The Board of Natural Resources approved a proposal that, if finalized, would allow the state’s Public Land Survey Office to improve services to the public by restoring staff positions eliminated in the recession of 2008-09.

The office, which is the statewide source for land surveying information, seeks an $18 increase in the surcharge collected by county recording offices to record survey documents. It would be the first change in the survey recording surcharge since 2002 when the fee was set at the current $46. The recording fees help fund the operations of the Public Land Survey Office.

“With construction activity on the rebound statewide, it is imperative that our state’s Public Land Survey Office has the tools it needs to continue its legislative mandate and provide an accessible online database of land survey records,” said Kyle Blum, Deputy Supervisor of Uplands for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

A rule authorizing the fee increase would become final after completion of a public comment period and a vote of the Board of Natural Resources. Counties, private surveyors and others rely on the Public Land Survey Office database of more than 540,000 documents to resolve land boundary disputes and reduce the need for costly land surveys. The office also establishes survey standards and educational resources.