“ “ Arizona Mike Fondren shared that APLS is moving forward with legislation to address the 2022 Datum and update its Minimum Standards, now shifting from statute to rule for more efficient future updates. Unfortunately, recent changes to the Board of Technical Registration’s authority have now limited who can file complaints against surveyors, weakening self-policing within the profession. California Kevin Nehring reported on continuing confusion about revisions to California’s monument preservation law, which have been returned to committee for clarification. Meanwhile, counties have begun to actively enforce monument-protection requirements, ensuring monuments are verified and rehabilitated before project completion. Additionally, Assembly Bill 1341, intended to combat unlicensed surveying by contractors, was derailed after losing support from the contractors’ board. Colorado Todd Beers noted that Colorado’s new mandatory continuing-education requirement for surveyors took effect on Nov. 1. The board clarified that Improvement Location Certificates may no longer be used for boundary or construction purposes, replacing them with Improvement Survey Plans to uphold professional standards. Colorado also participated in the “Hiring Our Heroes” event to promote surveying to transitioning service members. Hawaii Joe Charles-Uli‘i Jr. reported that HLSA continues to explore how geospatial technologies, such as GIS and pathways. Multiple WFPS directors have signed up to help the Department of Labor obtain survey profession data. Student Mentorship Initiative A new WFPS landing page is being developed to connect surveying students in online programs with licensed surveyors who can serve as mentors, creating a bridge between academia and practice. This will be an especially valuable resource for students in remote areas or programs without easy access to local field opportunities. Legislative and Regulatory Coordination Idaho’s deregulation movement has significantly reduced the authority of its licensing boards. First, all boards were combined under one umbrella, eliminating the autonomy of the Board of Registration and limiting its ability to enforce discipline or address unlicensed practice. Next, jurisprudence questions were removed from the state exam, weakening emphasis on Idaho’s laws and ethics. Now, the governor has issued a new executive order further consolidating boards and commissions. 2026 Western Regional Survey Conference Conference Chair Mike Nadeau and Executive Director Crissy Willson reported substantial progress on the Western Regional Survey Conference, scheduled for March 18-21, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event promises to be one of the most comprehensive professional gatherings in the West, featuring five concurrent education tracks and a full lineup of nationally recognized speakers — Michael Dennis, Kris Kline, Gary Kent and the CFedS course by Glen Thurow and Tasha Huhta. Social events will include a bowling tournament, icebreaker reception and live and silent auctions benefiting state education foundations. Conference information and registration can be found at plseducation.org. State Highlights Alaska Representative Josh Varney reported that Alaska is evaluating the possible removal of its four-year degree requirement for licensure as the number of licensed surveyors continues to decline. Recruiting and retaining faculty for its college-level surveying program remains difficult. Josh noted that his own introduction to the profession came through TrigStar, underscoring the value of early outreach to high school students. We each face unique challenges — legislative, educational and professional — but together, we form a unified voice for surveyors across the West.
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