Frequently Asked Questions
Wait! Wasn't this done before?
Yes, there was an attempt to develop a statewide parcel layer and there is currently an existing Washington Cadastral Framework, being used primarily by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. However, this effort is different in that we are not asking counties to conform to a set standard; rather, we are going to build a seamless spatial layer and a greatest common attribute table based on whatever the current data storage and format currently being used by each county.
Are counties going to have to subscribe to some kind of standardized parcel storage system?
No. We will develop individual crosswalks for both the tabular and spatial data for each county. Of course, standardized parcel data would make the consolidation process easier, but that will require much more support from state funds to ensure that counties are not asked to change data practices without additional (or any) support.
Who should I contact with questions or concerns?
Please contact either Luke Rogers or Andrew Cooke.
Who can attend the Parcel Working Group meetings?
Anyone interested in working collaboratively to help build a statewide parcel database. Please visit the group's website and contact either Luke Rogers or David Jennings if you would like to attend a meeting.
Once the parcel data is collected and compiled, will it be sold?
No. The users of the data will be state, federal, and local government agencies and research organizations.
How can I get access to the parcel data?
While the Working Group endeavors to build an open, updated and publically available database we are many years away from having a Statewide Parcel Database product. Current license agreements, technical hurdles, varying county data quality and accuracy and limited financial support for the project severly restrict our ability to develop a reliable, documented and supported product for general distribution. Counties remain the best source for this information as their data is more comprehensive and current.
What if my county doesn't have GIS data?
We would still appreciate your participation. One of the goals of the project is to document which counties have GIS data, at which levels of sophistication, and which counties could use support in increasing their use of GIS for county-level needs.
What is the Washington State Forestland Database and how is it related to the Washington State Parcel Database?
The Washington State Forestland Database will identify forested properties in Washington State and will be based primarily on parcel-level information, which will be drawn from the Washington State Parcel Database, once it is assembled.
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