SEPTEMBER 2022 ISSUE

p

& Social Outing

Friday, Nov 4

Capitol tour in Harrisburg starts at 3:00 pm with networking event immediately after at a nearby restaurant

Learn about the political process, important legislation involving the surveying profession, and more.

The tour will be led by Bob Regola, PLS, PSLS Lobbyist & Legislative & Government Affairs Committee Chairman, & a former PA State Senator

$50 per person

Click here for more information and to register

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PENNSYLVANIA LAND SURVEYING INSTITUTE IS OPEN!

Do you need more Professional Development Hours (PDHs) toward your surveying license renewal? PSLS is now offering on demand archived webinars that count towards credit in Pennsylvania. The cost is $50 per hour for members and $70 for non members There are 1, 2, and 3 hour webinars available We will be adding more recorded webinars later as we are starting with a limited number to assess demand and how the process goes

2023 SURVEYORS' CONFERENCEREGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Attendee registration is now open! Check out the great line up of sessions and speakers! There will also be opportunities at the conference to network with others in the surveying community.

Interested in being an exhibitor or sponsor? Check out the many ways you can market your company to the land surveying profession in Pennsylvania!

View the conference website

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Just like planning our surveys as the weather starts to turn and we gear up for those larger wooded parcels as leaves start to fall, PSLS has been planning for our future, and the committees have been very busy. Here are some updates for you since our last newsletter published in June.

The PSLS Committees are busy working on how to make our profession better. Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of legislative actions, conference preparation, membership efforts, or how PSLS serves the Surveyors of Pennsylvania? We are still actively looking to fill committee positions within PSLS. If you are interested in becoming a part of this great Society, here are some of the leadership positions we are looking to fill: Secretary, Treasurer, NSPS Director, and Education Committee Chair If you are interested in one of these roles, please email psls@psls org with your interest and a short biography with your experience and accomplishments by October 14

The Education Committee has held monthly meetings to finalize webinars and plan the 2023 Surveyors’ Conference We appreciate all the webinar presenters and attendees We had Dr Hermansen give a special 2 hour seminar in August that was very well attended and provided great insight Don’t forget to sign up for the upcoming October and November webinars In other webinar news, we are now selling archived webinars, another way for surveyors licensed in PA to earn professional development hours

We have started early this year and are happy to announce that the 2023 Conference registration is open for attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors! Get signed up and save before early bird pricing ends! Get the January 22 25, 2023, dates on your calendar!

Back in July, the Executive Committee decided to have a strategic session with Miller Wenhold Association Management to rebrand/renew some PSLS goals, the PSLS mission statement, and some ways to help the Society grow as we look at ways to attract the new generation of Surveyors entering the profession. We are generating innovative and fresh ideas to meet out goal

Have you wondered what it is like at the State Capitol building in Pennsylvania? Well, we have a November 4th State Capitol Tour event set up with a social gathering immediately following in Harrisburg These proceeds will benefit the PSLS Political Action Committee (PAC) Fund For more information or to register, click here

Thanks for all you contribute to the Surveying profession and to PSLS I hope to see many of you in Hershey in January 2023 for our annual conference!

Terry E. McMillen, Jr. PSLS President

THOUGHTS ON PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & EDUCATION SERIES:

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION

B Y : K N U D E H E R M A N S E N P L S , P E , PH D , ESQ

This is the fourth article I have prepared in the series offering thoughts on professional practice and education The focus of this article, I hope, will assuage some individuals that I offended by my last article and will give hope to friends that will see I am now writing with the sense that I appear to have lost with my last article

I know I am not alone when I say I wish I knew as a young surveyor what I now know about running a business I can stand in front of a dozen or more surveyors that run their own surveying business, some for decades, and discuss rules and regulations that by law apply to them What I reveal shocks many of them as they realize the deficiencies in their knowledge and business practice. They were unaware or confused about rules and regulations they should be adhering to or should have adhered to when running their business.

I might quickly add, I will not claim to know the entire plethora of knowledge on government regulations as applied to businesses Who would know all the governing rules except for the most dedicated bureaucrat or regulator? Sadly, the federal, state, and local governments continue to do their best to create more difficulties in starting and running a business especially if you contract with the government

The first time a surveyor hears the phrase ‘cash flow’ should not be during their first year of owning a bus in their office, the time near midnight, the p due the next day Having never heard of the the new business owner cannot understan pay sooner using what they won’t have until

The new graduate that is checking into the manager at the onset of their surveying c wonder what is meant by a 401k, employe periods, and pre tax contributions.

This missive is not meant to discuss politics or even the various subjects that may fall under the concepts of ‘business’ and ‘management’ education Rather, the focus is to advocate that relevant business and management topics be presented to students studying in a four year surveying program

Faculty would be disappointed when collecting alumni data to discover graduates described their job title as ‘ survey technician’ ten years after graduation After ten years, the graduate is expected to be licensed and in management Yet, many survey programs have failed to give students any relevant knowledge that would aid the graduate to take on management positions where survey graduates are expected to spend most of their professional careers

I would opine the lack of adequate business and management courses in surveying programs stem from two conditions. The first condition arises because of the lack of business and management experience that faculty have. Many faculty do not have the experience, training, or knowledge to teach relevant business and management courses. Even survey programs at larger universities can’t always draw on the business school faculty to help educate the surveying student in relevant business courses While the business school faculty may be able to educate the surveying student regarding contracts, business entities, employee law, etc topics such as mechanics liens, survey fee makeup, right of entry laws, road safety laws, Dig safe, OSHA, federal contracting, and other such survey specific areas will not be covered in a course taught by the business school

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION CONTINUED

The second condition thwarting the introduction of business and management courses into a surveying program is the difficulty in fitting more courses into a surveying degree program. Universities limit the maximum number of credits for a bachelor of science degree. ABET accreditation requires certain courses and credit hours. NCEES has established topics covered in the FS exam that must be covered in the academic program Finally, the university requires all students at the university take certain courses for the regional accreditation the university maintains

If the reader will indulge me, I will get upon a soapbox regarding the last limitation mentioned that is University accreditation requirements I have found it frustrating that regional accreditation often requires courses such as diversity, artistic expression, humanities, and other general education courses popular among liberal arts faculty but worthless in a business or a professional environment (Not all general education is dismissed by practitioners Courses such as communication and writing courses are the exception These courses and their content are appreciated by employers )

For 30 years I have examined hundreds of employment surveys prepared by alumni and survey employers sent by the University for program self improvement In those 30 years and after review of hundreds of documents, I have yet to see a single employer or alumni say how useful artistic expression and similar courses have been toward their career The mention of these courses is a common occurrence but only under a category where alumni cite courses of no use in their life and wasted tuition money

Having given my opinion, I now offer advice by suggesting professional societies that advocate for surveying programs also look at the courses in the survey program to ensure there are business and management courses that provide the graduate with the knowledge to become leaders in both the profession, community, and a surveying business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Knud E Hermansen began his surveying career in the United States Marine Corps over 30 years ago. After completion of basic training, Knud was sent to surveying school and spent the next three years with the 2nd Topographic Platoon, 8th Engineer Battalion performing control surveys throughout the world. After his discharge from active duty as a sergeant, Knud worked for various consulting firms providing a wide range of services involving boundary surveys, site development, and engineering. During the last several years, Knud has provided consulting services in land surveying, civil engineering, and law. Much of Knud’s present consulting activities involve boundary disputes, easements, land development, liability, title, and contract issues.

* Other books and articles by Knud can be found at https://umaine.edu/svt/faculty/hermansen-articles/

JOB BOARD

Survey Operations Chief Urban Terrain Monroeville, PA

Land Survey Crew Chief - Rhea Engineers & Consultants, Inc - Moon Twp, PA

Land Survey Technician - Rhea Engineers & Consultants, Inc - Moon Twp, PA

Land Survey Technician Land Surveyors, Inc. Butler, PA

Survey Technician - Allstate Mapping, Inc. - Irwin, PA

PSLS PAC NOVEMBER 4 CAPITOL TOUR & SOCIAL OUTING

NOVEMBER 4, 2022 | THE CAPITOL IN HARRISBURG, PA

The PSLS Political Action Committee (PAC) is hosting a tour of the Capitol in Harrisburg ollowed by a social networking event on November 4. This is a great opportunity to have a special tour of the Capitol and learn about the importance of advocating for the Land Surveying profession at the state level Learn more about the political process, important egislation involving the surveying profession, and more The tour will be conducted by Bob Regola, PLS, PSLS Lobbyist and Legislative & Government Affairs Committee Chairman, and a former PA State Senator. After the tour, we will have a fun networking and social event so you can get to know some of your fellow PSLS members and others n the surveying profession More details are below We hope to see you there!

Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 2022. The State Capitol tour will be from 3 3:30 pm with a social networking event immediately after at a restaurant near the Capitol.

Location: Harrisburg, PA (at the Capitol and a restaurant nearby)

Cost: $50/person. Registration payments must be from an INDIVIDUAL (not corporate) or a state PAC registered in Pennsylvania. If paying by check, please make it payable to PSLS PAC, and send it to the PSLS PAC at 10340 Democracy Lane, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030

How to Register: Register online here

Can’t attend? Please consider donating to the PSLS PAC by using this donation form. (Note: Donations must be personal checks)

About the PSLS Political Action Committee (PAC)

The PSLS PAC raises money to cultivate political support from legislators who take interest in issues that are important to Pennsylvania surveyors. The PSLS PAC is bipartisan and operates with full transparency in compliance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Election Campaign Act and applicable laws. PSLS PAC’s strength comes from you and your commitment to the surveying profession. With your commitment, together we can make Pennsylvania a better place to practice land surveying for today’s and tomorrow’s working professionals.

SIDE-SHOT FROM HARRISBURG

With the summer recess coming to an end, both the Pennsylvania House and Senate will be back in Harrisburg by mid September With that being said, I will put a final push for HB 609 to have a committee vote, followed by a vote of the entire Senate Below you will see the limited number of session days for 2022

Also, with regards to the Right of Entry, everything is being prepared with the intent to introduce this legislation in the next legislative session (2023 2024) With a new administration taking over and possibly new committee chairs and executive directors, it makes the most sense to address this issue early in the new legislative session, therefore, we are dealing with the proper people

Finally, the PSLS Political Action Committee (PAC) is hosting a tour of the State Capitol in Harrisburg, followed by a social networking event at a nearby restaurant on Nov. 4th at 3:00-3:30 PM. This is a great opportunity to learn about the political process, important legislation involving the surveying profession and the importance of advocating for the Land Surveying profession while touring the Capitol. The cost is $50/person. Register here. All checks must be made out to PSLS PAC and NO corporate checks are permitted by law. Send checks to PSLS PAC at 10340 Democracy Lane, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Session Schedule for the Rest of 2022

Senate

Oct 17 19

Oct 24 26

Nov. 15

House

Oct 24 26

Nov 14 16

BOB REGOLA STATE LOBBYIST, REGOLA

CAPITOL CONTOURS

Welcome to another edition of Capitol Contours with JB. Here are a few highlights since the last newsletter:

In June, NSPS Executive Director Timothy Burch, participated on a NOAA panel for members and staff of the House and Senate Appropriations committees highlighting the importance of GPS technology as part of infrastructure and the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS)

In July, Congress heard from NSPS on surveying, mapping, and geospatial legislation when the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources of the House Committee on Natural Resources invited me to testify at a hearing on H R 5522, the Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform (FLAIR) Act, and H R 3681, the Sinkhole Mapping Act In my testimony, I highlighted the role of the surveying profession for both bills and promoted the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)

In August, I met with Karen Dettmer, Managing Director for Infrastructure Implementation at the EPA. Dettmer, a professional engineer with degrees in architectural and environmental engineering, highlighted EPA’s work on water infrastructure, including the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), and Lead Service Line Replacement with funding at $15 billion

In August, the U S Senate confirmed geologist David Applegate to serve as director of the U S Geological Survey A career USGS official, Applegate was named the agency’s interim director at the start of the Biden administration Knowledgeable of the agency’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), Applegate is also a strong proponent of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), for which NSPS has been a leading advocate.

In August, FEMA announced the FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) programs This funds projects that protect people and infrastructure from natural hazards and the effects of climate change The funding level for BRIC has increased to $2 3 billion for FY22, with FMA funding increasing to $800 million BRIC’s non financial Direct Technical Assistance program will also increase to at least 40 communities (from 20) for the FY22 cycle. The application period opens September 30, 2022 and closes on January 27, 2023.

In September, the National Academies released a finalized report for the technical review of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Order 20 48, approved by the Federal Communications Commission in April 2020, which authorized Ligado Networks LLC to operate a low power terrestrial radio network adjacent to the Global Positioning System (GPS) frequency band In the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress asked the National Academies to provide an independent technical review of this FCC Order The report found that Ligado will cause harmful interference to GPS. NSPS made a presentation to the study panel earlier this year, educating on the practice of surveying, uses of GPS, and concerns for the impact of the Ligado system. This finalized report also followed a letter sent from 8 bipartisan senators to the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission urging the FCC to “stay and reconsider” the Ligado Order

A History of the

ALLEGHENYNATIONALFORESTLAND&BOUNDARIES

By: Joe McGraw, PLS

You are probably familiar with Winston Churchill’s take on history, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” Professional land surveyors do not have the luxury of forgetting the past. In fact, the profession of land surveying demands that we repeat the past, or in surveying terms “retrace” the past by following in the footsteps of the original surveyor so that we may understand the present To understand the history of Allegheny National Forest (ANF) property boundaries and surveying, we must understand the history behind the creation of the ANF and review the procedures and methods of the original land acquisition surveys completed by the early Forest Service surveyors

In the late 1800’s the government began to see a need to protect valuable, watershed lands from extensive over grazing and cutting of timber Prior to this time, the government policies regarding public land had been focused primarily on land disposal Following two decades of congressional debate of over 200 bills regarding public land policy, conservation efforts by the federal government including the creation of the National Forest System began with the passage of two laws: Section 24 of the Act of March 3, 1891, which is commonly known as the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, aka the Land or General Revision Act; and the Organic Administration Act, formerly known as the Sundry Civil Appropriations Act of 1897. The Organic Administration Act states that “No national forest shall be established, except to improve and protect the forest within the boundaries, or for the purpose of securing favorable conditions of water flows, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the United States…"

The Weeks Act was enacted by the United States Congress and signed by President William Howard Taft on March 1, 1911 This law was sponsored by and bears the name of former Congressman John W Weeks The Weeks Act authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to " examine, locate, and purchase such forested, cutover, or denuded lands within the watersheds of navigable streams as in his judgment may be necessary to the regulation of the flow of navigable streams or for the production of timber." Therefore, provisions of the Weeks Law authorized the establishment of the National Forest Reservation Commission to consider and approve land purchases for National Forests in the eastern states.

Following the discovery of oil by Colonel Drake in 1859 in Titusville, PA, much of the surrounding land was purchased by developers for oil and gas development in the late 1800’s By the early 1900’s much of the forests in northwest Pennsylvania had been heavily cut and severely damaged by repeated fires At this time, the land was so depleted that locals referred to it as the “Allegheny Brush Patch ”

Although many forested areas within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were being purchased for the State Forest System, Pennsylvania also invited the federal government to establish a National Forest Given the Week’s Law provisions of protecting the headwaters and watersheds of navigable streams, the land surrounding the headwaters of the Allegheny River in parts of Warren, Elk, Forest, and McKean Counties was chosen for a National Forest project. The major tributaries of the Allegheny River included the Clarion River, Tionesta Creek, and Kinzua Creek. On October 21, 1921, the U.S. Forest Service authorized the negotiation of land purchases within the area of the ANF. The ANF was formally established by President Calvin Coolidge by Proclamation No. 1675 on September 24, 1923 (43 Stat. 1925)

Gurley Light Mountain Transit – “Gurley’s Manual – American Engineers’ and Surveyors’ Instruments – 1907”

Extensive title review was, and still is, imperative for a federal land acquisition A high degree of care and professional judgment was placed in the hands of the early foresters, surveyors, engineers, title abstractors, and attorneys A diligent and thorough review of title was performed by a qualified abstractor and reviewed by a title attorney to determine any title encumbrances and to confirm the status of ownership of land prior to the purchase The title abstractor researched the chain of title back to the original land grants, reviewed private and publicly available maps, deeds, testimony of old residents of the community, and reviewed various other sources of boundary and title evidence. This initial comprehensive review of title extended beyond the abstract and is inherent in early field inspections, survey work, notes, and property boundary descriptions for the ANF. While title was being examined, the surveyors kept in active touch with the title attorney regarding any adverse claims discovered on the ground The title attorney furnished the surveyor with information from records that helped in locating the property boundaries Today much of the land acquisition process mirrors the title work of the past A government land acquisition must adhere to stringent title requirements that are defined in the “Regulations of the Attorney General Governing the Review and Approval of Title for Federal Land Acquisitions”, and commonly known as the 2016 Department of Justice title standards

During the early land acquisitions, after the purchase option had been signed, the surveying of a government tract commenced Solar observations were performed to determine the true meridian or true north Magnetic bearings were never used for the acquisition survey. However, magnetic bearings were used occasionally to check the true meridian bearings. The solar observations were to be made each day the sun was available, but not made between the hours of 10:30 am to 1:30 pm or when the sun was at low elevations.

In addition to instructions provided in Forest Service handbooks, methodology from a book entitled “Azimuth” written by George Leonard Hosmer in 1909, provided direction in obtaining the true meridian from solar observations Accumulated angular error along a measured boundary was typically distributed between solar observations made over the course of the survey Distances were often measured by use of the transit stadia method, and check surveys were occasionally run over a distance of approximately two miles with a steel tape It was common to use the Gurley Light Mountain transit because it was equipped with adjustable stadia wires and was kept at a fixed ratio of 1:100 to yield the best results

Using the transit stadia method was found to yield more accurate results than using a steel tape or chain and it was easier to measure distances on the uneven terrain and over broken ground Distances were measured in feet and reduced to horizontal measurement, and then expressed in surveyors’ chains or the Gunter chain (1 chain = 66 feet) for the purpose of the legal description and official government map

The surveying instruments and procedures used during the early land acquisitions on the ANF yielded very accurate results for the time. Detailed survey instructions and procedures were provided for land acquired under the provisions of the Weeks Law on the ANF. Per these instructions, the allowable error of a bearing on any line between two corners was not to depart from the true bearing by more than 10 minutes of arc. To put that in perspective, 10 minutes of arc in one mile of line is the equivalent to approximately 15 feet No line between two corners could contain a distance error in excess of 1:320, i e , 25 links to a mile Therefore, the error in distance could not exceed 16 5 feet over one mile of line The surveyor would need to determine the angular and distance error before leaving the field, and if these errors exceeded the allowable amounts, the surveyor would then need to find where the error occurred, either in the field computations, notes, or in the fieldwork to eliminate the error Considering the mountainous terrain of the ANF, these were certainly acceptable standards for the time In retracing these older acquisition surveys on the ANF, I have found the actual error in the original courses of the property boundary lines, in most cases, is far less than the maximum allowable errors described

The acquisition surveying personnel typically consisted of an examiner of surveys, assisted by two transitmen, which directed two or more field parties. Each field party consisted of the transitman, two rodmen, one or two axe men, and a camp cook. The examiner of surveys coordinated the survey work, directed the transitman, assisted the transitman with field computations and mapping, inspected all survey work completed, and performed various other administrative duties under the direction of the Forest Supervisor

Great care was taken in survey field procedures, accurate note keeping, and in locating existing topographical, and cultural features of the land Features and improvements located as part of the land acquisition surveys included state highways, township roads, private roads, railroads, telephone lines, transmission lines, major streams, pipelines, structures on the land and other features discovered, or evident during the course of a survey that affected the land

Written descriptions of the property boundaries were drafted upon completion of the land acquisition survey and these survey descriptions were incorporated into the U S A deed

The original ANF boundary descriptions contain much more detailed information than a typical metes and bounds description The ANF boundary descriptions state what evidence was found along the property boundary lines and corners, what type of corner monument was found or if a new monument was set, bearing tree ties (bearings and distances from nearby trees), and other locative information deemed significant to preserve and perpetuate the corner location Regardless of how a tract was acquired, whether via condemnation under Eminent Domain, purchase, interchange, exchange, or donation, the majority of land acquired by the U.S.A. for the Allegheny National Forest was surveyed and marked at the time of the land acquisition.

Property boundary corners as originally established on the ANF consisted of concrete posts with bronze metal caps known as Class A corners; and iron pipes, tree corners, stone corners, and hewed posts known as Class B corners If stones were readily available and could be procured, a mound of stones was placed around the government corner Class A corners were designated a serial number that was stamped on a bronze cap. Class A corners were considered permanent survey control monuments and were to be established no more than a mile apart in each direction, and were typically set at the beginning corner of each government tract and at other corners as deemed necessary. Class B corners were used to designate all other corners and were monumented with the most durable material that could be readily obtained, which on the ANF appears to have been 2” iron pipes that were painted red once set in the ground Many of the Class B corners on the ANF have since been replaced by 2” stainless steel, aluminum or galvanized iron pipes with bronze or aluminum caps Detailed records of all of the property corners on the ANF are filed at the Supervisor’s Office in Warren, PA The government land acquisition survey map and boundary description denote the property boundary corners with an associated corner number for each individual tract of government land Property boundary lines along ridges, roads, or streams are known as meandering lines and consist of a number of straight courses with varying lengths The surveyed lines for these meandering boundaries coincide with the line of the natural boundary as close as possible, but corners along these natural boundaries are not numbered on the map or in the property boundary description.

Today, on the ANF there is one Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) who manages all of the property boundaries for approximately 514,000 acres of land. USDA Forest Service policy has issued direction pertaining to the marking, blazing, and painting of property boundary lines within one quarter mile of any resource activity, including, but not limited to timber sales, vegetative management, prescribed fire, trail or road construction, facility improvement, and construction, etc

There is discretion in the hands of the Forest Land Surveyor as to the extent that these boundaries are marked and whether it is acceptable to deviate from the ¼ mile guidance in certain situations The forest land surveyor is required to be licensed by the Commonwealth of PA, and is employed by the U S D A Forest Service, but acts impartially, obligated by the public and the Federal government to adequately identify and mark legal boundaries that affect federal management of the land The forest land surveyor often confers with private land surveyors regarding the surveying of private land common with ANF property boundaries The forest land surveyor also serves as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the government, playing a critical role in the administration and technical oversite of land surveying contract work on the ANF The ANF has cadastral surveying and landline maintenance specifications that dictate how property boundaries are marked and maintained Despite the many technological advancements in surveying today, the property boundary marking and monumentation of property corners on the ANF has not changed significantly in 100 years

Next time you are around the Allegheny National Forest and observe red painted trees delineating a Forest Service property boundary, corner monuments, or boundary signs, please appreciate the time, effort and money that is spent on the continued management of the Allegheny National Forest property boundaries

Joe McGraw is a Professionally Licensed Land Surveyor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New York and is the Forest Land Surveyor on the Allegheny National Forest. Special thanks to Amy Lesher and for her editing and suggestions. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GRASSLANDS A CHRONOLOGICAL

Forest Service Lands and Realty Management Staff Washington,

C

ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST LAND & BOUNDARIES CONTINUED

THE SURVEYOR AS A SPONGE

By: Jeffrey P Turner, PLS

How many times have I made decisions on projects and wondered, “How do I know that? Where did I learn that?” There are so many things we seasoned land surveyors have learned through our life experiences, and the lessons we observed in others’ lives. The School of Hard Knocks? Yes, but that’s not all. Here are some reflections on people and situations I have learned from.

In 1974, we were living in Missouri. I was sitting in a Chevy Suburban while my party chief performed some complex calculations. His pad of paper was covered with numbers as he calculated to continue the field work. I marveled at the complexity of the math and felt I’d never be able to do that “stuff.” Oddly, he was not well liked by his peers. He was just too good, too smart, and too competent. At least that’s how it seemed to play out in front of me. He was an inspiration and I worked in the dust of his abilities.

In 1975, I was laid off from a large firm and subsequently hired by several gentlemen in Independence, Missouri. They were both engineers and land surveyors, and at one time had 5 survey crews. The housing market was dead, and my wife was 9 months pregnant. When I applied for the job, they asked if I had seen the ad, and I said I didn’t and was just looking for work. This opportunity changed my life. Is surveying the opportunity to change your life?

Fortunately for me, I worked directly with one of the owners as my crew chief. Jerry instructed me to set the instrument up on a pin and load an angle into the transit and lock that angle onto another pin. Due to some obstruction, we could not directly see to where we wanted to set our corner. I saw the print he was using and many of the lot corners had coordinates on them. The office personnel were instructed to create worksheets to make life easier for party chiefs while in the field. Back then, if you wanted to get information from the office, you either had to drive to get it, or find a pay phone.

Jerry did some simple subtractions and told me to turn the gun to due north. We then chained a distance and put a redeye (carpenters nail pushed through folded red flagging) at a point I was instructed to set up on that nail and backsight the pin I had previously occupied with zero set on the transit Then, I was told to turn 90 degrees which put me on a due east line We measured a distance Jerry had calculated on his worksheet Then Jerry set the property corner

I was stunned and stopped Jerry to ask, “What did you just do?”

It was a turning point for me For me, that was the birth of trigonometry I’d seen my previous party chief and his trig calculations but had no idea what magic he made Jerry took the time and connected the world and the paper that described it

With my new zeal, even the office staff took the time to show me how to draft and calculate Mike, a designer, taught me how to use trig tables and showed off his thick book of trig tables You can still see simple tables in the back of the yellow field books.

A very important aspect of working for Jerry was gaining an appreciation for making money for my boss. The closer you are to the owner, at least for me, the more personally rewarding it can be. As an employee you have two prime functions: make money for your boss and make your boss’s life easier. Sure, you want to make a living, but if the company you work for does poorly, so will you

Moving back East we settled in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania I took a job as an instrument man Since I had been a junior party chief, on a day when the Chief was off or on vacation, I was asked to take the new guy, a recent graduate of the Penn State survey program, and stake out for new sewers in a subdivision This fellow was just staring at me, and I asked him why he was looking at me like that He said, “I don’t know what you are doing ” I responded, “We are staking sewers ” Wasn’t it obvious what we were doing? He then stated, “they never taught us anything about construction staking in college ” I was stunned

This was a fine young man who went on to have his own firm We lost him a few years back. Tragic.

So, where am I going with these stories? Well, I’m heading toward a graduate from a survey program to a person with a license in land surveying. College is great and will cover various material that one probably won’t see when working in one or two firms. Here in Pennsylvania, I believe you are required to have 5 years of surveying experience before they will allow you to take the test It’s the same for civil engineering

During your five years of work, make sure you get to know five people with licenses who recognize your excellence and will sign their assurance you are skilled enough to obtain a license Be sure you learn how to design stormwater facilities, sanitary sewers and on lot systems, how to grade a pipe so it flows downhill, understand wetlands and their importance to the environment etc After college comes the practical knowledge Keep your eyes open, there is much to learn

How do you install a concrete monument, and what do you do when rock is hit at 12 inches, and you have a 24 inch monument? When you find what appears to be a bent pin, is it really bent or did conditions make it necessary to drive it in on an angle? At what point do you give up on trying to set a corner and instead set a point on the property line and document its location? When starting a field survey, how long do you spend searching for monuments? How far from the project site will you look for property markers?

I could probably write up a list of things to learn, but it would take too many pages and serve only to wear you out. If you are working for a firm, try to get transferred to the crew with the smartest chief, not only will you learn more but you will make more because your crew is making more money for the owner. Ask good questions but don’t challenge your teacher Most of the party chiefs I’ve known are happy to teach those who want to learn When you see your boss working successfully with tools first observe, then be quick to learn and quick to help

I’ve stated that you need to get experience so you can take the exam, but there is so much more to surveying than what’s on the test Books help, but they can’t replace experience Some people take a while to learn how to use a real shovel and hammer and not just build as in computer games like ‘Minecraft ’

THE SURVEYOR AS A SPONGE CONTINUED

Lastly, I suggest when you are out working with a party chief, be sure you carry more than they do. Start learning how to be the good example. If you work hard, volunteer, take the lead, others will notice. If you are a recent graduate, be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge you can, and it will last a lifetime.

Foraging in the Field

BY AMY HOPKINS, PLS

I love a good rural boundary survey on wooded property. Yes, the GPS doesn’t like the tree cover and we end up traversing conventionally to some of the corners, but oh what you find along the way! I’ve been a forager of wild mushrooms for as long as I can remember. My best finds have been completely accidental while out surveying.

The Morel is the first mushroom I ever foraged for. They’re an early Spring mushroom After the first few warm, sunny days above 60°, they’ll start popping up Once you find your first one, your eyes will be trained to spot them, and you’ll find them all around We get a nice crop of morels each year on our own property in Westmoreland County

The Pheasant Back is another Spring mushroom, so while you’re out hunting morels, keep a look out on dead trees for this tasty beauty.These were also harvested on our property. I was out hunting morels when I stumbled across this. I didn’t know what it was but did some research and found out it was edible, so out came the pocketknife and into the foraging bag it went I carry a mesh foraging bag in the field with me so the spores will fall off on the ground and you’ll have a crop for next year in about the same locations

I found this Coral Tooth mushroom on a dead hardwood log while surveying in Elk County. The property owner was with me and wouldn’t even touch it let alone eat it so they said I could take whatever I found. What a great haul I had that October day.

FORAGING IN THE FIELD CONTINUED

This Eastern Cauliflower was found the same day on the same property. Both have great flavor.

These Oyster Mushrooms were also found in Elk County, different survey, different property The landowner didn’t want them but was excited to know what they were and that they were edible This was a very large tract of land, and the owner was giving me the tour of his property on our quads

And probably my all time favorite mushroom for flavor is the colorful Chanterelle These were found while surveying in New Stanton, Westmoreland County They grow on the ground in large clusters This whole batch, over 2 lbs, were all found within a 6’ radius

In my next article I’ll share some of my favorite recipes for these various treasures I find in the field

Happy Foraging!

SURVEY SMARTER, FROM START TO FINISH.

Topcon’s

PSLS WEBSITE TIPS & TRICKS: CERTIFICATES

Conferences, and

need to first log into your PSLS online account Go to www psls org To get to the login screen, you can hover over the tab [MORE] at the far right end of the navigation menus, as pictured below Then

1) In order to view your certificates,

need to click “Members Only” when it appears

2) Sign in using

login credentials and then click the [SIGN IN] button If

need your credentials, call the PSLS office at 717 412 1946 or email psls@psls org

3) Once you log in, you should be directed to a page that looks like this

If you are not on this page, you can always get here by clicking on the top right corner where it says, “Welcome, (Your Name)” From there, you can click on [Account + Settings] and it will direct you to this page

4) To view your certificates, from the profile page we see, you can click on [Professional Development], as shown below If you don’t see the tabs to the left including the Professional Development tab, you may need to click a link under the “Profile Completeness” bar that says, “Increase Your Score” and then the tabs should appear

5) Next, you should see a screen that looks like below This page will list every certificate you have earned, whether it be from attending sessions from past conferences or from attending webinars To view and print these certificates, simply locate and click the blue printer icon as shown below under “Options ”

PSLS WEBSITE TIPS & TRICKS: CERTIFICATES CONTINUED

6) When you click on the blue printer icon, a new window will open This new window will display the certificate you have selected If you wish to save it as a pdf or print it, you can click on the [PRINT] button at the top left side of the window

YOU'RE INVITED TO PRECISION LASER & INSTRUMENT'S FALL 2022 SURVEYING SOFTWARE TRAININGS!

LEARN MORE

PSLS WEBSITE TIPS & TRICKS: CERTIFICATES

Member Spotlight

Tell us a bit about yourself.

David BoyerPLS

I was born and raised in central Pennsylvania, where I continue to reside to this day I attended high school at Dauphin County Technical School where I was enrolled in the Drafting and Design Technology program. During my senior year, I worked at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 8 0 Office in Harrisburg in the highway division as a drafter as part of the cooperative education program After graduation and spending a year and a half out of the field, I began working at Macomber Associates in Camp Hill as an engineering technician Within a few months, I was asked to help out on the survey crew This was my first real exposure to land surveying. I enjoyed working outside and traveling to various parts of the Commonwealth for various projects After a few years, Pennoni Associates acquired Macomber Associates It was at this time I became a full time surveyor

What is the most unique project you have worked on, and why?

In my 30+ years of surveying, I have worked on various boundary, topographic, construction stakeout, route, and control surveying projects for commercial, residential, academic, healthcare, and industrial developments for public, private, and municipal clients I have also performed an extensive amount of work for PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission While each project has its own unique attributes, a few specific projects that come to mind were performing surveys for truck escape ramps in Westmoreland County, surveying beneath 30th Street Station and Market Street in Philadelphia, and performing a bathymetric survey of Laurel Lake at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, PA. The latter not only required conventional mapping of the bottom of the lake, but also obtaining the surface elevation of the of the accumulated silt deposits This was necessary to perform volume computations for future dredging operations

Did you have a mentor, if so, how did it affect your career?

I had the opportunity to work under the tutelage of several knowledgeable crew chiefs and professional land surveyors as I was coming up through the ranks. The Chief Surveyor of Pennoni at the time, Glenn McAllister, PLS, strongly encouraged me to sit for the PLS exam. Thanks to his motivation, mentoring, and belief in me as a surveyor, I became licensed in 2005 I currently oversee survey projects within the Susquehanna Valley, Lehigh Valley, and Wyoming Valley regions of Pennsylvania I am a member of the Harrisburg Chapter of PSLS April 4, 2023 will mark my 35th anniversary with Pennoni

What advice can you give to young surveyors?

Learn as much as you can from your colleagues Gain as much field experience while you are young Educate yourself on the history of surveying

If you were reincarnated as a famous landmark, what would it be and why?

That’s easy…Mount Rushmore. “Three surveyors and some other guy.”

Tell us an interesting or funny surveying story.

Here is a funny story I remember from my earlier days (before cellphones) As part of a three person crew, we were along a highway in western PA. Since we were out of town, we were trying to get as much work done as possible since the weather forecast called for heavy rain. The crew chief and I both put our rain gear on as the ominous dark skies approached from the east. The other member of the crew was not concerned about the dark clouds and declined to put on his rain gear before trekking approximately 1,500’ from where we had the truck and instrument positioned As soon as he finished his trek, the skies opened up The crew chief and I quickly jumped in the truck Unable to drive to his location, the other guy attempted to head back, but decided instead to take refuge in a 48” culvert The rain became even heavier as the crew chief and I looked on from the comfort of the warm, dry, suburban. After about ten minutes, he was driven from the culvert due to the rising water With no other place for refuge, he started hiking back to the truck (while we laughed) By the time he got back to the truck he was completely drenched When he was a few feet from the truck, I opened my door and tossed him his rain jacket Needless to say, he was not amused

SPORTSBOOK

2ND ANNUAL FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

PSLS and the PLS Foundation are excited to facilitate the 2nd annual Fantasy Football League. All proceeds will go to the PLS Foundation to support its scholarship programs. Good luck to the participating teams listed below. The winner will receive rights to the championship trophy and have their name engraved on it.

Below are the current standings after Week 3:

Urban Bourbon (Logan Sayre)

Urban Terrain Yutes (Derek Horneman)

Team Brothers (Pete Brothers)

Control Pnt FT Warren, NJ (John Lynch, George Phillippi)

Ghost Riders (Katherine Shewman)

Legion of Doom (Richard Shewman)

Philly Philly Spellmania (Dave Spellman)

King Henry's Surveyors (Chris Miller)

Palmyra Panthers (Crystal Thomas)

BigMike'sPosse It'saGiven (Mike Given, Braeden Luciano)

Startup Making Robots for Land Surveying Was Funded Bad Backsights: The Future of Surveying

Land Surveyors Have Important Role in History

Witness to History

Women & Drones Documentary

BEFORE YOU GO......

Markets

Markets: In a reversal of recent trends, tech helped prop up markets the Nasdaq was the only major index that closed in the green.

Random Headlines:

Scenic drives across the US for your fall foliage fix. Visualizing how Americans spend their money by generation This year's best drone photos

Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge crushed his own world record by about 30 seconds at the Berlin Marathon His ridiculous time: 2:01:09

Stat Center

Alternative meat companies have a lot more problems than their execs allegedly chomping on noses. The once booming sector has gone into reverse, with sales of refrigerated meat alternatives declining 10.5% in the year leading up to September 4, per IRI data.

5.2 million people became millionaires last year. About half of the nouveaux riches are from the US, making last year the biggest increase of millionaires for “ any country in any year this century,” according to Credit Suisse’s wealth report. Zooming out, the top 1%’s share of the world’s wealth rose for the second year in a row, to nearly 46%

Notice anything different about Amazon’s Thursday Night Football telecast last night? There were zero beer commercials Unlike TV networks, Amazon bans ads that promote alcohol in several countries, including the US But an NFL telecast without beer ads is like a wedding reception without “Shout ” Of the $60 million that beer companies spent on TV ads in the past two weeks, 70% was directed to NFL programming

The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

WINSTON CHURCHILL

What is the most populous US state without a professional sports team in the top four leagues (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL)?

And what is the least populous state with all four?

The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors is excited to debut its new website and membership portal. Our goal is to provide you with a personal profile to simplify and streamline your member experience to increase user engagement and satisfaction, save you time, and ultimately grow the organization

There are several new and exciting features within your new member portal, most notable is the ability to store

PDH certificates. To set up your new member profile, please click on the URL below to login. If you are unsure of your new username and password please call the PSLS office Do not create a duplicate account

Member Login: https://psls.site ym.com/login.aspx

You may save this link in your web browser favorites for future reference!

Once you have successfully logged in, be sure to change your password and update your profile

If you run into any problems or have any questions, please do not hesitate to email psls@psls.org or call the PSLS office at (717) 442 1946.

PSLS OFFICERS

State Directors

Allegheny Heartlands Chapter: Joseph Hood, PLS & James Mostoller, PLS

Bucks Chapter: Robert Snyder, PLS & David Spellman

Delaware Valley Chapter: Jason Bertzos, PLS & Karl Kriegh, PLS

Harrisburg Chapter: John Clark III , PLS & James Hartman, PLS

Laurel Highlands Chapter: Ryan Deglau & Troy Leighty, PLS

Lehigh Valley Chapter: Stephen Ombalski, PLS & Arthur Swallow, PLS

Mid-State Chapter: David Archibald, PLS & Gregory Shufran, PLS

North Central Chapter: K Robert Cunningham, PLS

Northeast Chapter: Glenn Johnson, PLS & Vincent Stranch, PLS

Northwest Chapter: Ryan Courtney, PLS & Allen Yard, PLS

Pocono Chapter: Gregg Davis, PLS & William Senapedis, PLS

Reading Chapter: John Fuehrer, PLS & John Huck, PLS

South Central Chapter: Eric Gladhill, PLS & Timothy Rojahn, PLS

Southwest Chapter: Donald Groesser, PLS & Vincent Paparella, PLS

Susquehanna Chapter: Timothy Wentz, PLS & Robert Weaver, PLS

Officers:

Terry, McMillen, Jr., PLS, President

Pete Brothers, PLS, President Elect

Lawrence Leso, PLS, Vice President

Dylan Sites, PLS, Secretary

Richard Shewman, PLS, Treasurer

Amy Hopkins, PLS, Immed. Past President Michael Given, PLS, NSPS Director

Sustaining

Firms

Civil Training, LLC

Attn: John Cooke

5300 Wellington Branch Drive, Suite 100

Gainesville, VA 20155

P: 732 859 8353

F: 732 377 5454

john cooke@civiltraining com

www civiltraining com

Cooper Aerial Surveys

Attn: Pete Priestner

412 East Street Rd. Trevose, PA 19053

P: 800 229 2279

pete@cooperaerial com

www cooperaerial com

Keystone Precision Solutions

Attn: George Allport, Jr

1670 East Race Street Allentown, PA 18109

P: 610 266 2699

georgejr@keypre com

www keypre com

Klein Agency, LLC

Attn: Mark Amirault

PO Box 219 Timonium, MD 21094

P: 410 832 7600

F: 410 832 1849 mamirault@eakagency com

www kleinagencyllc com

Packer Associates, Inc.

Attn: Gary Packer

148 Holgate Road Honesdale, PA 18431

P: 570 224 4300

gary@packerassociates com https://www packerassociates com

Porter Consulting Engineers, P.C.

Attn: L Ashley Porter

552 State Street, Meadville, PA 16335

P: 814 337 4447

aporter@pceengineers com https://www pceengineers com/

Precision Laser & Instrument, Inc.

Attn: Robert J Barth

85 11th Street Ambridge, PA 15003

P: 724 266 1600

F: 724 266 8161

rjb@laserinst com

www laserinst com

Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying, Inc.

Attn: Jason E Chernich, PLS

279 N. Zinns Mill Road Lebanon, PA 17042

P: 717 272 7110

jchernich@steckbeck net

Szalankiewicz Engineering

Attn: James Szalankiewicz

PO Box 206 Elderton, PA 15736

P: 724 354 4852 sellc@windstream.net

Wetland Studies & Solutions, Inc.

Attn: Eric Calladine

5300 Wellington Branch Dr , Suite 100

Gainesville, VA 20155

P: 703 679 5600

F: 703 697 5601

ecalladine@wetlandstusies com

www wetlandstudies com

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About The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors

The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS), a statewide professional organization, exists for the purpose of supporting, improving and enhancing the profession, its members, and the practice of land surveying. PSLS focuses on providing education, legislative involvement, enhancing the public awareness, and the promulgation of the ethics of the profession.

10340 Democracy Lane, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030 www psls org Become a Member