each line
with perpendicular hatch marks. Write the letters “GC” beside each line (Example 14).
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To remove a geographic corridor or offset, use the red pencil to mark the beginning and
end of the corridor or offset with perpendicular hatch marks and write “remove GC.”
Example 14: To indicate a geographic corridor on your BAS return, use the red pencil to draw
a line on each side of the road. Mark the beginning and end of each line with perpendicular
hatch marks. Write the letters “GC” beside each line.
2.10 Geographic Offsets
The Census Bureau is aware that many GUs and AIAs base their legal boundaries on
cadastral (parcel-based) right-of-way mapping. The Census Bureau bases their maps
on spatial data that is topologically integrated. This makes the maintenance of
geographic offsets inefficient. Delineating an entity boundary on the centerline
wherever applicable will help to establish more accurate population counts. If a
boundary is on the front lot line adjacent to a road on the map, the Census Bureau
strongly prefers that the boundary be delineated on the road centerline already shown
on the map. If a boundary is on the rear or side lot line, then it should be depicted as
such. Generally, if a house or other building could not conceivably be built in the area
between the potential line and the centerline of the road, then the line can be
considered a front lot line.
Example 15 shows a situation in which the place boundary is along the front lot line.
In this example, the respondent must either delineate the boundary on the road
centerline, or create an offset.
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Example 15
In Example 16, the place boundary is on the rear lot line, so the respondent should not
delineate it on the road centerline or create an offset; instead, the respondent should
delineate a new edge that actually follows the rear lot line.
Example 16
To indicate a geographic offset on your map, use the red pencil to draw a line on
parallel to the road, along which you want the offset to be created. Mark the beginning
and end of the line with perpendicular hatch marks. Write the letters “OFF” on the side
of the road where the geographic offset exists (Example 17).
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Example 17: This example shows the proper method of depicting a geographic offset on a
paper BAS submission.
2.11 New Incorporations
Newly incorporated places should provide the Census Bureau with:
A copy of the official new incorporation papers, including date of incorporation.
A map indicating the boundaries of the new incorporation.
Contact information for the HEO and a contact for the BAS.
2.12 Disincorporations
Disincorporated entities should provide the Census Bureau with a copy of the official
papers of disincorporation, including the effective date and contact information.
2.13 Tribal Subdivision Updates
If tribal subdivisions were delineated during a prior survey, they are symbolized on the
enclosed BAS maps by a dashed pentagon-shaped gold line.
Before adding/or revising tribal subdivision boundaries on the enclosed map(s):
Using the red pencil, note any changes to the boundary of the land base on the
map(s).
Using the blue pencil, add and/or revise the boundaries of the tribal subdivisions
on the enclosed BAS map(s).
NOTE: The names and types (active or inactive) of tribal subdivisions are listed in the
Tribal Names and Status Documentation section of the BAS-5 form. This
information should be reviewed and updated.
New tribal subdivisions and name changes to existing tribal subdivisions require
documentation, regardless of whether they are being delineated for the first time, or
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being added to those previously reported. This documentation should be in the form of
a tribal resolution or a tribal constitution. Include a copy of this documentation with your
BAS maps and BAS-5 form when returning these materials to the Census Bureau.
Corrections to the Census Bureau’s depiction of tribal subdivision boundaries or names
do not require documentation.
If there are any questions or if additional maps are needed, email
[email protected] or call 1-800-796-3748.
The Census Bureau considers any type of unit of self-government or administration in
tribal areas as a tribal subdivision. A tribe may submit only one type of subdivision,
even if it has more than one type of distinct administrative area that could qualify as a
tribal subdivision (e.g., tribal election districts, tribal water districts, or health service
areas with different boundaries). Tribal subdivisions can be considered either active (A)
or inactive (I):
Active subdivisions are defined as having a functioning government, with elected
officials, that provides programs and services
Inactive subdivisions have no functioning government or elected officials and
receive services solely from the tribe
a)
Some examples of areas submitted as tribal subdivisions are:
Areas used by a tribe for the election of tribal government officials (e.g., districts
or precincts used for the election of tribal council members)
Areas used by a tribal government for tax purposes
Areas used by a tribal government for the provision of general services or
specified services, such as:
o Water districts
o Health service areas
o Emergency service delivery areas (911, fire, and/or police), or
o Grazing districts or range units
Historical or traditional areas recognized by a tribal government
Sub-reservation tribal community governments
b)
Keep the following criteria in mind when defining tribal subdivisions:
Tribal subdivisions should cover all, or most, of a tribe’s land base
The delineation of tribal subdivisions is restricted to the area contained within
reservations and/or associated off-reservation trust lands
There is no minimum population threshold for a tribal subdivision
A tribal subdivision may be noncontiguous
Tribes may designate only one type of tribal subdivision. If a tribe has more than
one level of tribal subdivision within its land base, the Census Bureau
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recommends delineating subdivisions corresponding to the lowest geographic
level (those geographic areas containing the smallest area) of the tribe’s
administrative hierarchy.
Tribal subdivisions should not be based solely on land ownership or other
cadastral areas, nor should they consist of divisions based on the U.S. Public
Land Survey System (PLSS) of townships, ranges, and sections, if these areas
have no governmental or administrative function for a tribe.
The following descriptions can be appended to chosen subdivision names (e.g.,
Red Rock Community):
o District
o Community
o Area
o Chapter
o Segment
o Administrative Area
o Addition
o County District
If this is the first time that tribal subdivisions are being provided to the Census Bureau:
Using the blue pencil, add the boundaries on the BAS map(s).
NOTE: Please request AIA maps by emailing [email protected] or by calling
1-800-796-3748.
Each tribal subdivision must be labeled on each map sheet with its name (e.g.,
“District 3,” “Arlee District,” “White Rock Chapter,” “Parmelee Community”).
Record the names, type, and status of each subdivision in the Tribal Names
and Status Documentation section of the BAS-5 form.
If a tribal subdivision boundary follows a visible feature such as a stream, road,
or fence line, be sure to indicate that on the BAS map. Add the visible feature
the boundary follows if it is not already shown on the map.
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Example 18: Depicting a new tribal subdivision and recording the information in the Tribal
Names and Status Documentation section of the BAS form .
2.14 County Review and Consolidations
Counties receive boundary information from the Census Bureau for all GUs within their
county boundary. Counties should review the names and legal status of active and
inactive incorporated places and MCDs found on Page 3 of the BAS-2 form.
Active entities are defined as having a functioning government, with elected
officials, that provides programs and services.
Inactive entities have no functioning government or elected officials, receive
services solely from the county, and should be reviewed by the county during
BAS.
Although it is not required, counties may update boundaries for incorporated places and
MCDs on the county BAS maps. The Census Bureau encourages counties to establish
consolidation agreements with local governments in order to consolidate resources,
reduce the burden on local governments, and avoid duplication of work. Under a county
consolidation agreement, the county is responsible for reporting boundary changes to
the Census Bureau. Participating local governments would no longer receive an annual
BAS package. One hundred percent participation is not required and governments may
opt out of the agreement at any time. Contact the Census Bureau at
[email protected] for more information on participating in a county consolidation.
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2.15 Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
Boundaries are often based on nonvisible features, such as PLSS lines (e.g. township,
section, range lines, etc.). The Census Bureau is currently working on a program
through which PLSS lines can be incorporated into MAF/TIGER. If any of your entity’s
existing or new boundaries are known to follow PLSS lines, you should designate that
on your BAS submission by writing “PLSS” in red pencil next to (and parallel to) the
appropriate boundary segments. In areas where the Census Bureau has obtained
accurate PLSS shapefiles, we will then be able to compare these lines to those
shapefiles and ensure accurate placement of the boundary.
D.
Feature Updates
The primary purpose of the BAS is to collect legal boundary information. However,
feature (e.g. streets, rivers) updates and modifications that occur near or coincident with
a legal boundary should be submitted through the BAS. Feature modifications that are
internal to the boundary of a GU or AIA will be accepted, but are not required as part of
the BAS.
2.16 Adding, Deleting and Naming Streets
When adding missing streets, new streets, and alternate street names:
Use the purple pencil to draw the feature and its name on the map.
If possible, provide the address range for any new streets.
Provide the MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code (MTFCC) (Appendix B) for all new
streets (Example 19).
Alternate street names can be written in parentheses below the primary street
name.
Example 19: Adding an MTFCC code when adding a new street.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
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NOTE: Due to the difficulty of showing multiple names for the same street, only the
primary street name is shown on BAS maps. Please note that, even though
alternate street names are not shown on the maps, they do exist in MAF/TIGER.
For example, US Hwy 30 may be locally known as Main St., but on the BAS
map, only US Hwy 30 will be displayed; however, within MAF/TIGER, both
names are listed. If you have reported an alternate street name in the past, you
do not have to report it again.
When Naming Streets:
Using the purple pencil, label any unnamed streets on the maps.
o Label any unnamed private roads with PR.
o Examples of private roads are driveways and unnamed roads in
commercial or industrial parks.
Example 20: Adding unnamed road features.
When Correcting Street Names:
Using the purple pencil, draw a line through the incorrect street name.
Print the correct street name along the feature.
Example 21: Correcting a street name.
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NOTE:
If an area of the map is too congested to add all feature names, number each
feature and list this number and the corresponding feature name in the map
margin or in an uncongested spot close to the feature’s actual location
(Example 22). Do not repeat numbers on a map sheet.
Example 22: Adding street name features in a congested area when deleting streets.
NOTE: Delete street features only if they are nonexistent, or impassable. Do not delete
a street because the local jurisdiction is not responsible for maintaining it.
Using the purple pencil, mark the beginning and end of the base feature to be
deleted with hatch (//) marks perpendicular to the feature as shown below.
Cross-out what is to be removed using a string of Xs.
Example 23: Deleting a street feature.
2.17 Modifying Locations of Streets
The figures on the following pages illustrate how to correct the location of a street
feature:
Using the purple pencil, cross out the incorrect feature location with Xs.
Draw the feature in the correct location.
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Print the name of the feature along the length of the feature (as shown in the
following examples).
Example 24: Modifying a street feature location. In this example the street location moves,
but the boundary does not.
Example 25: Modifying a street feature location that does not affect a boundary.
The Census Bureau continues to improve the positional accuracy of all streets and
other features that appear in MAF/TIGER. It is not necessary to make small positional
corrections on the BAS maps; correct only those streets that are incorrectly located,
mislabeled or distorted. Additionally, new streets may be added, and nonexistent
streets may be deleted.
2.18 Adding a Cul-De-Sac or Circle
When adding a cul-de-sac or circle:
Using the purple pencil, draw the feature.
o Cul-de-sacs are entirely paved, and should be drawn as a solid dot.
o Circles have an area of unpaved ground within them, and should be
drawn as an unfilled circle.
Print the name of the associated street leading to the cul-de-sac or circle.
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Example 26: Adding cul-de-sac and circle features.
2.19 Adding Address Ranges
Using the purple pencil, add in the address ranges. Provide the lowest or highest
addresses that could be assigned to a road where the road intersects a
boundary.
Example 27: Adding a street feature and annotating with the name and address breaks.
Addresses are stored in MAF/TIGER as potential address ranges. The BAS maps
show the break in the potential address range created where a street is bisected by a
boundary. These address range breaks are shown because it is important that the
Census Bureau assign the correct addresses to each GU or AIA.
NOTE: Some streets on the BAS maps do not display address breaks due to space
considerations.
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Add address ranges on both ends of the street only if one of the following
circumstances exists:
1. A road where house numbers, street names and/or addresses were added or
deleted.
2.
A street was added that crosses a boundary.
3.
The address ranges created by a boundary are incorrect on the map.
E.
Landmark Updates
2.20
Area Landmarks
The Census Bureau accepts updates to area landmarks and hydrographic areas in a
similar manner to legal boundary changes. However, area landmarks and hydro areas
are not legal entities, so no documentation or effective dates are required.
Updates to area landmarks and hydro areas include:
boundary corrections (adding and removing area)
creating a new area landmark or hydro area
removing an area landmark or hydro area
changing the name
When adding new area landmarks or hydro areas, only add the following types of areas:
water bodies
glaciers
airports
cemeteries
golf courses
parks
The Census Bureau cannot add other types of areas at this time (although some may
already exist in MAF/TIGER). See Table 1 for a list of the acceptable MTFCC codes for
new area landmarks or hydro areas.
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Area Landmark MTFCC codes
MTFCC Description
H2030
Lake/Pond
H2040
Reservoir
H2041
Treatment Pond
H2051
Bay/Estuary/Gulf/Sound
H2081
Glacier
K2180
Park
K2181
National Park Service Land
K2182
National Forest or Other Federal Land
K2183
Tribal Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2184
State Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2185
Regional Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2186
County Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2187
County Subdivision Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2188
Incorporated Place Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2189
Private Park, Forest, or Recreation Area
K2190
K2457
Other Park, Forest, or Recreation Area (quasi-public, independent park, commission,
etc.)
Airport – Area Representation
K2561
Golf Course
K2582
Cemetery
Table 1: Area Landmark MTFCC codes
The Census Bureau prioritizes boundary changes to legal areas in order to meet ACS,
PEP, and BAS deadlines. Therefore, there may be delays in incorporating area
landmark and hydrographic area changes to MAF/TIGER. Please do not resubmit any
changes that were sent during the previous year’s BAS.
When adding an area landmark:
Using the purple pencil, draw the area landmark boundary in the correct location.
Print the name of the landmark inside or next to the feature.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page 29
Example 28: Adding an area landmark.
2.21
Point Landmarks
The Census Bureau accepts updates to point landmarks. Updates to point landmarks
include:
Adding a new point landmark.
Deleting an existing point landmark.
Renaming a point landmark.
The Census Bureau cannot make the following point landmark changes due to Title 13
privacy concerns. Do not include any of the following types of landmarks (Table 2) on
your map:
Restricted MTFCCs
MTFCC Description
K1100
K1121
K1122
K1223
K1226
K1227
K1228
K1229
K1232
K1233
K1234
K1235
K1241
K1251
K1299
K2100
Housing Unit Location
Apartment Building or Complex
Rooming or Boarding House
Trailer Court or Mobile Home Park
Housing Facility/Dormitory for Workers
Hotel, Motel, Resort, Spa, Hostel, YMCA, or
YWCA
Campground
Shelter or Mission
Halfway House/Group Home
Nursing Home, Retirement Home, or Home for
the Aged
County Home or Poor Farm
Juvenile Institution
Sorority, Fraternity, or College Dormitory
Military Group Quarters
Other Group Quarters Location
Governmental
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MTFCC Description
K2197
K2300
K2361
K2362
K2363
K2364
K2366
K2464
K2500
K2564
Mixed Use/Other Non-residential
Commercial Workplace
Shopping Center or Major Retail Center
Industrial Building or Industrial Park
Office Building or Office Park
Farm/Vineyard/Winery/Orchard
Other Employment Center
Marina
Other Workplace
Amusement Center
Table 2: Restricted MTFCCs
The Census Bureau also cannot delete or modify any point landmarks imported from
the USGS GNIS database. Changes submitted for the following types of landmarks
may be left unchanged:
K2451 (Airport)
K2582 (Cemetery)
C3022 (Summit or Pillar)
C3081 (Locale or Populated Place)
C3061 (Cul-de-sacs)
The Census Bureau prioritizes boundary changes to legal areas in order to meet ACS,
PEP, and BAS deadlines. Therefore, there may be delays in incorporating point
landmark changes to MAF/TIGER. Please do not resubmit any changes that were sent
during the previous year’s BAS.
When adding a point landmark:
Using the purple pencil, place a solid dot at the location of the point landmark.
Print the name of the landmark next to the dot.
Example 29: Adding a point landmark.
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CHAPTER 3:
SIGNING UPDATED MAPS AND RETURNING BAS
MATERIALS
For each map sheet that has changes, fill in the Signature Box on one copy of the map:
Print your name, your position, your telephone number, and the date.
Sign your name in the Signature area.
Example 30: BAS Signature Box
Use the postage-paid envelope to return the set of signed maps and the BAS form to
the Census Bureau. If after reviewing the BAS forms and maps, it is determined that
there are no changes to report, send an email to [email protected] or fill out the
Annual Response form located at the following address
http://www.census.gov/geo/partnership/bas/bas_ar_form.html.
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A
Additional Documentation of Changes Forms
A1. Places
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A2. Counties and Equivalent Areas
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Page A-2
A3. Minor Civil Divisions
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Page A-3
A4. Reservations and Off-Reservation Trust Land
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Page A-4
APPENDIX B
MTFCC Feature Class
C3022
C3023
C3024
C3026
C3027
C3061
C3062
C3066
C3067
C3071
C3074
C3075
C3076
C3077
C3078
C3079
C3080
C3081
C3085
MTFCC Codes
Feature Class Description
Mountain Peak or Summit A prominent elevation rising above the surrounding level of the
Earth's surface.
Island
An area of dry or relatively dry land surrounded by water or low
wetland. [including archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla,
isle, key, moku and rock]
Levee
An embankment flanking a stream or other flowing water feature to
prevent overflow.
Quarry (not water-filled),
An area from which commercial minerals are or were removed from
Open Pit Mine or Mine
the Earth; not including an oilfield or gas field.
Dam
A barrier built across the course of a stream to impound water
and/or control water flow.
Cul-de-sac
An expanded paved area at the end of a street used by vehicles for
turning around. For mapping purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau
maps it only as a point feature.
Traffic Circle
A circular intersection allowing for continuous movement of traffic at
the meeting of roadways.
Gate
A movable barrier across a road.
Toll Booth
A structure or barrier where a fee is collected for using a road.
Lookout Tower
A manmade structure, higher than its diameter, used for
observation.
Lighthouse Beacon
A manmade structure, higher than its diameter, used for
transmission of light and possibly sound generally to aid in
navigation.
Tank/Tank Farm
One or more manmade structures, each higher than its diameter,
used for liquid (other than water) or gas storage or for distribution
activities.
Windmill Farm
One or more manmade structures used to generate power from the
wind.
Solar Farm
One or more manmade structures used to generate power from the
sun.
Monument or Memorial
A manmade structure to educate, commemorate, or memorialize an
event, person, or feature.
Boundary Monument
A material object placed on or near a boundary line to preserve and
Point
identify the location of the boundary line on the ground.
Survey Control Point
A point on the ground whose position (horizontal or vertical) is
known and can be used as a base for additional survey work.
Locality Point
A point that identifies the location and name of an unbounded
locality (e.g., crossroad, community, populated place or locale).
Alaska Native Village
A point that serves as the core of an Alaska Native village and is
Official Point
used in defining Alaska Native village statistical areas.
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MTFCC Feature Class
G2100
G2120
G2130
G2140
G2150
G2160
G2170
G2200
G2300
G2400
G2410
G3100
G3110
Feature Class Description
American Indian Area
A legally defined state- or federally recognized reservation and/or
off-reservation trust land (excludes statistical American Indian
areas).
Hawaiian Home Land
A legal area held in trust for the benefit of Native Hawaiians.
Alaska Native Village
A statistical geographic entity that represents the residences,
Statistical Area
permanent and/or seasonal, for Alaska Natives who are members of
or receiving governmental services from the defining legal Alaska
Native Village corporation.
Oklahoma Tribal
A statistical entity identified and delineated by the Census Bureau in
Statistical Area
consultation with federally recognized American Indian tribes that
have no current reservation, but had a former reservation in
Oklahoma.
State-designated Tribal
A statistical geographic entity identified and delineated for the
Statistical Area
Census Bureau by a state-appointed liaison for a state-recognized
American Indian tribe that does not currently have a reservation
and/or lands in trust.
Tribal Designated
A statistical geographic entity identified and delineated for the
Statistical Area
Census Bureau by a federally recognized American Indian tribe that
does not currently have a reservation and/or off-reservation trust
land.
American Indian Joint
An area administered jointly and/or claimed by two or more
Use Area
American Indian tribes.
Alaska Native Regional
Corporate entities established to conduct both business and
Corporation
nonprofit affairs of Alaska Natives pursuant to the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-203). There are
twelve geographically defined ANRCs and they are all within and
cover most of the State of Alaska (the Annette Island Reserve-an
American Indian reservation-is excluded from any ANRC). The
boundaries of ANRCs have been legally established.
Tribal Subdivision
Administrative subdivisions of federally recognized American Indian
reservations, off-reservation trust lands, or Oklahoma tribal statistical
areas (OTSAs). These entities are internal units of self-government
or administration that serve social, cultural, and/or economic
purposes for the American Indians on the reservations, offreservation trust lands, or OTSAs.
Tribal Census Tract
A relatively small and permanent statistical subdivision of a federally
recognized American Indian reservation and/or off-reservation trust
land, delineated by American Indian tribal participants or the Census
Bureau for the purpose of presenting demographic data.
Tribal Block Group
A cluster of census blocks within a single tribal census tract
delineated by American Indian tribal participants or the Census
Bureau for the purpose of presenting demographic data
Combined Statistical Area A grouping of adjacent metropolitan and/or micropolitan statistical
areas that have a degree of economic and social integration, as
measured by commuting.
Metropolitan and
An area containing a substantial population nucleus together with
Micropolitan Statistical
adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social
Area
integration with that core, as measured by commuting. Defined using
whole counties and equivalents.
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MTFCC Feature Class
G3120
G3200
G3210
G3220
G3500
G4000
G4020
G4040
G4050
G4060
G4110
G4120
G4210
G4300
Feature Class Description
Metropolitan Division
A county or grouping of counties that is a subdivision of a
Metropolitan Statistical Area containing an urbanized area with a
population of 2.5 million or more.
Combined New England
A grouping of adjacent New England city and town areas that have a
City and Town Area
degree of economic and social integration, as measured by
commuting.
New England City and
An area containing a substantial population nucleus together with
Town Metropolitan and
adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social
Micropolitan Statistical
integration with that core, as measured by commuting. Defined using
Area
Minor Civil Divisions (MCDs) in New England.
New England City and
A grouping of cities and towns in New England that is a subdivision
Town Division
of a New England City and Town Area containing an urbanized area
with a population of 2.5 million or more.
Urban Area
Densely settled territory that contains at least 2,500 people. The
subtypes of this feature are Urbanized Area (UA), which consists of
50,000 + people and Urban Cluster, which ranges between 2,500
and 49,999 people.
State or Equivalent
The primary governmental divisions of the United States. The
Feature
District of Columbia is treated as a statistical equivalent of a state for
census purposes, as is Puerto Rico.
County or Equivalent
The primary division of a state or state equivalent area. The primary
Feature
divisions of 48 states are termed County, but other terms are used
such as Borough in Alaska, Parish in Louisiana, and Municipio in
Puerto Rico. This feature includes independent cities, which are
incorporated places that are not part of any county.
County Subdivision
The primary divisions of counties and equivalent features for the
reporting of Census Bureau data. The subtypes of this feature are
Minor Civil Division, Census County Division/Census Subarea, and
Unorganized Territory. This feature includes independent places,
which are incorporated places that are not part of any county
subdivision.
Estate
Estates are subdivisions of the three major islands in the United
States Virgin Islands (USVI).
Subbarrio (Subminor Civil Legally defined divisions (subbarrios) of minor civil divisions (barriosDivision)
pueblo and barrios) in Puerto Rico.
Incorporated Place
A legal entity incorporated under state law to provide generalpurpose governmental services to a concentration of population.
Incorporated places are generally designated as a city, borough,
municipality, town, village, or, in a few instances, have no legal
description.
Consolidated City
An incorporated place that has merged governmentally with a county
or minor civil division, but one or more of the incorporated places
continues to function within the consolidation. It is a place that
contains additional separately incorporated places.
Census Designated Place A statistical area defined for a named concentration of population
and the statistical counterpart of an incorporated place.
Economic Census Place The lowest level of geographic area for presentation of some types
of Economic Census data. It includes incorporated places,
consolidated cities, census designated places (CDPs), minor civil
divisions (MCDs) in selected states, and balances of MCDs or
counties. An incorporated place, CDP, MCD, or balance of MCD
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MTFCC Feature Class
G5020
G5030
G5035
G5040
G5200
G5210
G5220
G5240
G5400
G5410
G5420
G6120
Feature Class Description
qualifies as an economic census place if it contains 5,000 or more
residents, or 5,000 or more jobs, according to the most current data
available.
Census Tract
Relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a County or
equivalent feature delineated by local participants as part of the
Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program.
Block Group
A cluster of census blocks having the same first digit of their fourdigit identifying numbers within a Census Tract. For example, block
group 3 (BG 3) within a Census Tract includes all blocks numbered
from 3000 to 3999.
Block Area Grouping
A user-defined group of islands forming a single census tabulation
block. A BAG must: (1) consist of two or more islands, (2) have a
perimeter entirely over water, (3) not overlap, and (4) not cross the
boundary of other tabulation geographies, such as county or
incorporated place boundaries.
Tabulation Block
The lowest-order census defined statistical area. It is an area, such
as a city block, bounded primarily by physical features but
sometimes by invisible city or property boundaries. A tabulation
block boundary does not cross the boundary of any other
geographic area for which the Census Bureau tabulates data. The
subtypes of this feature are Count Question Resolution (CQR),
current, and census.
Congressional District
The 435 areas from which people are elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives. Additional equivalent features exist for state
equivalents with nonvoting delegates or no representative. The
subtypes of this feature are 106th, 107th, 108th, 109th, and 111th
Congressional Districts, plus subsequent Congresses.
State Legislative District
Areas established by a state or equivalent government from which
(Upper Chamber
members are elected to the upper or unicameral chamber of a state
governing body. The upper chamber is the senate in a bicameral
legislature, and the unicameral case is a single house legislature
(Nebraska).
State Legislative District
Areas established by a state or equivalent government from which
(Lower Chamber)
members are elected to the lower chamber of a state governing
body. The lower chamber is the House of Representatives in a
bicameral legislature.
Voting District
The generic name for the geographic features, such as precincts,
wards, and election districts, established by state, local, and tribal
governments for the purpose of conducting elections.
Elementary School
A geographic area within which officials provide public elementary
District
grade-level educational services for residents.
Secondary School District A geographic area within which officials provide public secondary
grade-level educational services for residents.
Unified School District
A geographic area within which officials provide public educational
services for all grade levels for residents.
Public-Use Microdata
A decennial census area with a population of at least 100,000 or
Area
more persons for which the Census Bureau provides selected
extracts of household-level data that are screened to protect
confidentiality
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MTFCC Feature Class
Feature Class Description
G6300
Traffic Analysis District
G6320
Traffic Analysis Zone
G6330
Urban Growth Area
G6350
G6400
Zip Code Tabulation Area
(Five-Digit)
Commercial Region
H1100
Connector
H2025
Swamp/Marsh
H2030
H2040
H2041
H2051
Lake/Pond
Reservoir
Treatment Pond
Bay/Estuary/Gulf/Sound
H2053
H2060
H2081
Ocean/Sea
Gravel Pit/Quarry filled
with water
Glacier
H3010
Stream/River
H3013
Braided Stream
H3020
Canal, Ditch or Aqueduct
K1225
Crew-of-Vessel Location
K1231
Hospital/Hospice/Urgent
Care Facility
Juvenile Institution
An area delineated by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
and state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) for tabulating
journey-to-work and place-of-work data. A Traffic Analysis District
(TAD) consists of one or more Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs).
An area delineated by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
and state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) for tabulating
journey-to-work and place-of-work data.
An area defined under state authority to manage urbanization that
the U.S. Census Bureau includes in the MAF/TIGER® Database in
agreement with the state.
An approximate statistical-area representation of a U.S. Postal
Service (USPS) 5-digit ZIP Code service area.
For the purpose of presenting economic statistical data, municipios
in Puerto Rico are grouped into commercial regions.
A known, but nonspecific, hydrographic connection between two
nonadjacent water features.
A poorly drained wetland, fresh or saltwater, wooded or grassy,
possibly covered with open water. [includes bog, cienega, marais
and pocosin]
A standing body of water that is surrounded by land.
An artificially impounded body of water.
An artificial body of water built to treat fouled water.
A body of water partly surrounded by land. [includes arm, bight, cove
and inlet]
The great body of salt water that covers much of the earth.
A body of water in a place or area from which commercial minerals
were removed from the Earth.
A body of ice moving outward and down slope from an area of
accumulation; an area of relatively permanent snow or ice on the top
or side of a mountain or mountainous area. [includes ice field and
ice patch]
A natural flowing waterway. [includes anabranch, awawa, branch,
brook, creek, distributary, fork, kill, pup, rio, and run]
A natural flowing waterway with an intricate network of interlacing
channels.
An artificial waterway constructed to transport water, to irrigate or
drain land, to connect two or more bodies of water, or to serve as a
waterway for watercraft. [includes lateral]
A point or area in which the population of military or merchant
marine vessels at sea are assigned, usually being at or near the
home port pier.
One or more structures where the sick or injured may receive
medical or surgical attention. [including infirmary]
A facility (correctional and non-correctional) where groups of
juveniles reside; this includes training schools, detention centers,
residential treatment centers and orphanages.
One or more structures that serve as a place for the confinement of
adult persons in lawful detention, administered by a local (county,
municipal, etc.) government.
K1235
K1236
Local Jail or Detention
Center
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MTFCC Feature Class
Feature Class Description
K1237
An institution that serves as a place for the confinement of adult
persons in lawful detention, administered by the federal government
or a state government.
One or more structures that serve as a place for the confinement of
adult persons in lawful detention, not elsewhere classified or
administered by a government of unknown jurisdiction.
One or more structures intended for use as a residence for those
having a religious vocation.
K1238
K1239
Federal Penitentiary,
State Prison, or Prison
Farm
Other Correctional
Institution
K1246
K2110
Convent, Monastery,
Rectory, Other Religious
Group Quarters
Community Center
Military Installation
K2165
Government Center
K2167
Convention Center
K2180
Park
K2181
National Park Service
Land
National Forest or Other
Federal Land
K2182
K2183
Tribal Park, Forest, or
Recreation Area
K2184
State Park, Forest, or
Recreation Area
K2185
Regional Park, Forest, or
Recreation Area
K2186
County Park, Forest, or
Recreation Area
K2187
County Subdivision Park,
Forest, or Recreation
Area
Incorporated Place Park,
Forest, or Recreation
Area
Private Park, Forest, or
Recreation Area
Other Park, Forest, or
Recreation Area (quasipublic, independent park,
commission, etc.)
K2188
K2189
K2190
Community Center.
An area owned and/or occupied by the Department of Defense for
use by a branch of the armed forces (such as the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marines, or Coast Guard), or a state owned area for the use
of the National Guard.
A place used by members of government (either federal, state, local,
or tribal) for administration and public business.
An exhibition hall or conference center with enough open space to
host public and private business and social events.
Parkland defined and administered by federal, state, and local
governments.
Area—National parks, National Monuments, and so forth—under the
jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Land under the management and jurisdiction of the federal
government, specifically including areas designated as National
Forest, and excluding areas under the jurisdiction of the National
Park Service.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of an American
Indian tribe.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of a state
government.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of a regional
government.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of a county
government.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of a minor civil
division (town/township) government.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of a municipal
government.
A privately owned place or area set aside for recreation or
preservation of a cultural or natural resource.
A place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural
or natural resource and under the administration of some other type
of government or agency such as an independent park authority or
commission.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page B-6
MTFCC Feature Class
Feature Class Description
K2191
Post Office
K2193
K2194
K2195
K2196
K2400
Fire Department
Police Station
Library
City/Town Hall
Transportation Terminal
K2424
K2432
Marina
Pier/Dock
An official facility of the U.S. Postal Service used for processing and
distributing mail and other postal material.
Fire Department.
Police Station.
Library.
City/Town Hall.
A facility where one or more modes of transportation can be
accessed by people or for the shipment of goods; examples of such
a facility include marine terminal, bus station, train station, airport
and truck warehouse.
A place where privately owned, light-craft are moored.
K2451
Airport or Airfield
K2452
K2453
Train Station, Trolley or
Mass Transit Rail Station
Bus Terminal
K2454
Marine Terminal
K2455
Seaplane Anchorage
K2456
K2459
Airport—Intermodal
Transportation
Hub/Terminal
Airport—Statistical
Representation
Park and Ride
Facility/Parking Lot
Runway/Taxiway
K2460
Helicopter Landing Pad
K2540
University or College
K2543
School or Academy
K2545
Museum, Visitor Center,
Cultural Center, or Tourist
Attraction
Golf Course
Cemetery
K2457
K2458
K2561
K2582
A platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by
piles. This platform may provide access to ships and boats, or it may
be used for recreational purposes.
A manmade facility maintained for the use of aircraft. [including
airstrip, landing field and landing strip]
A place where travelers can board and exit rail transit lines, including
associated ticketing, freight, and other commercial offices.
A place where travelers can board and exit mass motor vehicle
transit, including associated ticketing, freight, and other commercial
offices.
A place where travelers can board and exit water transit or where
cargo is handled, including associated ticketing, freight, and other
commercial offices.
A place where an airplane equipped with floats for landing on or
taking off from a body of water can debark and load.
A major air transportation facility where travelers can board and exit
airplanes and connect with other (i.e. non-air) modes of
transportation.
The area of an airport adjusted to include whole 2000 census blocks
used for the delineation of urban areas
A place where motorists can park their cars and transfer to other
modes of transportation.
A fairly level and usually paved expanse used by airplanes for taking
off and landing at an airport.
A fairly level and usually paved expanse used by helicopters for
taking off and landing.
A building or group of buildings used as an institution for postsecondary study, teaching, and learning. [including seminary]
A building or group of buildings used as an institution for preschool,
elementary or secondary study, teaching, and learning. [including
elementary school and high school]
An attraction of historical, cultural, educational or other interest that
provides information or displays artifacts.
A place designed for playing golf.
A place or area for burying the dead. [including burying ground and
memorial garden]
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page B-7
MTFCC Feature Class
Feature Class Description
K2586
Zoo
K3544
Place of Worship
L4010
Pipeline
L4020
Powerline
L4031
Aerial Tramway/Ski Lift
L4110
Fence Line
L4121
L4125
Ridge Line
Cliff/Escarpment
L4130
Point-to-Point Line
L4140
Property/Parcel Line
(Including PLSS)
L4150
Coastline
L4165
Ferry Crossing
P0001
P0002
Nonvisible Linear
Legal/Statistical
Boundary
Perennial Shoreline
A facility in which terrestrial and/or marine animals are confined
within enclosures and displayed to the public for educational,
preservation, and research purposes.
A sanctified place or structure where people gather for religious
worship; examples include church, synagogue, temple, and mosque.
A long tubular conduit or series of pipes, often underground, with
pumps and valves for flow control, used to transport fluid (e.g., crude
oil, natural gas), especially over great distances.
One or more wires, often on elevated towers, used for conducting
high-voltage electric power.
A conveyance that transports passengers or freight in carriers
suspended from cables and supported by a series of towers.
A man-made barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually
made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to
confine, or to mark a boundary.
The line of highest elevation along a ridge.
A very steep or vertical slope. [including bluff, crag, head, headland,
nose, palisades, precipice, promontory, rim and rimrock]
A line defined as beginning at one location point and ending at
another, both of which are in sight.
This feature class may denote a nonvisible boundary of either public
or private lands (e.g., a park boundary) or it may denote a Public
Land Survey System or equivalent survey line.
The line that separates either land or Inland water from Coastal,
Territorial or Great Lakes water. Where land directly borders
Coastal, Territorial or Great Lakes water, the shoreline represents
the Coastline. Where Inland water (such as a river) flows into
Coastal, Territorial or Great Lakes water, the closure line separating
the Inland water from the other class of water represents the
Coastline.
The route used to carry or convey people or cargo back and forth
over a waterbody in a boat.
A legal/statistical boundary line that does not correspond to a
shoreline or other visible feature on the ground.
P0003
Intermittent Shoreline
P0004
Other non-visible
bounding Edge (e.g.,
Census water boundary,
boundary of an areal
feature)
Railroad Feature (Main,
Spur, or Yard)
Carline, Streetcar Track,
Monorail, Other Mass
Transit
R1011
R1051
The more-or-less permanent boundary between land and water for a
water feature that exists year-round.
The boundary between land and water (when water is present) for a
water feature that does not exist year-round.
A bounding Edge that does not represent a legal/statistical
boundary, and does not correspond to a shoreline or other visible
feature on the ground. Many such Edges bound area landmarks,
while many others separate water features from each other (e.g.,
where a bay meets the ocean).
A line of fixed rails or tracks that carries mainstream railroad traffic.
Such a rail line can be a main line or spur line, or part of a rail yard.
Mass transit rail lines (including lines for rapid transit, monorails,
streetcars, light rail, etc.) that are typically inaccessible to
mainstream railroad traffic and whose tracks are not part of a road
right-of-way.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page B-8
MTFCC Feature Class
R1052
Cog Rail Line, Incline Rail
Line, Tram
S1100
Primary Road
S1200
Secondary Road
S1400
Local Neighborhood
Road, Rural Road, City
Street
S1500
Vehicular Trail (4WD)
S1630
Ramp
S1640
S1710
Service Drive usually
along a limited access
highway
Walkway/Pedestrian Trail
S1720
Stairway
S1730
Alley
S1740
S1780
S1820
Private Road for service
vehicles (logging, oil
fields, ranches, etc.)
Internal U.S. Census
Bureau use
Parking Lot Road
Bike Path or Trail
S1830
Bridle Path
S2000
Road Median
S1750
Feature Class Description
A special purpose rail line for climbing steep grades that is typically
inaccessible to mainstream railroad traffic. Note that aerial tramways
and streetcars (which may also be called “trams”) are accounted for
by other MTFCCs and do not belong in R1052
Primary roads are generally divided, limited-access highways within
the interstate highway system or under state management, and are
distinguished by the presence of interchanges. These highways are
accessible by ramps and may include some toll highways.
Secondary roads are main arteries, usually in the U.S. Highway,
State Highway or County Highway system. These roads have one or
more lanes of traffic in each direction, may or may not be divided,
and usually have at-grade intersections with many other roads and
driveways. They often have both a local name and a route number.
Generally a paved non-arterial street, road, or byway that usually
has a single lane of traffic in each direction. Roads in this feature
class may be privately or publicly maintained. Scenic park roads
would be included in this feature class, as would (depending on the
region of the country) some unpaved roads.
An unpaved dirt trail where a four-wheel drive vehicle is required.
These vehicular trails are found almost exclusively in very rural
areas. Minor, unpaved roads usable by ordinary cars and trucks
belong in the S1400 category.
A road that allows controlled access from adjacent roads onto a
limited access highway, often in the form of a cloverleaf interchange.
These roads are unaddressable and do not carry a name in
MAF/TIGER.
A road, usually paralleling a limited access highway, that provides
access to structures along the highway. These roads can be named
and may intersect with other roads.
A path that is used for walking, being either too narrow for or legally
restricted from vehicular traffic.
A pedestrian passageway from one level to another by a series of
steps.
A service road that does not generally have associated addressed
structures and is usually unnamed. It is located at the rear of
buildings and properties and is used for deliveries.
A road within private property that is privately maintained for service,
extractive, or other purposes. These roads are often unnamed.
Internal U.S. Census Bureau use.
The main travel route for vehicles through a paved parking area.
A path that is used for manual or small, motorized bicycles, being
either too narrow for or legally restricted from vehicular traffic.
A path that is used for horses, being either too narrow for or legally
restricted from vehicular traffic.
The unpaved area or barrier between the carriageways of a divided
road.
Note: The information in this table was last updated in November 2015.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page B-9
APPENDIX C
Reading a Map
C1. Scales
A map is a paper or digital representation of an area. Naturally, the map is always
smaller than the area it represents, so nearly all maps are equipped with a scale,
which depicts the ratio of distance on the map to the actual distance on land.
The scale can be designed any number of ways, but two of the most common scales
are ratio scales (Figure C1), which describe a ratio between the map and the real world
(e.g., 1:24,000), and bar scales, which depict that relationship graphically by displaying
how much a certain distance on the map represents in the real world (Figure C1). In
other words, if a map has a ratio scale of 1:24,000, it means that one inch on the map
represents 24,000 inches on the ground. (This works with any unit of measurement, so
long as the unit being used on the map is the same as – or properly converted from –
the unit being depicted on the ground.) Often a map will have both types of scale.
Figure C1: The map from which this scale was taken has a ratio scale of 1:15,000. The bar scale
shows distances in kilometers and miles.
A bar scale will often be a set length (e.g., one inch), and/or represent a set distance
(e.g., one mile). You can use the bar scale to determine distance on your map by us ing
a ruler. Simply place the ruler on the map to determine the distance on the map; then
place the ruler along the bar scale, which will show how much that distance represents
on the ground.
Maps that display a small area, but with a relatively large amount of detail, are
considered large-scale maps (Figure C9). A map that displays a large area, but shows
less detail, is called a small-scale map (Figure C2). This is because the representative
fraction of a large-scale map (e.g., 1/7,500 or 1:7,500) is a larger fraction than that of a
small-scale map (e.g., 1/250,000 or 1:250,000).
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
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Figure C2: A large-scale map shows a greater amount of detail; this example displays streets,
parks, churches and restaurants.
C2. Compass Rose
All maps should have some sort of diagram depicting at least one – but sometimes all –
of the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) that the map reader can use to
orient the map. This diagram is sometimes called a compass rose (FigureC3).
A compass rose can have any number of designs, and north can be shown in any
direction on the map, but most maps are oriented with north at the top of the map. It is
important to check the compass rose when beginning to read a map, in order to
determine the direction in which the map is oriented (e.g., which direction is at the top of
the map).
Figure C3:
Compass Rose.
C3. Legend
Because a map is a graphic representation of a real-world area, naturally, it is
necessary, and convenient, to symbolize real world features with representative
symbols. These symbols can take any form, so long as they are consistent within any
individual map. In order to describe what each symbol means, most maps have a
legend (Figure C4). The legend is typically located on the side or bottom of the map –
they can be anywhere, so long as they do not obstruct the integral parts of the map.
Typically, the legend will have a small example of each symbol (e.g. a line, or a picture
of a tent), and next to the symbol, in text, a brief description of what is being depicted
(e.g. “road”, or “campground”).
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
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Figure C4:
A legend describes what each symbol means.
Sometimes a map needs to depict multiple features concurrently. This is because some
lines are the boundaries of multiple geographies at the same time (e.g. a county
boundary can also be a city boundary, a voting district boundary, and even a highway or
river). Such instances can be depicted in various ways, but Census Bureau maps
depict coincident lines by alternating the symbols for each type of line (Figure C5). In
other words, if a line is both a county boundary (symbolized by a series of squares) and
a city boundary (a series of circles), that boundary will be depicted as a series of
alternating squares and circles for the length of the concurrency.
Figure C5: In this case, the city and the county boundaries are coincident, and run through the
middle of the river.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
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In situations where higher-level geographies (e.g. national, state, county, or county
subdivisions) coincide, the Census Bureau’s maps display only the symbol of the
highest-ranking of these boundaries. In other words, if a particular boundary is shared
by both a state and county, only the symbol representing the state boundary will be
displayed.
C4. Index Maps
In order to decide which map you need to use for your BAS submission, it is necessary
to view the entity as a whole, and choose the correct parent map sheet based on its
location within the entity. You can do this by referring to the index map (Figure C6), a
relatively small-scale map that shows the entire entity, and the location and number of
all parent map sheets within that entity. Each parent map sheet has a numerical
locator which differentiates it from the other parent map sheets associated with that
entity. The numbering begins with the northern and western-most parent map sheets,
and continues left-to-right, in much the same pattern as words in a book. By referring to
the index map, you can then determine which parent map sheet(s) you need to use for
your BAS submission, and then access it based on its number on the index map.
Figure C6: The Index Map sheet shows the location of all parent map sheets and inset map
sheets within an entity.
The index map is not appropriate for BAS submissions. Its purpose is as a reference or
index of parent maps, and it will not be accepted as a BAS submission.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
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C5. Inset Maps
In some instances, in highly congested areas, even a parent map sheet provides
insufficient detail for BAS purposes. In such cases, rather than using a parent map, the
area is depicted within an inset map (Figure C7). This refers to a map with a very large
scale, so that it displays a smaller area than the parent map sheet, but with greater
detail. On the index map, an inset map is represented by a green outline, and is
assigned a number preceded by a letter (e.g. A1, A2, B1, etc.), as shown in Figure C8.
Inset maps are only found in areas with a large number of features, and as such are
used less often than parent maps.
Figure C7:
detail.
Inset maps show areas of congestion at a large scale, allowing a greater amount of
Figure C8:
Inset map as it is displayed on index map.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
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C6. Parent Maps
Many entities 2 , such as incorporated places and counties, are too large to be shown on
a single map; that is, the scale is too small to allow the necessary details for BAS
updates. Thus, it is necessary to separate the entity into sections, each of which has its
own map, called the parent map sheet3 (Figure C9). Thus, a single entity is often
represented with numerous map sheets, with each parent map sheet showing a small
section of the entity. Each parent map is assigned a number, beginning with the
number one and increasing progressively for each additional parent map sheet (e.g. 1,
2, 3, 4, etc.). In this way, viewing and editing map sheets becomes more manageable,
and it becomes possible to depict an area with the level of detail necessary to make
changes or challenges. In most instances, the parent map is the one that should be
used for BAS submissions.
Figure C9:
The parent map sheet shows a section of an entity at a relatively large scale.
In the bottom right-hand corner of the parent map sheet, there is a key to the parent
map sheet’s location in relation to adjacent map sheets as shown in Figure C9 above.
A larger example of this key is shown in Figure C10. This way, if you need to refer to an
adjacent map sheet, you can quickly determine which one you will need.
2
Entity refers to any local governmental unit, e.g. a county, incorporated place, or minor civil division.
Within the scope of BAS, the terms ‘map’ and ‘map sheet’ have the same meaning, and they are used
interchangeably throughout this document.
3
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page C-6
Figure C10:
The key to adjacent sheets shows where the parent map sheet lies in relation to
adjacent sheets.
Next to the key to adjacent sheets, there is a small outline of the entire entity (the inside
of which is colored yellow), and a blue outline of the parent map sheet. This key
displays the location of the map sheet in relation to the entity as a whole as is shown in
Figure C11.
Figure C11:
The Sheet Location within Entity key shows where the parent map sheet is located
within the entity to which it belongs.
Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper
Page C-7
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | Boundary and Annexation Survey Respondent Guide: Paper |
| Author | U.S. Census Bureau |
| File Modified | 2015-12-16 |
| File Created | 2015-12-07 |