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June 3, 2020

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TOP NEWS

Surveyors Historical Society Rendezvous Postponed Surveyors Historical Society Many of us look forward all year to Surveyors Rendezvous: visiting new places, learning new and interesting things about surveying and most of all, for me at least, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. However, the safety and well-being of our members is more important than the chance to get together. At our May meeting, the SHS Board of Directors unanimously voted to cancel the event for 2020. The only question was whether the hotel would hold us to our contract (and resulting penalties) or allow us to reschedule. SHS Executive Director Paula Hammer was able to negotiate with the hotel, and I am pleased to announce that the Perrysburg Ohio Rendezvous has been postponed rather than cancelled. Mark your calendars for September 22-25, 2021. I hope to have the same format and speakers as previously announced, but as with everything lately there may be some changes. What won’t change is the great people who come to Rendezvous! We’ll keep you posted. See you all in Perrysburg next year. Ann Besch Rendezvous Chair Editor’s Note: If you are not a member of the Surveyors Historical Society, check out this great organization: http://www.surveyorshistoricalsociety.com/

FCC Commissioners Respond to Armed Services Questions on Ligado Order NSPS Last month, the House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX) together with 20 other members, wrote to the FCC Commissioners regarding the Commission’s approval of Ligado’s proposal to use portions of spectrum in a way that poses an unacceptable risk to the Global Positioning System (GPS) in the United States. According to reports, the FCC relied solely on test results from Ligado itself to resolve interference concerns, rather than more extensive testing conducted by the Department of Transportation. The letter requests each FCC commissioner respond to a series of questions and information requests within seven days, including: 1) Copies of any legal analysis that allowed the FCC to dismiss the interference concerns expressed unanimously by the national security community; 2) Confirmation that each commissioner received a briefing from DOD on the classified DOT testing assessment; and 3) Confirmation from Commissioners Rosenworcel and Starks that they believe the concerns of the national security community have been adequately addressed. Each of the FCC Commissioners' responses are found here, here, here, here and here.

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Surveyor Says! Podcast NSPS Our latest edition (Episode 30!) of the NSPS “Surveyor Says!” podcast is an interview with our Executive Director Curt Sumner and how NSPS has operated during the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about how even surveyors made the transition to video conferencing, even for our Spring Board of Directors meeting! Join us for a great talk about the inner workings of the association here on “Surveyor Says!”

NOAA's Plan Examined for Deep Ocean Mapping of US Waters NSPS The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is planning to map all U.S. waters in support of Seabed 2030 objectives and to contribute to the complete mapping of the world’s oceans in the next ten years. Mapping waters of the U.S. is a national goal that will be accomplished through strong coordination and partnerships with other federal agencies, academia and the private sector. NOAA is the primary agency responsible for seafloor mapping and nautical charting with several other federal, academic, and industry partners contributing seafloor mapping data within US waters. The agency is behind schedule in sending a plan to Congress as required by the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act (HSIA), included in S. 140, the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill and signed into Public Law 115-282 in December 2018. thereby authorizing the program from 2019 through 2023. Under this law, NOAA conducts and contracts for hydrographic surveys and other hydrographic services which are used to map our coastal areas and navigable waters. The bill in Section 1002, calls for the Secretary of Commerce to develop a strategy for how NOAA will increase contracting with the private sector for hydrographic data collection, with the strategy to due to Congress within six (6) months of enactment of the bill. It requires, “(b) DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGY FOR INCREASED CONTRACTING WITH NONGOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES FOR HYDROGRAPHIC DATA COLLECTION.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary completes the activities required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall develop a strategy for how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will increase contracting with nongovernmental entities for hydrographic data collection in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act (Public Law 111–11; 33 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).”

Dr. Javad Ashjaee, Founder of JAVAD GNSS, Passes Away Javad GNSS “Over the course of 37 years, Javad made an incredible and far-reaching impact in the GNSS community. He pioneered the world's most advanced GNSS technology through a multi-national effort that combined GPS and GLONASS and established more than a quarter century of partnership between Silicon Valley and Moscow. He was always proud of this "success story of cooperation". Javad was a true industry disrupter long before the term and concept became popular. His whole way of doing business was challenging and disrupting to the status quo”. READ MORE

NGA Releases Geospatial Technology Strategy NSPS The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) published the agency’s technology strategy last week, highlighting its path to continued GEOINT dominance through improving internal processes and leveraging industry-leading technology. The NGA Technology Strategy outlines the current technology environment, the vision for tomorrow and how the agency and the geospatial ecosystem can reach this desired end state. The NGA Technology Strategy was developed concurrently with the 2020 NGA Tech Focus Areas, which details current and enduring agency technology needs.

NGAC to Meet by Webinar June 9-10 NSPS The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on June 9 and June 10, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm EDT each day. The meeting will be held via webinar and teleconference. Agenda topics include the FGDC Update, Geospatial Data Act (GDA) Implementation, National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Strategic Plan, Landsat Advisory Group, NGAC Operations, and Public-Private Partnerships (P3s). The NGAC provides advice and recommendations related to management of Federal and national geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 and Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16. The NGAC reviews and comments on geospatial policy and management issues and provides a forum to convey views representative of non-federal stakeholders in the geospatial community. The NGAC meeting is one of the primary ways that the FGDC collaborates with its broad network of partners. NSPS member Gary Thompson is an appointed member of the NGAC.

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Expect More Interruptions To Surveyor Work Point of Beginning In a desperate attempt to feel “back to normal,” a Michigan construction worker recently crossed state lines into Ohio for a service still not yet available under lockdown in the Great Lakes State. “It feels amazing,” Nawal Hamade told the Detroit News, after driving roughly 10 miles from Temperance, Michigan, to Toledo, Ohio, to get a pedicure. “Staying at home was getting depressing,” she said. Imagine that. READ MORE

Intergeo 2020 to Be Held In-Person and Virtually GPS World The 2020 Intergeo trade show will be hosted both in-person and virtually, said Intergeo organizer Christoph Hinte. The theme of the 2020 event will be “Geoinformation for a smarter world.” “The hygiene and social distancing concept is currently being coordinated,” Hinte said. “In addition to the live event, this year is the first time we will also offer a virtual twin. Both the conference and the fair will be replicated. By hosting the fair in a virtual format, we expect to attract the same number of visitors as in previous years, if not more.” READ MORE

New GPS Performance Document Gives Glimpses of L2C, L5, Expanded Constellation Inside GNSS The U.S. Air Force updated the GPS Standard Positioning System (SPS) Performance Standard (PS) in mid-April, 2020, the first new Performance Standard document since 2008. It includes mention of and pre-Initial Operating Capability (IOC) performance standards for the new civil GPS signals L2C and L5 for the first time. In another new feature, the document mentions “expanded capabilities which allow the total size of operational constellation to grow beyond the previous maximum of 32 Navstar satellites” for “more robust constellation availability to enhance the overall SPS SIS performance.” READ MORE

Scans, Soundings, Surve and Sailcargo: Building Ceiba with Surveying xyHt It was a chance meeting that changed two lives. It may also change the way the world thinks about maritime shipping. It’s Ceiba! An accomplished sailor, Danielle Doggett loves tall ships—the large wind-powered sailing vessels that carry passengers and cargo. Her fascination with the big ships started in her teens, sailing on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes and eventually on the St. Lawrence II, a 72-foot two-mast brigantine built in the 1950s for youth sail training. “I have been taken by great sailing ships ever since,” Doggett says. “The idea of shipping cargo, emissions free, as a viable business really inspired me.” READ MORE

Become a Certified Survey Technician (CST) No matter what the future holds, prepare to meet challenges head on. Future-proof your resume by becoming a Certified Survey Technician (CST). This unique four-level certification program indicates official recognition by NSPS that a person can perform surveying tasks at a specific technical level. Show what you can do! Decide between the field or office track. Visit www.cstnsps.com for details.

A Geospatial Analysis Identifies the Areas Most Vulnerable to COVID-19 Medical Xpress A report based on a geospatial analysis conducted by researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) in collaboration with TAPTAP Digital, using additional data from Predicio and Tamoco, identifies the areas in Spain that require increased measures of protection against new outbreaks of the COVID19 epidemics. Based on their population density, Madrid and Barcelona are the Spanish cities with an increased risk of infection; however, when considering other variables, such as the rates of the at-risk population and, in particular, coverage of critical points of interest (such as hospitals, pharmacies or supermarkets), the areas requiring additional measures of protection, in particular contexts, can be identified. READ MORE

The Importance of Maps in the Times of Crisis Geospatial World With the outbreak of COVID-19 forcing big parts of the global population to stay indoors, many of us are now ordering food, medical supplies and other essentials to be delivered to our doorstep. Having groceries delivered is hardly news — many of us did this for years before we’d even heard of Coronavirus. What’s new is how many people are now doing it at once, the amount of goods that need to be delivered to hospitals, clinics, and care homes, and how many new demographic groups are taking advantage of online shopping. READ MORE

NSPS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President, Mark Sargent (NH) Director, Thomas Brooks (AL) President-Elect, Tim Burch (IL) Director, Bob Neathamer (OR) Vice President, Amanda Allred (WA) Director, Danny Martinez (NE) Treasurer, Bob Miller (PA) Director, Matt Morris (MT) Secretary, Craig Amey (MI) Executive Director, Curt Sumner (MD) Immediate Past President, Lisa Van Horn (WI)

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News & Views   Connect with NSPS Colby Horton, EVP, Publishing, 972-402-7001 | Download media kit Dennis Hall, Executive Editor, 469-420-2656 | Contribute news National Society of Professional Surveyors 5119 Pegasus Court, Suite Q | Frederick, MD 21704 | 240-439-4615 | Contact Us Click here to unsubscribe. Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX, 75063