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By Bob Dahn, NSPS Past President
When Yogi Berra passed, my friend Alonzo posted some photos of, and quips about, Yogi. I had been thinking about Yogi, and I shared this story with my friend. My wife suggested I share it with everyone, or at least the "everyone" that I know.
The first baseball number I wore was 8. I played one form or another of organized ball into my sixties. I did not always wear 8, but when I finally finished playing ball 2 or 3 years ago I was wearing 8. Clearly 8 is the perfect number, whenever Yogi slid or dove for a ball it was infinity.
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NSPS
Q: Our firm currently uses a limitation of liability clause in our professional services agreements, but clients are unwilling to sign the contract with such a clause. What suggestions do you have to help us explain why clients should sign a contract containing a limitation of liability clause?
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By Frank Lenik, PLS
Lately, each time I get together with a group of surveyors, the discussion moves towards the shortage of available candidates for employment, the dearth of applicants for the land surveyor exam, and the aging of the population of existing surveyors. With a long face someone inevitably predicts the eventual death of our profession. We recognize the symptoms, but can't identify a cure. As Walt Kelly's Pogo would say, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
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NSPS
Please join host Curt Sumner and his guest Jim Demma, a professional surveyor/attorney in Maryland for a conversation about Jim's experiences, included how being a professional survey has assisted him in his legal practice.
If you are unable to listen to the show when it is being broadcast, listen to the archive of the show at http://www.radiosandysprings.com/showpages/ACSM.php. Archives for each show are typically available for listening within a few days after the show airs.
NSPS
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) released H.R. 3763, the "Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform (STRR) Act of 2015". The bill contains provisions that will increase the demand for surveying data connected to the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) as well as state DOTs. Section 5302 provides for windshield mounted safety technology and defines ‘‘vehicle safety technology’’ to include lane departure warning systems and collision avoidance systems that would be built on precise location data. Section 6003 focuses on advanced transportation and congestion management technologies deployment to include monitoring transportation assets for improving infrastructure management, and to deploy such technology for infrastructure maintenance, monitoring, and condition assessment. NSPS is seeking a provision to clarify the definition of services subject to the Brooks Act qualifications based selection (QBS) process.
NSPS
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources earlier this week took up several nominations, including Suzette M. Kimball, to be Director of the United States Geological Survey. In her written testimony Dr. Kimball focused on elevation data collection efforts within USGS, noting "we have collected IFSAR data for more than 63% of the state of Alaska and created almost 2000 new topographic maps; we have brought new hyperspectral technologies on board to map mineral distributions ..." During the nomination hearing, Senator Angus King (I-ME) engaged Dr. Kimball on the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) based on his visit to the headquarters of one of his constituents (a surveying and mapping firm), where he gained first-hand knowledge on 3DEP. To watch the coverage, the question and answer discussion takes place from 2:10:25 to 2:12:00 of the archived webcast found on the Committee's hearing website.
NSPS
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that about three-quarters of eighth grade students—the only grade for which trend data are available—were not “proficient” in geography in 2014, according to GAO's analysis of nationally representative data from the Department of Education (Education). Specifically, these students had not demonstrated solid competence in the subject, and the proficiency levels of eighth grade students have shown no improvement since 1994. A key challenge to providing geography education is the increased focus on other subjects. These officials and teachers said spending time and resources on geography education is difficult due to national and state focus on the tested subjects of reading, math, and science. One of the challenges GAO's identified was the limited use of geographic technology in the classroom.
NSPS
Firms and hobbyists owning unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will be required to register their equipment with the Federal Aviation, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced on Monday. A government-industry task force will recommend rules for the registration program. The proposal comes after more than 100 incidents of UAVs flying near airports have been reported. Surveying and mapping are among the top commercial uses for AUS, according to several market analyses.
NSPS
The Maryland Society of Surveyors led observances of the 250th anniversary of the landmark survey of the Pennsylvania-Maryland boundary that also included Delaware and present-day West Virginia. Events included a ceremony and reception at the Maryland Historical Society for the unveiling of a restored instrument used by Mason and Dixon in the survey, as well as the establishment of a historical market and boundary stone.
NSPS
"If you see something, say something" is a program in which NSPS is a participant through its membership in the Council on Federal Procurement of Architectural & Engineering Services (COFPAES). A firm was recently asked by the Forest Service to submit a price proposal, along with other firms short listed for an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract. Such a price proposal request violates the Brooks Act and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). COFPAES Administrator John Palatiello, who also serves as NSPS federal government affairs consultant, communicated with the contracting officer, noting the law and regulation violation, while maintaining the anonymity of the affected firm. The procurement process was revised, the price request was withdrawn, and the integrity of the qualifications based selection process was preserved. Also, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office recently contacted COFPAES to seek assistance in documenting that use of GSA Schedule contracts was also a Brooks Act and FAR violation. As a benefit of membership any NSPS member encountering a federal procurement problem should contact the NSPS office for assistance.
NSPS
Review a comprehensive report for the NSPS Joint Government Affairs Committee (JGAC), providing a detailed update on legislative and regulatory issues affecting the surveying profession, prepared by John M. Palatiello & Associates, Inc., the NSPS federal government affairs consultant. The report was presented to the JGAC and NSPS Board of Directors at its fall leadership meeting earlier this month in Sandusky, Ohio.
Employment opportunities
NSPS
Employment opportunities are posted on the NSPS website.
Employers interested in posting job opportunities on the NSPS website should contact John D. Hohol at jhohol@gmail.com.
Upcoming seminars/conferences
NSPS
Due to the volume of requests we received to publish information about State Society conferences, use this link to access the information from the NSPS website.
Inside GNSS
The U.S. Department of Transportation is finalizing its blueprint for long-awaited tests to determine the power limits needed to protect GPS receivers. The Adjacent-Band Compatibility Assessment is part of a plan to develop masks — a set of power limits by frequency — for the bands near the GPS L1 signal. Eventually covering all GPS civil receivers present and future, the masks are a way to give potential users of frequencies neighboring the GPS frequencies clear limits against which to measure their plans and proposals.
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GIS User
A new algorithm for automated landslide inventorying, named the Contour Connection Method, has been developed that relies on simplified morphological features for analysis. Previous landslide mapping techniques have included field inventorying, photogrammetry, and use of bare-earth lidar Digital Elevation Models to highlight regions of instability. However, many of these techniques do not have sufficient accuracy, resolution or consistency for inventorying landslide deposits on a landscape scale — with the exception being use of lidar bare earth digital elevation models.
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Sensors & Systems
The barriers to our understanding of land change and interactions with Earth systems are on the cusp of coming down, thanks to the many ways that our ability to sense are improving and becoming more accessible and affordable. There are so many new (and coming) sensing abilities that it's a difficult time to chart the path forward in terms of technology investments and sensor and system architecture.
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Business Insider
Sometimes all it takes is a little perspective to see how our actions are affecting the planet. And what better perspective than from space? Climate change due to human activity is causing visible shifts on our planet, and NASA is uniquely positioned to observe these effects. "If we continue on our current course, it's going to be hard to feed this planet because it's so hot," Ellen Stofan, NASA's chief scientist, told Business Insider.
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