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As 2019 comes to a close, NSPS would like to wish its members, partners and other industry professionals a safe and happy holiday season. As we reflect on the past year for our profession, we would like to provide the readers of News & Views a look at the most accessed articles from the year. Our regular publication will resume Wednesday, Jan. 8.
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NGS and NSPS
From Oct. 23:
The well-publicized datum upgrade of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) administered by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) has reached another milestone. In conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NGS has filed a notice with the Federal Register to deprecate the use of "U.S. Survey Foot" on December 31, 2022 and formally adopt the "foot" (previously known as the "international foot"). The Federal Register announcement and feedback page can be found here. Please review the information and provide any feedback on the Federal Register page.
This change is in concert with the upcoming overhaul of the NSRS and datum changes by NGS in 2022-2023. For more details on the timeline of the definition of the “foot,” visit the NIST U.S. Survey Foot page here: https://www.nist.gov/pml/us-surveyfoot.
Currently, there are a variety of legislative specification for measuring standards nationwide and within the U.S. territories. For your state, see the graphic below:
Dr. Michael Dennis of NGS has produced a webinar discussing the ramification of the “foot” and why the change is necessary. To view the webinar, please visit the NGS website here.
For additional information on the upcoming datum change, visit the NGS New Datums page here.
Reference Note:
Changes to the Template Draft NSRS Legislation which was published on the NSPS webpage are as noted below:
How to use this template:
- changes/additions in 1st and 2nd lines of item 3)
- changes in the 3rd line of item 3)a.
- Item 3)c added
- Item 9) deleted, and replaced by renaming Item 10) to be Item 9)
- Added a new Item 10)
I. Acronyms:
- Acronyms changed to Abbreviations in the title and in the 1st sentence
- Revised wording in the bolded statement at the end of the definition of *PCS
II. The ≤state≥ Plane Coordinate System:
- Revised wording at the end of third line of the 1st paragraph
- Changes in the first line of the 2ndth paragraph of actual text
- Changes in the second line of the 2nd paragraph of actual text
- Changes in the 5th, 6th ,7th , and 8th lines of the 2nd paragraph of actual text
The updated document is being uploaded to the NSPS website.
Michael L. Dennis, PhD, RLS, PE - Geodesist and SPCS2022 Project Manager - NOAA/NOS/National Geodetic Survey
From Oct. 30: This item has two purposes, and is also going to a large number of people who have expressed interest in this topic (usually to me directly), as well as several NGS colleagues. Everyone should feel free to share this email with anyone who they think would be interested. We realize that some of the people receiving this message are not in favor of the change. All input is valued, regardless of your stance on any part of standardizing the foot definition after 2022.
- The Federal Register Notice (FRN) on deprecating the U.S. survey foot can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/17/2019-22414/deprecation-of-the-united-states-us-survey-foot. The deadline for public comment is Dec 2, and it is open to all. Your input will help in determining the most effective way to implement the change. All comments are welcome, including whether it should simply be called the “foot” after 2022 (i.e., dropping the word “international” from the name). You can provide your comments through the FRN web page above.
- We also are soliciting any “horror stories” that you’re willing to share about mixing up of the two types of feet, which you can email to me (along with including them in FRN feedback, if you’d like) at Michael.Dennis@noaa.gov. Stories provided to me within the next few days could be featured in an Associated Press article about the U.S. survey foot. Each can just be a few sentences that gives important details like the type of project and the impact of the error (including cost, if known). Anything is helpful, even if it doesn’t make it into the AP article.
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Brian Portwood, licensed professional land surveyor, federal employee and historian of land rights law
From May 22: 
This article is part of a quarterly series on the wide variety of issues associated with boundary and easement disputes which arise in the federal context, emphasizing the importance of understanding the historical origin of federal land rights, from the perspective of a professional land surveyor. In this 17th edition, we take a panoramic view of easement law in several western states, where particularly noteworthy conflicts over easement control have taken place. Given the fact that land surveyors play an instrumental role in easement creation, our featured case is one which involves the work of multiple surveyors, and dramatically demonstrates that even survey work of the best quality can be rendered inconsequential, if the recipient of the survey fails to appreciate its legal significance.
READ MORE
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Creation Dimensions
From Nov. 6: Artist Gary Crouch, known as the “Western History Artist” has created a number of art prints, bronzes, and original art related to history. Among his works is a 24” x 30” print titled "The Surveyor."
Information about this work and others can be found at www.crouchhistoryart.com.
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Nikon total stations are economical, versatile, easy to use, and feature Nikon's legendary optics. The Nikon NPL-322+ Series of mechanical total stations includes a 2" dual face and 5" single face models. Both feature a reflectorless EDM with 400 meter (1300 feet) range.
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Forest Resources Association Inc. May 2019
From July 31: The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that there are about 300,000 new Lyme Disease cases each year. Ticks are the leading carriers of disease in the United States and are second to only mosquitoes worldwide. The disease is transferred not from the bite alone, but instead from the toxins, secretions, or organisms in the saliva of the tick. Malaria, West Nile and Zika viruses are just a few of the other diseases that can also affect the “outdoor worker” here in the United States. After many years of research on how to eradicate wood ticks, permethrin* proved to work wonders for the forestry or agriculture worker, military personnel, sports
enthusiasts, and gardeners. A relatively new product, Duration 10% may be part of the solution to prevent tick borne illness. Forestry workers by the very nature of their profession need to be vigilant and prepared
as they work right in the middle of tick habitat. All of them on a regular basis will walk through typical tick areas that are shaded, grassy, and with low hanging brush. These are the perfect areas for ticks to hang out as they love to sit on the vegetation and wait to latch onto their next victim. Because of this the permethrin on clothes becomes very effective as the ticks and insects notice it immediately when they get on the treated item.
Since ticks do not drop from trees but get on us at lower levels the shoes and pants are the most important areas to treat first then work up to shirts and hats too.
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Gary Kent, Chair of the Joint ALTA/NSPS Review Committee
From July 31: As Chair of the ALTA/NSPS committees for both NSPS and ALTA, I would suggest that there is no such thing as a “recertification” or an “update.” Any time we represent that a survey has been updated or recertified, it is essentially a new survey because we are representing that we are showing the current conditions on the property. You have done the survey before, so it may cost less and you may be able to turn it around quicker;
However; there is nothing in any of my “updated” surveys that identifies the survey as an update or re-certification, except a reference in the Surveyor’s Report that “This survey is based in part on the [previous survey]”. I identify the previous survey by certification date, job number, and recording information (since the earlier one should, in almost all cases, have been recorded).
Having said all of that, you need to be aware that clients (probably prodded by lenders) like to call these “re-certifications” and/or “updates” – usually by saying that they “only need an update or recertification”. Why? Because that implies that it should not cost much!
Keep in mind that there are no innocent requests for re-certifications or updates. There is also no innocent request, such as “I have an old copy of this survey or yours, but I can’t read it very well. Can you send me a new copy?” What is happening is that they are going to use the survey in a new conveyance, and you are likely to be taking on new liability to the new lender, title company, and buyer/owner – even if you only gave them a new copy!
So, my suggestion is to tell people who want a re-certification something like, “So, what you are asking for is a new Land Title Survey; I will provide a quote. What Table A items do you need?” They will say, “No, I only need an update [or re-certification].” I would say “Yes, I understand that, but an update or recertification says that I am showing the current conditions under the current standards, so I cannot just change the date. I have to confirm the results of the previous survey, review new title work, confirm that the monuments are still in place, and make sure all of the current conditions are reflected on the survey.”
They will say “But, nothing has changed.” I would say, “Are you familiar with all of the requirements in the 8 pages of the standards? There is a lot that we need to check.”
Don’t let them BS you, and make sure you treat this as a new survey for which you are properly compensated!
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Land Survey Party Chief needed for high rise construction projects in the Greater Boston Area. MORE
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From July 10: In today's world, survey construction staking is a major service being provided by most companies within the land surveying and civil engineering industry. Throughout my career, like many of you, I have been employed by a handful of different land surveying and civil engineering firms, and with each firm came a different style of dedicated procedural standards, and/or, often, a different business model entirely.
READ MORE
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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 http://www.cstnsps.com for details.
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Survey Technicians! Give yourself a Christmas present! Become Certified — https://cstnsps.com/
Tim Burch — GPS World magazine, July 3, 2019
From July 10: The surveying profession has come to a crossroads, and is divided amongst itself to boot. A gap exists within the profession, and yes it is a generation gap, based on how technology has evolved and how the different generations experience it differently. In this column I explore the histories both of the generations and the technology to reach conclusions on how best to move forward — together.
Surveyors now have more tools than ever before available to them to perform their tasks. But surveyors of different ages regard these tools differently. Not to put too fine a point on it, the younger porfessionals among us feel their creativity and desire to further the profession is being stifled by the group who is supposed to be leading and mentoring them.
Why is this crucial to consider?
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Point of Beginning
From April 24: An informal reader poll posted on the POB web site asked how land surveyors handle notification of adjoining property owners when conducting a survey. Since not everyone takes the step of proactively notifying adjoining property owners when they are working in the area, we also asked how land surveyors responded to questions or hostility.
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Tim Burch - GPS World September 4, 2019
From Sept. 11: In what seems like just yesterday, GPS World published my article in the May 2017 issue of Survey Scene on the upcoming datum change by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) in 2022.
With the calendar pages turning rapidly and as we get closer to the witching hour of geospatial voodoo, more items have surfaced to discuss and educate ourselves on in relation to “the change.”
Let’s delve into these topics and break each down into what the common surveying and geospatial practitioner will need to know with the advancements in coordinates, geodesy and our everyday uses.
READ MORE
| President, Lisa Van Horn (WI) |
Director, Cotton Jones (WY) |
| President-Elect, Mark Sargent (NH) |
Director, Thomas Brooks (AL) |
| Vice President, Tim Burch (IL) |
Director, Bob Neathamer (OR) |
| Treasurer, Bob Miller (PA) |
Director, Danny Martinez (NE) |
| Secretary, Craig Amey (MI) |
Executive Director, Curt Sumner (MD) |
| Immediate Past President, Kim Leavitt (ID) |
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Note: NSPS members may receive calls from MultiView sales associates regarding advertising opportunities in News & Views. MultiView, a partner of NSPS, produces the News & Views newsbrief each week.
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