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.nsps.us.com for more details.

ALTA/NSPS question

I have been asked by a client to show the outline of a "proposed" parcel that may be cut out of the parcel which is the subject of a ALTA/NSPS survey. Of course, the "proposed" parcel is not yet of record, nor has there been any access way designated for it should it be created. Can I do that and still be in compliance with the 2016 ALTA/NSPS standards?

Answer:
I see no problem with showing proposed parcels, easements, etc. as long as it is clear on the face of the survey that it is not an existing parcel, easement, etc. Oftentimes, this sort of thing is going to happen at closing, so the parcel/easement does not exist yet, but it may as part of the transaction, so they need to see it. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 NATIONAL TRIG-STAR WINNERS

The Richard E. Lomax National Trig-Star Awards are as follows:

1st Place:  Collin Free, Syracuse High School, Syracuse, UT

2nd Place: Avi Swartz, Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, CO

3rd Place:  Aaron Sun, Ed W. Clark High School, Las Vegas, NV

Collin Free

Avi Swartz

Aaron Sun

 The Richard E. Lomax National Teaching Excellence Awards are as follows:

1st Place:   Ashley Martin, Syracuse High School, Syracuse, UT

2nd Place:  Dotty Dady, Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, CO

3rd Place:   Saundra D. Jordan, Ed W. Clark High School, Las Vegas, NV

The first place student receives $2,000, second place student receives $1,000, and third place student receives $500.  The first place teacher receives $1,000, second place teacher receives $500, and third place teacher receives $250.  The Trig-Star Policy states that “the National Student and Teacher Awards be given to the winning students at or before the next state professional land surveying organization conference of the student’s home state.”

The following is a list of the remaining State Winners in the order of finish:

Junhee Lee, Iowa; Veronica Xinyu Gu, Minnesota; Thomas Szczesniak, Michigan; Dagin Lin, Connecticut; John Mastroberti, South Carolina; Yiwei Lyu, Pennsylvania; Tao Lu, Texas; Antonio Faraci, New York; Qingfeng Li, Wyoming; Giovanni Budi, North Carolina; Stephan Terry, Delaware; Alan Zho, South Dakota; Veronica Lahony Suarez Torres, Puerto Rico; Noah Paladino, New Jersey; Elizabeth Asp, North Dakota; William Quinn Marsh, California; Andrew Reimer-Berg, Oregon; Zander Rossman, Wisconsin; Travis Casey, Kansas; William Zhang, Alabama; Jelisa Holmquist, Montana; William Luqiu, Virginia; Nicholas Lillis, Maine; Walter Johnson, Kentucky; Madison Gaines, Maryland; Thomas Pointer, Missouri; Jeffery Mayolo, Washington; Timothy Kammerer, New Hampshire; Christian Lynch, Massachusetts; Wyatt Evan Turner, Georgia; Joel Niemi, Ohio; Haoxiang Li, Illinois; Tingyi Lu, Indiana; Drake Thomas, Alaska; Kael Stelek, Idaho.

ALTA/NSPS Question

Regarding Table A, Item 6, in the cases where we don’t get zoning reports from our clients, we still state the zoning classification and the bulk requirements for height and setback only (not coverage or parking).  We qualify these notes stating that the information is per jurisdictional public information. 

In your opinion, based on your reading of the requirements, if I don’t receive a zoning report, should I be excluding citing 6a and 6b in my certificate even though I have qualified where the information comes from?

Response:

In my opinion, that would be entirely up to you. I see nothing whatsoever wrong with either approach. 

Requiring that the report be provided to the surveyor was a purposeful attempt by both ALTA and NSPS to move liability for zoning matters off of the surveyor and on to people/companies who specialize in such work. 

If you are willing to take some of that liability back, I see no reason that you cannot do that (with an appropriate 'disclaimer' as to where the information came from), although pursuant to the standards, you do not have to. 

NSPS exhibits at the American School Counselor Association

NSPS exhibits at the American School Counselor Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA - July 8-1.

NSPS President Tony Cavell and Robert Mora II (LA) speaking about surveying careers with some of the conference's 3000 attendees.

2016 Map/Plat Design Competition

NSPS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Map/Plat Design Competition, and expresses its appreciation for all who participated.  NSPS also wishes to thank the judges for their dedicated efforts. Visit http://www.nsps.us.com/?page=MapPlat for press release.

Subdivision Plats

            First Place                   Harry Smith – Northeast Surveying, Inc. - Wisconsin

            Second Place              Kyle Mott – BME Associates – New York

            Third Place                 Jeff Vierrether – MSA, PC - Virginia

Boundary/Cadastral Maps

            First Place                   Jason Woods – Planners & Engineers Collaboration - Georgia

            Second Place              Steven Bieda – Mau & Associates - Wisconsin

            Third Place                 John B. Guyton – Flatirons, Inc. Surveying & Engineers - Colorado

Topographic Maps

            First Place                   Brent Evans – Christopher Consultants - Virginia

            Second Place              Rodney Kiser – High Country Engineering, Inc. - Colorado

Third Place                 Tammy Privett – CEI Engineering Associates, Inc. - Arkansas

ALTA/ACSM Survey Maps

            First Place                   William E. Grueninger III – Gutschick, Little & Weber, PA - Maryland

            Second Place              Lewis R. Shelton – LRS Surveying - Georgia

            Third Place                 Tammy Privett – CEI Engineering Associates, Inc. - Arkansas

Miscellaneous Maps

            First Place (tie)            Jeffery Nading – Colorado Department of Transportation - Colorado

            First Place (tie)            Ryan Duckart – Brown County - Wisconsin

            Second Place              Rodney Kiser – High Country Engineering, Inc. - Colorado

            Third Place                 Kolby F. Shertz – Quest Civil Engineering, LLC - Wisconsin

2016 Excellence in Journalism Competition

NSPS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Excellence in Journalism Competition, and expresses its appreciation for all who participated.  NSPS also wishes to thank the judges for their dedicated efforts.

Best State Society Magazine

            The Cornerpost Volume 46, No. 3, Fall 2015

            http://www.vsls.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cornerpost_Fall2015.pdf

David A. Mann LS, Editor 

Vermont Society of Land Surveyors

Best Newsletter

            Pennsylvania Surveyor (paper and online), Summer 2015

            http://www.psls.org/Resources/Documents/newsletters/PA_Surveyor_Summer.pdf

            Donald E. Rife PLS, Editor 

            Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors

           

Best Editorial

            A Good Pair of Boots by Bob Plubs (aka Plumb Bob)

            The TBM, July 2015 Volume 17, No. 7, Page 3 

            New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association

Best Original Feature Article

            Honoring the Survey of the Michigan Meridian by Joseph Fenicle

            Michigan Surveyor, Spring/Summer 2015           

            Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors