Foresights PUB. 15 2022 ISSUE 1 UCLS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UTAH COUNCIL OF LAND SURVEYORS In conjunction with the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and The Western Federation of Professional Surveyors 2022 Conference Editor’s Pen: The Lost Canoe Photo by: Meridian
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4 Thoughts from the Chair 5 NSPS Spring 2022 Meeting Report 6 UCLS Historical Committee Report 7 Golden Spike Chapter Report 8 Western Federation of Professional Surveyors 11 Book Cliffs Chapter 12 Young Surveyors Network Report 13 UCLS 2023 Chapter of the Year Award 14 Education Committee Update 15 Fall Education Letter 16 2022 Western Regional Annual Conference 18 UCLS Annual Conference: Planning and Organization 20 DOPL Update 20 Welcome NewMembers 21 2021 Surveyor & 2022 Engineering Educator of the Year Awards 22 Early American Surveying Equipment 25 Distractions Created By Smartphones When Not in Use 26 Layton Temple Precise Cladding Survey Layout 29 Editor’s Pen: The Lost Canoe 30 The Grand Canyon Expedition 1923 32 Folkways: The Klondike Big Inch Land Co. 34 2022 Scholarship Recipients 35 2022 UCLS Scholarship Auction Utah Council of Land Surveyors Executive Board 2022 The UCLS Foresights is published by the The newsLINK Group, LLC for the Land Surveying profession of the state of Utah and similar organizations on a complimentary basis. The Foresights is not copyright protected, therefore articles, except where specifically copyright noted, may be reprinted with proper credit given.Articles appearing in the Foresights publication do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint or endorsement of UCLS, its officers, Board of Directors, or the editor. Contributions are encouraged and may be submitted to UCLS at mail@UCLS.org State Chair Sean Fernandez Chair Elect Andy Hubbard Past Chair Todd Johnson NSPS Representative Dale Robinson WFPS Representative Mike Nadeau Treasurer Brad Mortensen Contents To contact any of the UCLS Officers, please visit ucls.memberclicks.net/officers. 30 25
www.ucls.org 4 “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the age-old question that we have all asked ourselves at some point in our life. For me, I did not have a solid answer to this question, but there were several things I did know: I wanted to work in the technology field, and I wanted to be outdoors as much as possible. It is not very common to be able to work in technology and be in the great outdoors, so when I heard of land surveying, I knew I had found my perfect fit. The average age of a surveyor in the State of Utah is approximately 54 years old. This number rings home to me as this is my current age, and I feel I am in the latter part of my career as a surveyor after 33 years. However, the amount of new/incoming surveyors is scarce, and I feel we are not replacing surveyors as fast as they are retiring. One of my focuses as the UCLS chair is to increase involvement within the organization with the next generation of land surveyors. Many efforts are being made throughout our organization. Our Education Committee has made great strides by working with students K-12 throughout Utah and letting them know who we are and what we do. They have also worked tirelessly to organize auction items for the scholarship fundraiser, allowing students to continue their education in the surveying profession. We also recognize our higher education institutions, and congratulate Utah Valley University on receiving the ABET accreditation for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Surveying and Mapping. These are just some of the great things happening in the land surveying profession here in Utah, and I am encouraged to see where we are going. The purpose of the UCLS is to “Establish common interests of all individuals engaged in the surveying profession; define a standard of care intent on protecting the public welfare; encouraging professional ethics and sound surveying practices; promote public awareness of professional land surveyors and their work; mentor the next generation of surveyors.” As we look ahead to the future, here are some of the happenings within the UCLS: • The state of Utah was mapped out by many surveyors and has been constantly updated as development has continued. In 1869, the U.S. Coast Survey established a longitude station using astronomical observations and set a monument within the walls of the Salt Lake City LDS Temple grounds to help improve the accuracy of surveying andmapping. A new visitor center building is being constructed over themonument location. The LDS Church is working with representatives from the National Geodetic Survey, the Salt Lake County Surveyor’s Office and the State of Utah Geospatial Resource Center (UGRC) to re-establish the location of themonument to a new resting spot along the same longitude to the north of the new building footprint. The LDS Church agrees that a ceremony should take place for this historical event, and the UCLS would like to be a part of this to help promote the importance of our profession’s hand in this relocation. • An important part of our profession is to protect and enhance the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The state-fundedMonument Replacement Rehabilitation Committee (MRRC) grant programhas distributed funds to counties to help protect and preserve the PLSS. Thanks to the efforts of county surveyors and other members of the UCLS, this program is successful at accomplishing this task. We look forward to seeingmuchmore work done on the PLSS through the grant program and volunteering time, resources, and other efforts of UCLSmembers. • We have reached out to the Utah Geographic Information Council (UGIC) to discuss the possibility of having a combined conference with both disciplines. This collaboration is long overdue and would greatly benefit all involved. • We want to recognize our local chapters for their contributions/efforts in continuing education and involvement in the UCLS. The conference committee is preparing another amazing conference for February 2023 in St. George. We hope to see everyone there. We also want to welcome Matt Clark as chair of the Historical Committee and Spencer McCutcheon as the chair of the Young Surveyors group. We look forward to working with them in their respective organizations. Thank you all for your continued support in the UCLS, and I encourage you to be involved where you can. For the longest time, I only focused on doing my job on my small point on the map. Over time I began to see there are many other larger quadrants of the map and that we can have a strong encompassing purpose by working together. v Sean Fernandez PLS UCLS State Chair 2022 FROM THE CHAIR Thoughts
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 5 This fall, NSPS met in Arlington, VA, for the Spring Meeting. This meeting was held at the same time as our regional conference. Spencer McCutcheon was in attendance as our young surveyor representative. There were 12 teams in attendance for the student competition, including UVU. Dan Perry traveled with the team. And while we missed seeing everyone at the Regional Conference this year, Utah was well represented at NSPS. NSPS really rolled out the red carpet for these student teams with a monument scavenger hunt on day one and a skills competition on day two. After the scavenger hunt in the “City of Monuments,” we enjoyed a presentation by Dave Doyle, who retired as the chief geodetic surveyor in 2013. He added color and history to some of the monuments retrieved in the competition. The day on the Hill was a great experience. More than 40 members from 24 states visited with more than 100 members of the House and Senate and their staffers. I personally met with staffers from the offices of Sen. Lee, Sen. Romney, Rep. Owens, and Rep. Curtis. I requested action on two issues, a “Sense of the Congress” resolution and a continuation of the IMAGES Act. The “Sense of the Congress” resolution states national support for the licensure of professionals. While licensure is a state issue, a congressional resolution would support our efforts to maintain licensure as a protection of the public’s health, safety, welfare and property. Major Government Affairs NSPS Highlights in the past year: • Secured a “geomatics” provision referencing land surveyors in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) PL 117-58 • Helped to introduce the FEMA Flood mapping reform IMAGES Act in the House. • Helped to introduce the FLAIR Act, the FIRESHEDS Act, and MAPLand Act in both the House and the Senate. • Won a $5 million appropriation amendment in the House on the Interior appropriations bill for FY2022. • Secured report language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of FY2022 for $3 million for NOAA’s Digital Coast, nearly a $5 million increase for USGS 3DEP, and increases for both USGS Streamgages and FEMA FNIP flood mapping. During the general membership meeting, a motion to amend the by-laws to allow for a vacant position to be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee (Excom) to fulfill the term (usually less than a year) when there is a vacancy. The position would be pro-temp and only allow the seat to be filled and the appointee to serve for the time before the next general election. CST I have requested PowerPoint slides that others have used to highlight the benefits of the CST. Membership Committee I have asked the committee to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for student members (one fee gets membership in UCLS and NSPS). Working towards a motion for the fall board meeting. GOLF Is anyone interested in participating in the Fall PAC golf tournament in Oklahoma? Dale Robinson, PLS UTAH NSPS Director 2022 NSPS SPRING Meeting Report
www.ucls.org 6 Historical Committee Report Matt Clark accepted the Chair position for the Historical Committee, and we are excited to have him bring his passion for the history of surveying to this committee. Please contact Matt if you are interested in helping with this committee. The Historical Committee is currently working on two projects to help preserve the history of surveying while promoting awareness of our profession: The first is a holdover from the Surveyors Historical Society Rendezvous in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted and delayed our ability to get things planned and executed. But we believe our patience will pay off. This is the Place Heritage Park (TITPHP) has a replica theodolite (which Monsen Engineering agreed to determine if it is salvageable) we would like to put into use in a manned exhibit at the “Orson Pratt” observatory in the Park. The staff will explain how the observatory was used to calculate latitude and longitude and other solar observations when it was in use on the grounds of Temple Square. After going through those explanations, the staff would set up the theodolite over the “known” point and, using a replica chain and turning angles, would establish latitude and longitude coordinates on the Base and Meridian Stone (a replica of the SLB&M). After which, they would explain how For more information on the surveys or the information listed in this article, please go to the Smithsonian Institution archives (https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_397106) or the USGS (https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/7000078/report.pdf). Also, please reach out to Matt Clark or Andy Hubbard if you are interested in helping with this committee, either of these projects, or if you have something you would like to share. the initial layout of Salt Lake City was done and, hopefully, explain the PLSS using the same initial point. The second is a plaque commemorating the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. This plaque would hopefully be placed near the starting point of the survey and explain the importance of one of the Great Surveys of the American West that originated in Ogden. The 1871 Hayden survey party left Ogden on June 8, 1871, and completed their famous Yellowstone mapping expedition at Fort Bridger on Oct. 2, 1871. The improved Yellowstone mapping and great public interest sparked from their survey – and several other expeditions a few years earlier – contributed immensely to the U.S. Congress declaring Yellowstone a national park in 1872. A third project is in the works, and more details will be available shortly, so stay tuned. v UCLS
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 7 The Golden Spike chapter listened to students present their drone projects for our first luncheon at the Davis Catalyst Center this year. We asked the students questions about how they came up with their determinations. We had Mike Nadeau attend and update us on the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards. In September, we listened to the Property Rights Ombudsman, who touched on recent court cases relative to surveying. They will notify us of any 2022 legislative updates of which we may need to be aware. We are trying to team up with the Historical Committee to help with the Hayden plaque. We are also working on a museum exhibit, which has been put off due to COVID, but now, it should be ready for completion. We are also looking forward to presenting to a group of students at a charter school who are learning about topography. We hope to get a fewmore presenters this year for our luncheons that may be fromfields not surveying but related, and give an insight on how they both go hand in hand. Bahram Rahimzadegan C H A P T E R R E P O R T Golden Spike
www.ucls.org 8 Western Federation of Professional Surveyors By Michael Nadeau, WFPS Director, PLS/CFedS Hello members! As I started to write this report, I decided to check out the last time I wrote a report for you. The summer of 2019 was the last Foresights the UCLS produced, and that was also my last report to you, pre-COVID-19. What an absolutely crazy couple of years it has been, my friends. I hope you all have been well and safe during the last few years. I’m excited that the UCLS Foresights is back, and I’m doubly excited we are on the back end of the pandemic. Ironically, my entire two-year chairmanship with WFPS happened to be during COVID. So, every single meeting – except my first meeting as Chairman in March 2020 in Washington State – was a virtual meeting. As a side note, as I was getting on the plane at SeaTac leaving this first meeting as chairman, the national news in the airport was reporting the first COVID-19 death in the U.S. just happened to be in SEATTLE, where I was! Over the last few years since my last report in Foresights, WFPS has been hard at work raising the bar for our profession. Here are some of the highlights of what we’ve been working on: 1. In the past, WFPS directors met three times a year in one of the member states. Over the last few years and all through my chairmanship, the WFPS Executive Committee (Excom) has been meeting monthly to ensure ongoing activities discussed during the three yearly board meetings are still attended throughout the year between each board meeting. This has proven to be a great extra set of meetings in that work inside WFPS doesn’t get dropped between the three annual board meetings. These Excom meetings are held virtually to keep director costs as low as possible for our member states. 2.Most recently, WFPS was very involved in preparing, planning and executing theWestern Regional Survey Conference in Las Vegas. This conference was from March 30 to April 2, 2022, and was very well attended. We had over 950 attendees from 31 states across the country. This conference included 22 hours of continuing education spread across four simultaneous tracks. It’s possible I’m being a bit myopic here since I’m also the Chair of the Conference Committee for WFPS, but I would dare say this was one of the best conferences I’ve attended in my 27 years of surveying. Thanks to all the Utah attendees and all four states who helped make this conference such a success, including the UCLS, NALS, CLSA and APLS. Yours truly received theWFPS chairman plaque during the awards ceremony. 3.WFPS is excited to announce the release of the FS Exam Study Course, which includes approximately 16 hours of videos and a manual. Topics included are based on the current NCEES Fundaments of Surveying (FS) exam specifications and recommended knowledge. https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/ FS-CBT-specs.pdf. Presenters: Dane Courville, PLS, and Knud Hermansen, PLS, PE, Ph.D. WFPS understands the concern of not having enough surveyors in the profession to handle the current and future workloads.
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 9 As such, WFPS has researched what prices other FS prep courses are selling their information for, and we set our prep course lower than all of those. Setting this price point so low is to get more young people in our profession to move forward towards licensure. All WFPS member states only pay $199 for the program, and non-member states only pay $299. If you know a young surveyor struggling to pass the FS exam, have them check out the program at wfps.org/publications.html. 4.Scholarships and disaster relief fund: Sincemy last report in 2019, WFPS issued student scholarships to Nathan Mersino and Heather Keenan and awarded funds for disaster relief to an individual after losing her home to the California wildfires. More scholarship and disaster relief information, as well as the application forms, can be found at http://wfps.org/scholarships.html. In my mind, one of the biggest benefits of WFPS is the collaboration between the 13 states. For example, the UCLS may be struggling with getting a bill passed through the legislature, and maybe CLSA has already worked through its legislative process on the same issue. CLSA can give UCLS guidance, thoughts, ideas, and lessons learned so that the UCLS can hopefully get its bill through the legislature. Here are some highlights from each state as of our last meeting in Las Vegas prior to the last conference. HIGHLIGHTS FROMTHE 13WESTERN STATES ALASKA (ASPLS) SteveBuchanan – ASPLS co-hosted a virtual conference with HLSA. The conference was held at the end of April, featuring Gary Kent, Landon Blake, and Kris Kline as speakers, in addition to several Alaska and Hawaii-specific educational tracks. More information about ASPLS can be found on its website AlaskaPLS.org. ARIZONA (APLS) Mike Fondren – Current membership is 386. Last year APLS launched a firmmembership option in which firms can join a membership tier depending on howmany RLSs they have on staff, and all their survey technicians (associatemembers) are complimentary. This newmembership category has helped to get more survey technicians involved in APLS. In 2021, APLS successfully defeated a bill that would prohibit counties from requiring surveys as a condition for approving land divisions. The bill has resurfaced as HB 2554, and APLS is again on record as opposed. More information about APLS can be found on its website AzPLS.org. CALIFORNIA (CLSA) Ray Mathe & Kevin Hills – No report submitted. COLORADO (PLSC) Todd Beers & Steve Parker – Current membership is 408. PLSC continues to actively participate in Quality Based Selection (QBS) meetings. PLSC successfully amended a reciprocity bill to retain the requirement for the state-specific exam. There is a bill that would eliminate the position of County Surveyor from the state constitution, and PLSC is actively opposing the bill. PLSC introduced a bill to require real estate forms to include a line item for improvement location certificate. The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) has voluntarily agreed to amend the forms, and PLSC has withdrawn the bill. GIS in the Rockies was held Sept. 28-29, 2022. PLSC continues to be active in outreach activities such as career days and guidance counselor events. More information about PLSC can be found on its website PLSC.net. HAWAII (HLSA) CliffYim– Current membership is 91. HLSA co-hosted a virtual conferencewith ASPLS, held April 28-30, 2022. The state of Hawaii has phased out most of theCOVID-19 restrictions. House Bill 2332 proposes an exemption on granting of easements on public lands from formal subdivision process.While the bill intends to facilitate the transfer of non-agricultural land from the Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture, HLSA is concerned regarding the vagueness of the language. HLSA isworkingwith the legislature to amend the bill for clarification. More information about HLSA can be found on itswebsiteHLSAhawaii.org. MONTANA (MARLS) Dick Smith & Russ Kluesner – MARLS 2022 Conference was held in February in Missoula, MT. Attendance was great, and people were happy to be back to in-person conferences. MARLS has hired a new website developer to maintain its website. The site is nowmore user-friendly. MARLS’ board approved funds to hire a lobbyist to assist with tracking bills that may affect the profession. MARLS continues to work on the update of its Standards of Practice manual, and the third edition of the MT Subdivision and Surveying Laws Digest is now available. More information can be found on its website MARLS.com. NEVADA (NALS) Trent Keenan & Greg Phillips – Current membership is 276. NALS membership continues to increase. NALS participated in the 2022 Western Regional Survey Conference with Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and WestFed. The 2023 Conference will be held March 25-28 at the Silver Legacy in Reno, Nevada. There are currently 90 students enrolled in the Great Basin College (GBC) four-year degree program, and 12 will graduate this Continued on page 10
www.ucls.org 10 year. NALS is working closely with the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) to bring a second four-year degree program to Nevada. NALS continues to publish, print, and mail four issues yearly of the Nevada Traverse. The magazine is also available on the NALS website. The NALS Board of Directors wrote a letter to the NSPS Board of Directors, officially opposing the proposal to remove voting rights from the NSPS membership for the election of NSPS Officers. NALS continues to have strong participation in outreach events. NALS hosted a fall seminar and golf tournament October 21-22 in Mesquite. More information about NALS can be found on its website NvLandSurveyors.org. NEWMEXICO (NMPS) Allen Grace & Diego Cisneros – Current membership is 225. NMPS held its conference in the fall for the first time on October 21-22 at the Isleta Resort and Casino. NMPS is recruiting new leaders for the Young Surveyors Network. More information about NMPS can be found on its website NMPS.org. UTAH (UCLS) Mike Nadeau – Current membership is 335. UCLS participated in the 2022 Western Regional Survey Conference with Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and WestFed. The conference was held on March 30-April 2, 2022, at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada. UCLS Fall Forum focused on CST training. UCLS worked with the legislature to introduce a bill that corrected legislation passed last year that confused the boundary line adjustment and boundary line agreement language. UCLS continues to provide outreach through the scouting merit badge program, CST, and Trigstar. A Young Surveyor Network has been established in Utah. More information about UCLS can be found on its website UCLS.org. WASHINGTON (LSAW) Ben Petersen & Tony Chenier – Current membership is 860. The 2022 Conference was held at the beginning of March in Vancouver, Washington. Although numbers were down from usual attendance, those present were happy to be back to in-person conferences, and the programwas well received. A fall seminar was held November 4-5 in the Seattle area, and the 2023 Conference is scheduled for February 15-17 in Spokane, Washington. The LSAW Foundation has established the James Coan Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually. LSAW continues to participate in a lobbying coalition with engineers and architects. Through the coalition, we opposed and defeated a bill that would have required prevailing wages on private hazmat projects. LSAWwill reintroduce its monument preservation bill next year. The Evergreen State Surveyor magazine is available on the LSAW website. More information about LSAW can be found on its website LSAW.org. WYOMING (PLSW) John Lee – Current membership is 131. PLSW authored legislation to address the 2022 datum that removes the date reference. PLSW is also monitoring HB0002 which proposes adding the same water rights requirements for additions to cities and towns currently required for county subdivisions. Lines and Points magazine is pushed quarterly and is available on the PLSWwebsite. The University of Wyoming continues to offer a minor in land surveying and a land surveying certificate program. Information about PLSW can be found on its website PLSW.org. WFPSOFFICERS 2022-2023 The following board members ascended or were elected as officers for the 2022-2023WFPS term. They were installed at the meeting on Oct. 16, 2021, in Chandler, Arizona (this was also WFPS’ first in-person meeting). • Ben Petersen (Washington) – Chair • Russ Kluesner (Montana) – Chair-Elect • Trent Keenan (Nevada) – Secretary/Treasurer • Mike Nadeau (Utah) – Immediate Past Chair INTERNATIONALRIGHT-OF-WAYASSOCIATION The WFPS Board of Directors has authorized the Executive Committee to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Right-of-Way Association (IRWA). The MOU will allow the two organizations to collaborate more effectively and disseminate information within our associations. WESTFED EDITOR’S FORUM WFPS was pleased to host a virtual Editor’s Forum in April. Editors for each of the WestFed state associations were invited to attend and share information and exchange ideas for building better magazines. The meeting was well received, and all in attendance indicated that it was a great benefit that WestFed can provide to the state associations. The WestFed Editor’s Forum has officially been established. For information, please email the WFPS Executive Office at admin@wfps.org. What canWFPS do for you? As I’ve always stated in my past reports, I challenge the UCLS members to bring up surveying issues that can be brought to WFPS on a regional platform. As your director of the WFPS and the immediate past chairman of WFPS, I represent you. So please don’t hesitate to contact me at MikeNadeau.UCLS@gmail.com. v About WFPS TheWesternFederationof Professional Surveyors (WFPS) was formed in 1979. TheBoardof Directors includes twoDelegates fromeachof the 13 western states. WFPSserves as a regional voice for landsurveyors andmeets quarterly todiscusspractice issues affectingwestern state surveyors. For more information aboutWFPSand the state associations, visitWFPS.org. Continued from page 9
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 11 Book Cliffs Chapter As we all know, this year has been a fast-paced year for land surveying andmany other industries we are associated with in general. Here in the Book Cliffs chapter, we are especially busy as the economy seems to be booming with the influx of the many folks on “Exodus” from city life in search of a more rural setting. This and the constant grind of the oil and gas industry keep those involved on their toes and working long hours. We have finally been able to get a couple of potential folks lined up to share some knowledge with us about topics that affect all of us. We will have a safety specialist from a local oilfield company spend some time giving us a refresher on seasonal training. We will also have a DNR representative meet with us about a local land dispute with a private landowner. The dates of these two meetings will be released shortly, but we are excited to finally have a chapter meeting after quite a long break. Thanks to those who constantly put time and effort into this profession, those who work late, put in long hours and make Land Surveying a better profession for all. Regards, D. Ryan Allred, Book Cliffs Chapter President
www.ucls.org 12 Young Surveyors Network Report Dear Utah Council of Land Surveying Board: On Aug. 6, 2022, the YSN had its first annual get-together. We had a really great time and had a good turnout. One of the highlights of the activity was our Historical Monument Hunt. We were challenged to find/show evidence of the oldest original monument we had found within the last two months. Almost everyone participated in the monument hunt, and we had some great finds. In this challenge, we had to provide a picture of the monument, as well as the original notes. Our winner was Taylor Christensen, who found a stone monument that dated back to July 1872. We had other monuments found dating back to 1878, 1885, and 1898. The winner and runner-up received a cash prize from a private donor. We also went on a monument search to look for a vertical USGS monument near our site. Taylor Christensen was the one to show us this monument and briefly explained how he found it. The monument was called out 18 feet west of the centerline of the road leading to Strawberry Reservoir. When Taylor was searching for the corner, he was looking north of the new asphalt road. In a last-ditch effort, he flew his drone over the area. He then realized there was an old road going through the brush south of the existing paved road. He searched along the northerly boundary of the old road. Lo and behold, he found the old 1934 USGS monument. He then collected static on the monument and sent it into OPUS. It was great to see how different survey equipment can help locate old monuments and boundaries. The YSN had a great time at this year’s activity, and we look forward to our next meeting in December 2022. We are really excited to get things going with the YSN here in Utah and look toward growing and helping the future surveyors come into the career with a great network. Sincerely, Spencer McCutcheon, PLS
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 13 UCLS 2023 Chapter of the Year Award The chapter with the highest number of points in a year is the “Chapter of the Year.” Each chapter can earn points by accomplishing the following achievements listed below: Chapter achievements 20 points 20 points 20 points 20 points 20 points 20 points 20 points 20 points 20 points 5 points 5 points 10 points Hold four or more chapter meetings in the year* Increase chapter membership by 10% or more Increase conference attendance of chapter members by 10% or more Run three or more Surveying Merit Badge (or similar youth) events Sponsor Trig Star Contests at three or more High Schools within the chapter Participate in a community service project as a chapter Write and publish four or more articles in the Foresights or Newsletter* Give a chapter report quarterly to the board that can be published Optional chapter event (approved by Board) Nominate a Surveyor of the Year candidate from the chapter Nominate a Lifetime Achievement Candidate from the chapter Have chapter nominations submitted prior to the first day of November *Note: Partial credit may be given for these achievements if the chapter cannot complete all four meetings or articles. Prize The prize for being the “Chapter of the Year” will be an additional budget of $500.00 – $1,000.00 to go toward an end-of-the-year chapter party. The presentation will be made at the UCLS Conference the first of the year. Application Chapter presidencies can send emails to Susan Merrill throughout or toward the end of the year, documenting achievements. The deadline date is December 31. The achievements will be evaluated and tallied by the ad-hoc committee to determine the “Chapter of the Year.” v
www.ucls.org 14 Education Committee Update First, thanks to all those who donated or made a purchase at this year’s scholarship auction in Las Vegas. We are still waiting on final numbers from the conference organizers, but preliminary numbers indicate we will have raised more than any conference prior. Over the last year, the Education Committee has been working on formalizing the Walter M. Cunningham Education Foundation Scholarship program. We’ve put into place specific details, time frames, amounts and awarding processes for the program. Our next goal is to increase the amount and type of outreach the UCLS does. The Education Committee has partnered with the Davis School District Catalyst Center and alternate high school in Kaysville. The Catalyst Center is a cutting-edge career and technical education (CTE) school that opened this spring. They offer an unmanned aerial systems program, and the students in the program are graduating with their Part 107 license. These kids are flying a couple of sites owned by the school district and are designing a mini city to be judged by the Golden Spike Chapter, city council style. We are also looking at CTE and STEM fairs across the state. Getting the surveying profession in front of junior high and high school students is one of the key ways to get more surveyors into the profession. We’ve all heard the statistics about retiring surveyors and the lack of new surveyors. The best way to combat a lack of surveyors is to get a career in surveying in front of these kids. This is where we need your help. If you hear about a CTE or STEM fair, please reach out to a member of the education committee. We have posters, stickers and other swag/ resources set aside specifically for these events. Any announcement for meetings, cool projects, accolades, awards can be posted on our social media. We encourage people to use the following tags: #UCLS #WMCEF #surveylife #GKiS. • Facebook: Utah Council of Land Surveyors • Instagram: Utah_Council_Land_Surveyors • Linkedin: UCLS v
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 15 Fall Education Letter The Education Committee worked hard this summer, preparing for a few great events. We look forward to reaching many youths across the state. • The Salt Lake Chapter is pairing up with a youth group in Copperton to give a presentation on careers in surveying. • The Golden Spike Chapter is pairing up again with the Davis Catalyst Center’s drone program. We will be mentoring high school youth in learning the ins and outs of drones. • The Golden Spike Chapter also has a presentation planned with a local elementary school to promote surveying and geography. • I have received reports of a few companies bringing on high school interns for the current semester This is a great way to get kids exposed to surveying. If you are interested in hosting a high school intern, please reach out, and I will be happy to connect you with program coordinators. Did you know we have a social media presence? Have a great picture or accomplishment? Tag us or send it over, and we will get it posted. Facebook: Utah Council of Land Surveyors Instagram: Utah_Council_Land_Surveyors LinkedIn: Utah Council of Land Surveyors At the Field Forum (formerly Fall Forum) on November 17, we worked on the following areas: • CST1 – The role of the survey tech field notes and construction plan reading • CST2 – Survey math/computations, equipment tips and capabilities and office interface • CST3 – The role of the crew chief, communication, construction principles • CST4 – Engineering principles, Land Surveyor in Training, School and NCEES test prep Thanks again for all your support! Trent Williams UCLS Education Committee Chair
www.ucls.org 16 W E S T E R N R E G I O N A L S U R V E Y C O N F E R E N C E ‘22
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 17
www.ucls.org 18 Utah Council of Land Surveyors Annual Conference Planning and Organization The Utah Council of Land Surveyors (UCLS) is the voice of the professional surveying community in Utah. The UCLS has a strong membership who are proud of our profession and love to be involved in many aspects of the surveying profession. One of these aspects is being the UCLS Conference Chair. Planning the annual conference can be challenging, but very rewarding as well. You will begin early by scheduling an event center and selecting/organizing your main presenter(s) and theme for the conference. There are many aspects of planning this conference, so by working with other committees and using other resources, the conference planning will be simple. Most of the work happens as the conference date approaches, but if you work on the conference a little here and a little there all year, it will make the time spent easier. The conference is generally held at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George, Utah, the week of the President’s Day holiday. The days and times of the conference are generally from one o’clock Wednesday through Friday late afternoon. The purpose of planning and organizing this conference, according to Rule 22, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Act Rule §§ R156-22-304, a licensed professional land surveyor shall complete qualified professional education that is directly related to the ethics, business, and technical content aimed at maintaining, improving, or expanding the skills and knowledge relevant to the land surveying and have an identifiable clear statement of purpose and defined objective. Training must also be relevant to the practice and be presented in a competent, well-organized, and sequential manner. It will need to be prepared and presented by those qualified by education, training, and experience. Timeline February during the conference: Schedule the Dixie Convention Center for next year’s conference while at the Dixie Center. February andMarch: This is the time to research speakers and develop a preliminary theme for the conference. The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) speaker’s list is a great resource. Here you will be able to read each speaker’s bio, topics, and contact information. February through July: Lay out a rough draft of the conference schedule. The Dixie Center will be looking to have a contract signed. Please read through the contract to understand what the Dixie Center is expecting. This will provide timelines for vendors and the administrative secretary to enter the building and set up for the conference, among other information. August: If you choose to send out a “Call for Presentations” to the membership, this is when you want to do that. These are usually other members of the UCLS but can also be other professionals you choose to invite as a presenter, e.g., title company representative, land use attorney, etc. This affords a broader opportunity for people to share their personal versions and aspirations for the organization. Other great resources are the State Ombudsman, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Automated Geographic Reference Center (AGRC), United States Geological Survey (USGS), International Right of Way Association (IRWA), Utah Geographic Information Council (UGIC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration By Todd Jacobsen, PLS
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 19 (NOAA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Certified Federal Surveyor Transition (CFedS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Utah Valley University (UVU), and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). September: The Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL) will partially reimburse the UCLS for conference expenses for presenters. A preliminary conference schedule will need to be turned into DOPL no later than October 1, along with the expenses for the contracted presenters, and a brief description of their topic(s) presentation. October through December: Work on finalizing the conference schedule. You should be heavily involved with some of the other UCLS committees in organizing this event. Are you using an app for the conference? This is the time to put it together. Start looking at the purchasing of conference swag. You distribute these items to the members as they check in to the conference. The UCLS donates a raffle item for the WMCEF scholarship fund. This has generally been a shotgun, but it can be anything that might catch one’s eye and give them a desire to purchase tickets. This is when you begin to coordinate with the Dixie Center on the rooms you plan to use and the layout of tables and chairs for these rooms. January-February: The conference schedule should be complete. The Dixie Center’s catering services will contact you for the number for food and on menu items for meals and breaks. The Dixie Center is usually where we hold the conference. We get a bigger turnout at the conferences when they are held here. When the conference is held in Salt Lake City, we generally do not get as big of a turnout, and the venue is usually a lot more money. Also, when we combine conferences, e.g., Las Vegas, where they have been combined with other surrounding state societies, the same thing happens. Holding this event at the Dixie Center has by far turned out to be our best location. RiskManagement Until the viral pandemic of 2020, aka COVID-19, there was not much risk in planning this conference. Now, we see that there could be a risk of not being able to get all of us together to meet in person, having to meet virtually instead. Even in planning the 2021 conference, it was unknown if we could meet in person or not. In the end, we met in person with about 75% attendance, but the conference was also held virtually. We were fortunate to have the time to plan for this, but it was out of the norm. In the past, presenters were unable to make it at the last minute due to an emergency. This may cause you to cancel the session or possibly have someone ready at any time to fill in if this happens. Always have a Plan B and adapt it. v The UCLS has a strong membership who are proud of our profession and love to be involved in many aspects of the surveying profession. Todd Jacobsen Todd Jacobsen, PLS, City Surveyor/Development Services Office, City of St. George
www.ucls.org 20 DOPL Update By Amos Wilson, PLS As of July 20, 2022, Utah has 10,378 Professional Engineers, and 720 Professional Land Surveyors licensed in the state. Here are a few stats from DOPL for the professions from 2017 to 2022: Complaints: 113 Citations Issued: 35 Administrative Actions: 3 Letters of Concern: 12 DOPL’s newsletter detailing disciplinary actions for licensees can be found at https://dopl.utah.gov/discipline/index.html. Here are some other news items from Utah’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (https://dopl.utah.gov/): • Fee Increase Effective May 16, 2022, all “state-sponsored” DOPL licensing exam fees will be increased by $10. For questions about this increase, please contact doplexams@utah.gov. • Suspended License Scam The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) has received reports of fraudulent calls and emailed letters informing licensees that their license has been suspended. See “Suspended License Scam Letter” issued Feb. 22, 2022, for further details about this scam. • Electronic Only Renewal Notifications Licenses expiring fromOct. 28, 2021, to May 31, 2023, will receive one postcard renewal reminder. Beginning June 2023, ALL renewal notices will be sent ONLY to your email address on file with DOPL. If you are unsure if DOPL has your correct email address on file, you can update your record by visiting: https://secure.utah.gov/ doplrenewal/client/addressChange.html. v Welcome New Members Alex Black Park City Surveying Ben King David Evans & Associates Brandon Mccloy Ensign Brandon Oborn Meridian Engineering Brock Christensen Gilson Engineering Carlos Rivera Utah County Land Surveyors Office Dallas Nicoll Visionary Homes Daniel Butterfield CIR Engineering David Hamilton Anderson Wahlen & Associates Dorian Scoville Salt Lake City Public Utilities Gary Pratt Talisman Civil Consultants Geoff Bippes Meridian Engineering Heather Butler Meridian Engineering Herby Blair Farmington Electric Utility System Jacoby Langlois CIR Engineering Jared Baxter Baxter Design Group Jayson Hatfield UVU Geospatial Society Jeremy Brodney Gilson Engineering Jerron Atkin T-O Engineers John Halleck Retired from the University of Utah Joshua Christie Jack Johnson Consulting Justin Lundberg Focus Engineering and Surveying Justin Stocking USDA Forest Service Kyle Ogilvie Benchmark Civil Engineering & Land Surveying Levi Atkinson Meridian Engineering Madeline Beaver Avenue Consultants Matt Merrill Focus Engineering and Surveying Nathanael Washburn David Evans and Associates Nickolas Smith Coordinare Patrick Davis Rocky Mountain Surveyors, Inc. Sean Lundeberg Avenue Consultants Shawn Christensen Whiteley Oliver, LLC Spencer Lewis Ensign Engineering and Land Surveying Stephen Burt Entellus Steven Didericksen Ensign Engineering Tanner Beck JUB Engineers Tanner Hussey Ensign Engineering Timothy Neu Meridian Engineering Todd Ferrando Benchmark Civil Engineering and Land Surveying Trey Campbell Cook-Surveying & Associates Tyler Nielson Jones and DeMille Engineering Whitney Droubay Iron Ridge Land Surveying
Pub. 15 2022 Issue 1 • UCLS Foresights 21 2021 Surveyor & 2022 Engineering Educator OF THE YEAR “I amgrateful for the recognition!” Meridian Engineering’s QC/QA Manager Brad Mortensen, PE, PLS, received the 2021 UCLS Surveyor of the Year award. It was presented by Meridian’s Michael Nadeau on Friday, April 1, 2022, at the award ceremony during the Western Regional Survey Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Brad received the award based on his volume of service to the Land Surveying Profession, including his most recent participation as chairman of the Utah Council of Land Surveyor’s ad hoc Committee developing the 2022 State Plane Coordinate System for Utah. Brad has worked closely with the National Geodetic Survey for the last four years in developing Utah’s new system. Brad also presented a breakout session during the conference entitled, “Benefits from the New 2022 State Plan Coordinate System.” Brad has over 36 years of experience, and the last six of those years have been as Meridian’s QC/QA Manager. He is well recognized for the quality of his work, especially in geodetic control surveys throughout the state. Brad also teaches “Control Surveys” in the Surveying Program at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). Brad brings assurance to our clients regarding all aspects of transportation and infrastructure design, ranging from geodetic control, mapping, roadway/right-of-way design, and construction design of modern infrastructure. He also has experience in state, municipal, utility, and commercial/retail capital improvement projects. All who know Brad would agree he loves to share relevant industry topics through conference presentations and as an educator at SLCC. Many younger licensed surveyors remember with fondness and dread his Control Surveys course. Dread because of the difficulty of the subject matter and fondness because of the way Brad presents the material. Several past students have thanked him for helping to further their careers. Brad was also instrumental in compiling and writing the 2015 and 2017 updates of the UDOT Surveying and Geomatics Standards Manual, which is used throughout the state as the literal standard for control, topographic and construction survey specifications. Due to Brad’s educational involvement in the profession, he has also received the 2022 Engineering Educator of the Year nomination from the Utah Council of Land surveyors at the Utah Engineers Council awards ceremony on Feb. 26, 2022. When asked about these awards, Brad responded, “I fell into the Land Surveying Profession by accident. I was a student in an agricultural engineering program, and the first two courses were on surveying. I fell in love with being in the outdoors and usingmy wits to solve problems and collect data. After that, I changedmy major and never looked back. The profession has been good tome, so I have tried to give back by mentoring future generations. Receiving the recognition frommy peers these last fewmonths has touchedme deeply, and withmuch appreciation, I givemy thanks!” v
www.ucls.org 22 Early American Surveying Equipment By Dr. Richard L. Elgin, PS, PE, Rolla, Missouri America’s Requirements Much of America’s surveying practice descended from the English, but our early surveying equipment did not. The Old World used the delicate, expensive theodolite to divide its lands, sighting on points and measuring angles on a divided, graduated circle. American surveyors needed to establish boundaries over vast wildernesses that were difficult to traverse, and they needed to do it quickly and cheaply. Enter American innovation, technology and craftsmanship to improve a device used by mariners for hundreds of years, a form of which was being made in England: the magnetic compass. The result was the rugged, inexpensive standard American compass. One commentator said of the American compass: “Where accuracy can be sacrificed to speed and cheapness.” The Compass Rugged, the compass with its body of wood or brass, two sight vanes, a leveling device and placed on a staff or tripod, it required only a balanced magnetized needle resting on a sharp point. The needle aligned itself with the earth’s magnetic field and pointed to magnetic north. Magnetic north was known to move and hence was a poor direction with which to reference boundaries. This movement was well known, noted in some 1746 instructions that it “. . . may in time occasion much confusion in the Bounds . . . and, Contention.” Variation, the angle between True Meridian (a line of longitude) and Magnetic North was known to differ at different locations on earth, and the angle was known to change in amount over time and location. True North was a better reference direction, and in 1779, Thomas Jefferson wrote that the plats of surveys were to be drawn “protracted by the true meridian,” and the variation noted. The first standard American compasses were “Plain” compasses. They used magnetic north and had no mechanism for applying the variation angle, converting magnetic direction to true direction. David Rittenhouse (1732-1796) was an American man of science. He is generally credited with adding a vernier to the plain compass so one could “set off” the variation, the needle still pointing to magnetic north, but the bearing to the object sighted read on the compass circle being the true bearing. Thus the “plain compass” became the “vernier compass,” a great advancement in the American compass. The Land Ordinance of 1785 specifies that all lines be surveyed “by the true meridian . . . the variation at the time of running the lines thereon noted.” Tiffin’s Instruction of 1815 (the first written instructions issued by the GLO to its Deputy Surveyors) specified “a good compass of Rittenhouse construction, have a nonius division . . .” This is a vernier compass, “nonius division” meaning a vernier. Thus, the vernier compass became the standard instrument for surveys of the USPLSS. Until . . . WilliamAustin Burt and his Solar Compass William Austin Burt (1792-1858) was a GLO Deputy Surveyor who, in 1835, while laying out townships in Wisconsin, noted unusual deviations in the lines surveyed using his compass. He began work on a method and form of compass that would determine the direction of the true meridian independent of magnetic north. He invented an ingenious device that uses the observer’s latitude, the sun’s declination and local time to determine true north. The device mechanically solves the PZS (Pole Zenith Star) Triangle. The prominent Philadelphia maker, William J. Young (1800-1870), built the device, and Burt was awarded Patent 9428X on Feb. 25, 1836. Burt made improvements to his solar compass, and an improved version was patented in 1840. In 1850, Burt’s patent expired, which allowed other makers to produce the solar compass. (The circumstances of the expired patent are a sad story.) There are about 12 known post-1850 makers of solar compasses. All the solar compasses made before 1850 are marked “Burt’s Patent” and “W.J. Young” or “Wm. J. Young,” as he made them. They are not dated or numbered. Those made by Young after about 1852 are numbered. Is it a transit or a theodolite? Generally, theodolite refers to an instrument with divided circles to measure both horizontal and vertical angles to high precision; the telescope is relatively long and will not transit (rotate 360 degrees) about its horizontal axis. The more common term “transit” refers to an instrument with both horizontal and vertical circles (only horizontal on early transits), a four screw leveling head, bubbles for leveling and a telescope that will transit. William J. Young is credited with building the first dividing engine in America. That allowed him to cut circles, and he is credited with building the first American transit in 1831.
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