Posted: 9/26/2010 9:02:51 AM EDT
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In another thread it was suggested that google maps was a good alternative for maps to buying them.
I like them as street maps. However, I have noted something about them in my area that I don't like. They do not show all the parks and forest preserves. They show some of them, but not all of them. There are about 2000 acres worth of forest preserves that just don't exist according to google maps, and that is just among the ones I looked for. Very curious. |
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Your state or county probably has a website with maps where you can check land ownership/status. I am not so much concerned about who owns the land as the fact that huge chunk of lands are just not identified on the google maps. Some are, but not all for some odd reason. Interestingly, someone had suggested downloading maps from the USGS. They are also missing some of the same parks. It makes me think that maybe the google data and the USGS data came from the same source. |
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Another online option is www.geocommunicator.gov This is the BLM's mapping site. The user can toggle maps for topo, aerial, and other backgrounds. Easiest place to look up legal descriptions (Section, Township, Range) that I know of. Can also turn on "surface management agency" to see if its state, blm, DOW, national forest etc..
BTW, My first post! Longitime lurker, this topic made me post as I work with maps all the time. |
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What do you mean by missing? A large white spot or? What does the map show? Link? +1 Pehaps you mean that they are not delineated as such? I'm SURE the land itself is there! 
Funny thing, back in the paper map days, I went to a county office and asked to pull some of their maps. ALL state lands were completely blank, as they were for taxation purposes, and the State does not pay the county. |
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What are the names of the parks and preserves that you're referring to? Both Pecatonica Wetlands and Pecatonica River FPs are not shown nor is a smaller FP adjacent to Pecatonica Wetlands. But due south a few miles, Seward Bluff FP is shown. These are near Pecatonica, IL, just west of Rockford. It shows a small city park, Sumner, but does not show the fairgrounds next door. Pecatonica Wetlands is on the north side of the river from Sumner. Hononeagah FP near Rockton is not shown, although a couple of FPs a few miles to the west are. It turns out you can report errors and omissions in the maps to google, so I did. |
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Did you try Bing/Microsoft Earth?
There were areas "missing" years ago but they've appeared - some of the more "classified" military bases. Nuclear weapons storage, nuclear refueling, communications/surveillance bases were only given in low resolution. I use Garmin's $29 a year map download service. |
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When we were buying our house, I printed directions to it to meet the realtor. I was getting pissed when they were almost an hour late. Turns out google sent me to the wrong house. By wrong house, I mean the other side of town. Everyone who uses it to get here does the same thing. |
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There is a free program that allows to download the 'tiles' from Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, etc. and store them on your computer for off-line viewing. You can DL all formats: street, satellite, etc. Each site / format can be saved in a different directory on your Hard Drive. I have my AO on a DVD for use with a laptop.
Having different Map and Sat Views plus and a Topo View (Google maps) gives you a good perceptive of your AO. This could be invaluable in a SHTF situation. gmap catcher |