The 2020 Joint Conference with Western Federation of Professional Surveyors (WFPS) was a success with roughly 650 attendees! A big thank you to Crissy Willson and the Conference Committee for their hard work! New to the Conference this year were session moderators, door prizes, sponsorships and the Conference App! The app provided easy access to speaker materials and bios, the schedule, attendance and exhibitor lists, and it allowed us to track our continuing education electronically!
The Fall Workshop and Board of Directors meeting will be held in Spokane on November 13-14. The Fall Workshop will include a track for technicians.
The 2021 Conference will be at the Hilton in Vancouver, WA on March 3-5. The Board authorized Crissy Willson to begin site selection for 2022 and 2023 including a potential joint conference with the Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors.
NGS continues to urge us to get out and collect GPS on benchmarks in order to help build the 2022 Transformation Tool. Tom Barger is coordinating this effort for Washington State. Deadline is December 2021.
ACTION ITEM: Each chapter should plan to occupy the priority bench marks in their region. Information located at: https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/GPSonBM/
The Washington Young Surveyors Network (WA-YSN) provided a presentation to the Board of Directors. The WA-YSN is recruiting members and seeking support. LSAW will be providing financial and marketing assistance. Employers can help by providing mentorship, encouraging Young Surveyors to participate in organizations and meetings, allowing time to study for exams, and providing funding for meeting attendance at the local, state, and national levels.
Snohomish Chapter has discussed the importance of mentorship and plans to devote a portion of each meeting this year to survey technician training.
Look for the latest Evergreen State Surveyor (ESS) magazine in your mailbox.
BLA Model Ordinance is still being vetted. This is a best practices model for municipalities to consider and not intended to be law. It will be discussed again at the April DNR Survey Advisory Board meeting.
LSAW sponsored HB 2860 concerning the Washington Plane Coordinate System. The bill has passed the House and and Senate and is on the Governor's desk for signature. Monument Preservation is still waiting to get a bill number. A grassroots effort will be needed to support the bill when it does move forward.
Committee Chair and Liaison appointments have been made. All committees are looking for member participation. If you are interested in serving on a committee please email info@lsaw.org
TrigStar information will be emailed to Chapter Presidents. Crissy Willson will be coordinating the TrigStar program this year.
A Celebration of Life for John Thalacker will be held April 18th. Consider donating to the LSAW Foundation in John Thalacker’s name. The NW Chapter has renamed their scholarship to the John Thalacker Memorial Scholarship and has committed to donating $2,000 annually.
The LSAW Foundation raised over $12,000 for scholarships via the auction and raffle at the Conference!
Check out the Surveyor Says! podcasts on the NSPS website. LSAW members Jim Coan, Pat Beehler, and Jon Warren will be featured on upcoming episodes.
National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) will host “Day on the Hill” on April 1st. LSAW will have several representatives that will participate in this lobby day.
National Surveyors Week is March 15-21, 2020. How will you celebrate? Email your Surveyors Week stories/photos to info@lsaw.org
