e-NEWS JANUARY 2022
IN THIS ISSUE...
  • A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
  • CLSA EDUCATION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS OFFERS GNSS CLASS FOR FREE 
  • TIMOTHY W. BURCH APPOINTED NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NSPS
  • BPELSG OFFICIAL NOTICE & AGENDA FOR JANUARY 10-11, 2022 MEETING
  • NCEES REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH TEST PREP PROVIDER OVER ALLEGATIONS OF COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
  • NGS FY2021 YEAR IN REVIEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
  • IN THE NEWS
If you folks are getting tired of hearing from me, this is my last President’s column. With the start of the new year come resolutions, new beginnings, and of course the passing of the gavel with respect to CLSA leadership. 

The 61st Annual Fresno State Geomatics Engineering Conference scheduled for January 14 & 15, 2022 has been postponed due to COVID-19. A new date has not yet been selected. CLSA’s Executive Committee met last week and decided to revert to a virtual meeting format for our February 5, 2022 Board of Directors meeting. After reviewing California’s published COVID-19 statistics, there were approximately 15 times more new cases per 100,000 people in January as compared to the lowest week prior to Thanksgiving. The ExComm hopes for improvement in the situation moving forward. At this time, we are still anticipating holding a face-to-face conference in Las Vegas from March 30 - April 2, 2022. Conference registration (discounted for CLSA members) and a link to room registration (Luxor) are available for the 2022 AZ-CA-NV-UT-WestFed Conference HERE. The theme is Mapping the Path for the Next Generation. Plan to arrive March 29. www.PLSEducation.org. 

Looking back on the past year, I see that we have made progress on some fronts, and still have room to improve on others. One thing that I have personally struggled with is clear communication. The most important thing for us to recognize is that communication is not a one-way street. A message is conveyed to a recipient. That person must hear and understand the meaning of the message as it was intended for the communication to be a success. Occasionally the receiver does not get things straight, but more often than not, what I am trying to say is not what comes out of my mouth, or ends up on paper or electrons on a screen every time. 

There is one message that I want everyone to understand clearly: CLSA is a great organization, in good hands for the future, and supported by an excellent management team. The Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Liaisons/Committee Chairs and of course, our Chapter officers strive to do what is best for CLSA, our members, and the profession. I owe them all a sincere thank you. And to you, our members, here is a clarification of recent activities regarding NSPS: 

At the CLSA’s November 2021 Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to add the expense of NSPS membership dues to the 2022 budget. Since that time, the Executive Committee has been reviewing the draft MOU received from NSPS and clarifying some of the language with NSPS. The draft MOU will be included on February 2022 Board of Directors meeting agenda and Directors will be asked to take the MOU back to their chapters to discuss it. It is expected that the Board will then take action on this item at the April 2022 Board meeting. Stay tuned for updates.

Thank you also to the Education Foundation members and officers who help ensure our future leaders are able to maintain course on their path to higher learning. I had the opportunity last weekend to participate on the CLSA Education Foundation Scholarship Awards Committee. If you are able to participate in scholarship application review and selection, please do so. It is really rewarding to be a part of this endeavor, and to have such an immense impact upon those who have applied. I will not steal Keith Spencer’s thunder reporting the total value in CLSA Education Foundation scholarships to be awarded this January. For that I invite you to tune in to the Scholarship Award Zoom meeting on January 27 at 5:30 PM to see the students receive their awards. Email info@californiasurveyors.org if you’d like to receive the Zoom invite.
GPS on BMs data collection effort is a great opportunity for Chapters to put together campaigns that will help land surveyors do their work in the years ahead. This effort also fosters inter-governmental relationships by allowing both public and private sector land surveyors to work together to help improve the future results in their area. Please coordinate your efforts with John Tosto using the gpsonbms@californiasurveyors.org email. The deadline for data collection has been extended to December 31, 2022. For more information on GPS (and GNSS) on BMs the article in the November 2021 CLSA eNews by Steve Martin, Gavin Shrock's article in xyHt titled "GNSS on Bench Marks?" and Tim Burch's interview of Galen Scott for the "Surveyor Says" NSPS podcast. The January 2022 edition of the NGS Monthly Webinar Series is GPSonBM with Jacob Heck and Mick Heberlein telling the story of how Wisconsin met their GPSonBM 10 km targets in just under a year. Steve Martin’s article, “More on the Datum Epoch,” in xyHT explains the difference between datum tags and epoch dates. 

Chapters, please continue recruiting new CLSA members. Licensees, LSITs, Technicians and others are all welcome. There is a membership level for any level of qualification. Individuals, companies, or corporations who, by their interest in the land surveying profession, are desirous of supporting the purposes and objectives of CLSA may also join as Sustaining Members.

If you are not a CLSA member, please recognize all the good that CLSA and CLSA members do to benefit you in your day-to-day work and improve the profession. Please give back to the profession by joining CLSA, attending webinars, workshops, and our conference and participating in the various efforts of importance to you.

Members, please ensure that your membership dues are current, and do whatever you can, whenever you can, to improve the profession. Please reach out to others who are not currently CLSA members and invite them to join or re-join us. I challenge every member to bring in at least one new member. Every membership helps improve our situation adding additional funding, brainpower and enthusiasm. Increasing membership is critical to the success of our organization, and the well-being of our profession. It is up to all of us to help make a difference in our world. CLSA does that.

Thank you for all your efforts.
Keep yourselves and your people safe. 

Robert M. McMillan, PLS, EiT
CLSA EDUCATION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thu, Jan 27, 2022
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS OFFERS GNSS CLASS FOR FREE
The COC Land Surveying department is now offering a GNSS Certificate Program. There are 8 courses in the certificate and each course is 16 hours. If you are a California resident, the classes are FREE!! (Non-residents pay $94 per course). As with all of our Surveying courses (credit and noncredit), you will be able to complete the classes remotely using Zoom and Canvas.

The first course starts Jan 18 and it is easy to enroll!


The flyer explains how to enroll. Please email Regina Blasberg with any questions.
NSRS MODERNIZATION NEWS -- JANUARY 2022
TIMOTHY W. BURCH APPOINTED NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NSPS
The Board of Directors of the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Timothy W. Burch, PLS, as its new Executive Director. Mr. Burch is the current President-Elect of NSPS and is a Professional Land Surveyor licensed in the States of Illinois and Wisconsin. Tim has been involved with the organization for more than 20 years as Secretary of the Board of Governors as well as the Board of Directors, NSPS Vice President, a member of the Certified Survey Technician Board, Joint Government Affairs, and ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey committees. Along with content contributor for NSPS social media, he is creator and producer of the NSPS podcast “Surveyor Says!” and a contributing writer to the NSPS newsletter “News and Views.”
BPELSG OFFICIAL NOTICE & AGENDA FOR JANUARY 10-11, 2022 MEETING
The Official Notice and Agenda for the January 10-11, 2022 meeting of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists is now available on the Board's website.


The materials for the January 10-11, 2022 meeting of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists are now available on the Board's website.
NCEES REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH TEST PREP PROVIDER OVER ALLEGATIONS OF COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and a test preparation provider for certain NCEES exams have reached an $880,000 settlement agreement regarding allegations of the unauthorized use of copyrighted practice questions and reference handbook materials belonging to NCEES. The agreement is effective as of December 31, 2021.
NGS FY2021 YEAR IN REVIEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As we begin a new calendar year, NGS reflects on what they've done and decides on their new goals for the coming year. With this in mind, they've highlighted some accomplishments and welcome your feedback moving forward.

PUBLICATIONS
2021 publications are now half off in the CLSA Store. We are also accepting pre-orders for 2022 publications.

  • 2021 PE Act and PLS Act with Board Rules
  • 2021 Complete Package with DVD
  • 2021 Subdivision Map Act & Index
ARTICLE & PHOTO SUBMISSIONS FOR CALIFORNIA SURVEYOR MAGAZINE
Do you have a photo from your field work that would make a great magazine cover? Do you have an idea for an article or have you written an article that you'd like us to consider including in the next issue? Please send your submissions and ideas to California Surveyor Editor, Joseph Waltz.
NSPS - STOLEN EQUIPMENT REGISTRY

Reminder - NSPS provides a registry of stolen equipment. 
Offers a $.07 per page discount and will automatically donate $.10 per page to CLSA when members download courthouse documents through this website. These instruments include Deeds, Easements, Rights-of-Way, Releases, Liens, etc.
OFFICE DEPOT DISCOUNT PROGRAM
Save up to 60% on your office supplies. Click on the Office Depot Logo to begin utilizing the CLSA-Office Depot Discount Program. If you do not know your username and password, or for more information, contact the CLSA Central Office.
IN THE NEWS...
SURVEYOR COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT TO HELP OLD HOMETOWN REBUILD

When he decided to take on a semi-retirement at the end of April 2021, little did local land surveyor Doug Dodge realize how brief this retirement would be. After 45 years in the business, he was looking forward to a quiet life of leisure with a little part-time work with Exton & Dodge Land Surveying thrown in.
 
Then, on June 30, everything changed. Doug’s hometown of Lytton, B.C. was virtually destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire. Two people died in the blaze, and 90 per cent of the town’s structures, including his original family home where he lived from 1949 to 1958, were lost. It was a devastating blow to the 250 residents who had hurriedly evacuated with minutes to spare before the fire swept through the townsite.
 
In July, Doug and B.C. land surveyor Veronica Meister were contacted by the office of the Surveyor General of B.C. to discuss what measures should be taken prior to the demolition and cleanup of Lytton. The Surveyor General wanted to avoid the mistakes made in Alberta following the Fort McMurray wildfire, when the heavy cleanup equipment levelled the whole area, including all the existing property pins. This necessitated a costly and time consuming resurveying of the entire city.

WICHITA FALLS SURVEYING COMPANY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS
Corlett, Probst and Boyd is a surveying and engineering company with experience in design of water supply and distribution systems, wastewater collection and treatment systems, and paving and drainage improvements. In January, 2022, they celebrated the company’s 100th anniversary in Wichita Falls.
LAND SURVEY EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS
The demand for agro-based products has increased due to the growth in population. This, in turn, has increased the demand for lands and land surveys. Also, with the field of oil and mining, exploration of undiscovered places is inevitable. Thus, demand for equipment for the land survey has increased.

Use of hi-tech equipment like 3D laser scanners, UAV, GNSS lasers and levels systems are a blessing for land surveys. The use of drones has made it easier for land surveyors to determine measurements, accuracy and has helped them to collect data easily that are automatically presented on their screens. Thus, land survey equipment’s ability to measure unchartered territories has surged the growth of land survey equipment systems market.

The CLSA Education Foundation was established in 1993 and is committed to supporting land surveying students and programs. Last year over $50,000 in scholarship aid was provided to land surveying students. 
 
Donating to the Education Foundation is easy! Click HERE to donate via PayPal.

Thank you to everyone who clicks through to Amazon through the CLSA's Education Foundation Amazon Smile account! If you're not doing so already, please shop on Amazon with this link.
Thank You CLSA Sustaining Members