are you prepared for the national datum changes planned ... - 46.4.pdfnavigation satellite system...

The Nevada TraverseJournal of the Professional Land Surveyors of Nevada

Institutional A ff i l iate National Society of Professional Surveyors • Member Western Federation of Professional Surveyors

Vol. 46, No. 4 • December 2019

Are You Prepared for the National Datum Changes Planned for 2020?.....Page 4

Nevada Young Surveyors Network Update.....Page 7

Jason Higgins, PresidentWallace Morris Kline [email protected]

Greg Phillips, President-ElectLumos and [email protected]

Justin Moore, SecretaryOdyssey [email protected]

Robert Carrington, TreasurerDiamondback Land [email protected]

NALS Executive Office526 South E Street Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Email: [email protected]

Nancy AlmanzanSouthwest [email protected]

Nick Ariotti, Director – Southern NevadaE.G. Radig, Inc. [email protected]

Todd Enke, Director – LahontanResource Concepts [email protected]

Bill Kruger, Director – LahontanNV [email protected]

Gene Sawyer, Director – Southern [email protected]

William Nisbet, Treasurer [email protected]

Todd Enke, PresidentR.O. [email protected]

Bill Ray, President-ElectESE Cosultants, [email protected]

Shane Trotter, [email protected]

Gene Sawyer, [email protected]

Nicholas T. Ariotti, President-Elect E.G. Radig [email protected]

Russell Jamison, SecretaryPoggemeyer Design Group [email protected] Frank Wittie, TreasurerCity of North Las Vegas [email protected]

Nancy Almanzan, PLS Southwest [email protected]

Trent Keenan, PLSDiamondback Land [email protected]

Sarah Walker, Young Surveyors Network – Nevada [email protected]

Who’s Who in NALS

WFPS Delegates from Nevada

Nevada Young Surveyors Network

Great Basin Chapter Officers

Lahontan Chapter Officers

Southern Nevada Chapter Officers

2019 State Association Officers

Executive Office

NSPS Director for Nevada

Directors

2 The Nevada Traverse Vol. 46, No. 4, 2019

This publication is issued quarterly by the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors (NALS) and is published as a service to the Land Surveying pro-fession of the state of Nevada. The Nevada Traverse is an open forum for all Surveyors, with an editorial policy predicated on the objective of NALS and Bylaws, Article II, which reads:

“The purpose of the association shall be to promote the common good and welfare of its members in their activities in the profession of Land Surveying; to promote the common good and welfare of the public in terms of professional land surveying activities; to promote and maintain the highest possible standards of professional ethics and practice; to promote public awareness and trust in Professional Land Surveyors and their work.

This organization, in its activities and in its membership, shall be non-partisan, non-sectarian, and non-discriminatory.”

The publication is mailed to NALS members and similar organizations on a com-plimentary basis. The Nevada Traverse is not copyright protected. Articles, except where specifically copyright noted, may be reprinted with proper credit. Written permission to reprint copyrighted material must be secured either from the author directly, or through the editor.

Articles appearing in the publication do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of NALS, its officers, Board of Directors, or the editor, but are published as a service to its members, the general public, and for the betterment of the survey-ing profession. No responsibility is assumed for errors, misquotes, or deletions as to its contents.

Article & Advertising DeadlinesJanuary 25th, April 25th, July 25th, October 25th

To submit and article or to request information regarding advertising, please contact the NALS Executive Office

NALS Executive OfficeT. (888) 994-3510

E. [email protected]

Running an ad does not imply endorsement of that advertiser by NALS, and the editor reserves the right to not accept ads which may be in poor taste or objection-able to the policies of NALS.

The Nevada Traverse Inside This Issue

SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP $195 Annually

INCLUDES:• Complimentary business listing in the Traverse• Complimentary listing on NALS website• Member pricing on ads in the Nevada Traverse

About the Cover...

Cover: Boulder City, Nevada. Photo credit: Rob Mooers, Diamondback Land Surveying.

Has Your ContactInformation Changed?

Change in your address, email address, or telephone? Please contact NALS with

your updated information.

You may log onto the NALS Website at: www.nvlandsurveyors.org

Go to: Update Contact Info.Fill in your information and submit.

Help your NALS Boardto keep you current.

Thank you!

Featured Articles

Are You Prepared for the National Datum Changes

Planned for 2022? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg.4

By: Dave Doyle, retired NGS Geodetic Surveyor

Nevada Mapping for Industrial or Commercial

Development and the Requirements for Creating a

Boundary by Conveyance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg.5

By: Michael Kidd, PLS

Nevada Board of Professional Engineers and Land

Surveyors Appointment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg.4

Departments

Who’s Who . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 1

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 3

Quarterly Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 20-21

Chapter Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 22-23

Conference Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 10-11

NSPS Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 17

WFPS Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 18

Young Surveyors Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 7

The Nevada Traverse Vol. 46, No. 4, 2019 3

ThePresident’s Messageby Jason Higgins, PLS

ALS Members, this is my fourth and final message as your President. I am so proud of the NALS Board of Directors who worked hard this year on behalf of the

profession. With the support of our membership, we have made great strides this year including the adoption of a strategic plan (see President’s Message in Traverse Vol. 46, No. 2). The strategic plan set forth initiatives and goals many of which we were able to accomplish.

2019 Highlights:

• Outreach

o Attended High School Counselors Conference

o TrigStar Competition

o Created and funded the Young Surveyor’s Network (NV YSN)

o Outreach to Nevada CTE for workforce development partnership

• Advanced Education

o Approved a resolution supporting the four-year degree requirement

o Continued support of the Great Basin College. This support helped facilitate the approval of a second professor

• Recruitment of NALS Leaders

o Updated guidelines

o Amended bylaws

o Provided resources for Chapter leaders

• Liaisons & Representation

o Board of Registration Liaison

o 2022 Datum Liaison

o NSPS Director (national representation)

o WFPS Directors (regional representation)

o Revitalized Legislative Committee and initiated a bill tracking service

• Strategic Partnerships

o NDOT Ad Hoc - Results of first initiative coming soon

• Continuing Education/Professional Development

o Held a successful joint Conference with CLSA in Reno which offered 24 hours of continuing education

o Monthly Chapter meetings as well as seminars provided local education

• Communication

o Continue to publish the Nevada Traverse

o NvLandSurveyors.org

o E-newsletters

• Advanced Technology

o Created an Ad-Hoc Committee for the 2022 NGS Datum change

These accomplishments would not be possible without a team of dedicated members that volunteer countless hours on behalf of NALS and the land surveying profession. While I can’t list everyone in this brief President’s Message, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a few individuals. First, I would like to thank Carl C. deBaca for his years of service to the association. Over the years Carl has worn many hats, most famously his Press fedora pictured in each of his Nevada Traverse Editorials. In addition to serving as Editor of the Nevada Traverse, Carl has served in leadership roles at both the Great Basin and Lahontan Chapters, served in each of the Officer positions at the state level, chaired multiple committees, and served as NSPS Director. Carl has moved out of state and leaves large shoes for us to fill but we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. This leads me to the next person I would like to thank – Nancy Alamanzan. Nancy has stepped up to fill the vacated role of NSPS Director. In addition to the new role, Nancy also serves as our WFPS representative and our Conference Chair. Thank you, Nancy, for your continued support of NALS. In addition, special thanks to Trent Keenan for agreeing to serve as our new WFPS representative.

2019 saw another legislative session, with several changes that affect surveyors. I would like to thank the Nevada Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELS) for keeping the professional community informed throughout this process. Specifically, I would like to thank Patty Mamola, Executive Director and our two surveyor members of the Board, Michael Kidd and Bob LaRiviere. The outreach provided by BPELS through workshops, PAL Council meetings, newsletters, and attendance at our local chapter meetings has served as invaluable tools to the profession. Be sure to review the changes in law which can be found at https://nvbpels.org/newsletter

I would like to thank the entire Board of Directors including Greg Phillips, Justin Moore, Robert Carrington, Jerry Juarez, Nick Ariotti, Todd Enke, Bill Kruger, and Gene Sawyer. Your support and hard work has made a lasting impact. Lastly, I would like to thank the membership for electing me to serve and contribute to the association. I have truly enjoyed my time including the opportunity to meet many of you during Chapter visits.

N

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 u


Are You Prepared for the National Datum Changes Planned for 2020?by Dave Doyle, retired NGS Geodetic Surveyor

Can you answer these six questions?1. What is the biggest problem with the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)?2. What organization is responsible for the development of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF)?3. Which geodetic measurement systems are used to compute ITRF solutions?4. What is the approximate percentage of currently published 1st and 2nd-Order North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) bench marks will NGS likely use in the definition of the new vertical reference frame?5. What are the names of the new reference systems that NGS has adopted?6. How large are the expected horizontal position and orthometric height changes expected to be across the state of Washington?

Every surveyor in the state who relies on the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data in the course of their work should be able to answer these questions right off the top of their head. If you can’t, you better start getting up to speed. If everything goes as planned you only have about 3 years before NGS will pull the lever and replace both NAD 83 and NAVD 88.

The transitions from the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) to NAD 83 in 1986 and the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to NAVD 88 in 1991 had, in general a significant impact on only a modest number of federal, state, county/municipal and private surveying, mapping and charting agencies and companies. That will be radically different this time. Owing to the widespread use of GNSS and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, communities across the country and large numbers of other disciplines will be significantly impacted by these positional changes. Those communities and other disciplines will be depending on professional surveyors to guide them in the adoption of these new datums and management of their legacy data.

So can you answer the posed questions? If you can, then you are likely well prepared to meet the challenges that are coming. If not, then you should take all the classes you can to be informed on the subject. Start off by getting acquainted with NGSs’ New Datums web site - https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/datums/newdatums/index.shtml - and sign up for their e-mail notification service. Make sure that the annual LSAW conference features speakers explaining the rational for these changes, how you can predict the changes coming to your community, and strategies for implementation of those changes.

Now as for the answers to the six questions – take some time to see what you can find on line. The answers are on page 24 of this magazine.

This article is reprinted with permission from the LSAW Evergreen State Surveyor, Spring 2019 issue. U

Governor Appoints New Member to the Nevada Board for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (NVBPELS)

Congratulations to NALS Past President Matt Gingerich! Governor Sisolak appointed Matt to the NVBPELS effective July 1, 2019. He takes over the seat previously held by Robert LaRiviere, PLS, whose term expired June 30, 2019.

Matt is a licensed professional land surveyor in Nevada. His surveying career began with the Bureau of Land Management and he later worked in the private sector. Currently, Matt leads the Land Resources department for NV Energy’s northern service territory. Over the last twenty years he has been involved with a wide range of responsibilities in surveying and land rights related to the construction and operation of the expanding gas and electric utility infrastructure in Northern Nevada. One of the larger projects he has contributed to was the 500 kilovolt transmission line connecting northern and southern Nevada.

Matt graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor of Arts in History and the Oregon Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Land Surveying. He has served as President of the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors and Chair of the Western Federation of Professional Surveyors.

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Nevada Mapping for Industrial or Commercial Development and the Requirements for Creating a Boundary by Conveyanceby Michael Kidd, PLS

The requirements, outlined in the Nevada Revised Statues (NRS), are very clear for mapping and setting monuments re-quired for the conveyance of property within an industrial or commercial subdivision. The application of these requirements seems to generate a bit of confusion for some. The following is offered as clarification of the requirements by Statute.

The initial requirement per NRS 278.325 is to set monuments for the newly created parcel. In theory, the monuments already exist for the overall commercial subdivision from the original mapping or a previous conveyance. The survey monuments re-quired for the newly created parcel could be as simple as setting two monuments, one at each end of the new parcel line. How-ever, the boundary for the newly created parcel must have all monuments, either found or set. If any monuments are miss-ing, for whatever reason, then they need to be set with the new conveyance.

The requirement for the Record of Survey in support of an in-dustrial or commercial subdivision conveyance comes from NRS 625.340 and is intended to memorialize the monuments set in support of the conveyance per NRS 278.325.

Some land surveyors have adopted the procedure of setting only two monuments with the Record of Survey as shown in Figure 1 below. Some will record the Record of Survey showing no monu-ments at all, perhaps feeling the requirement for the convey-ance is the Record of Survey only. They are either missing or ignoring the requirements for monuments to be set and that the Record of Survey is filed in support of the set monuments.

Figure 2 (on next page) shows the correct procedure with new monuments on the newly created line, with all other monu-ments found.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE u

Figure 1


Some seem to think that new construction will destroy any mon-uments set, so why bother. Either that professional land sur-veyor is collecting a fee and not completing all the work, or giv-ing a client a fee that does not support the requirements called for in the Nevada Revised Statutes.

Any parcel conveyed within an industrial or commercial subdi-vision should have all monuments in place for that conveyance. Within 90 days of setting those monuments, a Record of Sur-vey shall be filed. Most transactions of this type will have the Record of Survey recorded with the transaction to include the Record of Survey recording information in the conveyance deed.

This information is intended to inform and also provide some background. All comments, feedback and other opinions are welcome.Michael Kidd, P.L.S.City of Henderson, City [email protected]

NRS 278.325 Mapping for industrial or commercial development; restriction on sale of parcel for residential use; requirements for creating boundary by conveyance.1. If a subdivision is proposed on land which is zoned for

industrial or commercial development, neither the tentative nor the final map need show any division of the land into lots or parcels, but the streets and any other required improvements are subject to the requirements of NRS 278.010 to 278.630, inclusive.

2. No parcel of land may be sold for residential use from a subdivision whose final map does not show a division of the land into lots.

3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, a boundary or line must not be created by a conveyance of a parcel from an industrial or commercial subdivision unless a professional land surveyor has surveyed the boundary or line and set the monuments. The surveyor shall file a record of the survey pursuant to the requirements set forth in NRS 625.340. Any conveyance of such a parcel must contain a legal description of the parcel that is independent of the record of survey.

NRS 625.340 Record of survey: Filing; disclosures. After making a survey in conformity with the practice of land surveying, a professional land surveyor shall, within 90 days after the establishment of points or lines, file with the county re-corder in the county in which the

Figure 2

Nevada Mapping...continued from previous page

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 u


Nevada Young Surveyors Network Update

Since the establishment of the Nevada Young Surveyors Network (YSN) in May of 2019, the YSN has grown from 2 to 19 members. Members of the YSN are represented throughout the state with the majority of being enrolled in a Land Surveying Program at Great Basin College (GBC).

The YSN is currently working on establishing a mentorship network to connect aspiring young surveyors to Professional Land Surveyors to learn and advance their skills. There are many

labs that are required for the GBC Land Surveying Program and our aim is to establish a list of interested Professional Land Surveyors who would be willing to train young surveyors on specific surveying topics.

Representatives from YSN attended the NSPS Fall meetings where they met with YSN Coordinators from across the country. This provided an opportunity to network and learn how other

states are developing their Young Surveyor Networks. Special thanks to NALS for providing the travel funds for this meeting.Earlier this month, the Nevada Board for Professional Engineers

and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) met with YSN Coordinator, Sarah Walker, to discuss the process to obtain a Land Surveyor Intern Certificate (LSI) as well as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) License. It has been clarified that anyone who is prepared to take the Fundamentals of Surveying Exam (FS Exam) can register directly through National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). After passing the NCEES FS Exam you may apply for your LSI certificate through NVBPELS, no proof of experience or education is required.

The December YSN meeting was held at AXE in Reno and was attended by over 20 YSN members from across Nevada. Special thanks to the sponsors of the event: Diamondback Land Survey-ing, Lumos & Associates, Monsen Engineering, EG Radig, and Wood Rodgers.

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23 ContinuingEducation Hours

FEATUREDSPEAKERS: Gary Kent, PLS John Stahl, PLS Michael Dennis, PLS Steve Parrish, PLS

SILENT & LIVE AUCTIONSEXHIBIT & VENDOR DEMOS

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - REGISTER TODAY!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________NAME (First/Last) NICKNAME or NAME (as you wish it to appear on your badge)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________COMPANY

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ADDRESS

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CITY STATE ZIP

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE FAX

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________E-MAIL

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________MEMBER # PLS #

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SPOUSE/GUEST (if attending – see Spouse/Guest Registration below)

MEMBER REGISTRATION BY MAR 6 AFTER MAR 6 AMOUNT

Conference (Saturday - Tuesday) $525 $575 $________Includes: Saturday through Tuesday Confernece workshops and sessions.Includes Saturday, Sunday, and Monday Luncheons, Sunday IceBreaker Reception and Monday Scholarship Auction.

Conference (Sunday - Tuesday) $425 $475 $________Includes: Sunday through Tuesday Conference workshops and sessions.Includes Sunday, and Monday Luncheons, Sunday IceBreaker Reception and Monday Scholarship Auction. Does not include Saturday workshops or sessions

Conference One Day $225 $275 $________Select Day: Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

NON-MEMBER REGISTRATION BY MAR 6 AFTER MAR 6 AMOUNT

Conference (Saturday - Tuesday) $625 $675 $________Includes: Saturday through Tuesday Confernece workshops and sessions.Includes Saturday, Sunday, and Monday Luncheons, Sunday IceBreaker Reception and Monday Scholarship Auction.

Conference (Sunday - Tuesday) $525 $575 $________Includes: Sunday through Tuesday Conference workshops and sessions.Includes Sunday, and Monday Luncheons, Sunday IceBreaker Reception and Monday Scholarship Auction. Does not include Saturday workshops or sessions

Conference One Day $325 $375 $________Select Day: Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

OTHER REGISTRATIONSpouse/Guest Registration $225 $________Includes entrance to Exhibit Hall, Sunday Icebreaker Reception, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday Lunch and Monday Scholarship Auction.

Full-time Student Registration $225 $________Must attach current student ID. Includes Conference Registration (Sunday through Tuesday), Sunday, and Monday Luncheons, Sunday IceBreaker Reception and Monday Scholarship Auction. Does not include Saturday (all day).

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES AMOUNT

Extra Sunday Lunch Ticket ____@ $55 $________

Extra Monday Lunch Ticket ____@ $55 $________

Extra Sunday Icebreaker Ticket ____@ $55 $________

Extra Monday Auction/Dinner Ticket ____@ $55 $________

Continuing Education Certificate $25 $________

Student Assistance Donation (Suggested Donation $20) $________

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Total Enclosed $____________

Check Enclosed (Checks payable to A-C-N Conference)

Charge to: Visa MasterCard

____________________________________________________________CARDHOLDER NAME

____________________________________________________________CARD #

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____________________________________________________________BILLING ZIP CODE

____________________________________________________________AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

MAIL TO: FAX TO: (707) 578-4406A-C-N Conference Office QUESTIONS?526 South E Street (888) 994-3510Santa Rosa, CA 95404 [email protected]

Register Online at: www.PLSeducation.org

APLS-CLSA-NALS 2020 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

PHOTO/VIDEO DISCLAIMER: By registering for and attending this conference, you agree that your image may be taken during the conference and used at any time, without further notification, for printed materials, websites, social media and other marketing purposes.

EXHIBITOR DISCLAIMER: By registering for and attending this conference, you agree that your contact information may be provided to exhibitors for a one-time use in providing you information regarding their products/services.

CANCELLATIONS: To receive a refund on registration fees (less a $50 cancellation fee), all cancellations must be received in writing no later than March 6, 2020. No refunds after March 6, 2020 Substitutions welcome – additional fees may apply, contact the conference office at: (888) 994-3510 for more information.

Program Statement The Land Surveying and Geomatics program is com-

mitted to addressing the diverse and constantly changing needs of students throughout Nevada and in other locales

who are preparing for a geomatics career by improving teaching methods, techniques, and content for delivering high

quality educational experiences and achieving student success.

LSG P

ROGR

AM HI

GHLIG

HTS

2 year AS Degree in Land Surveying and Geomatics 4 year BAS Degree in Land Surveying and Geomatics Quality of Instruction: 100% pass rate on the NCEES

Fundamentals of Surveying Examination Competitive Wages: average graduate mean salary

$50,000 - $75,000 Affordable: average graduate student loan debt 0$ - $5,000 Accessible: program offers 100% of the courses

online and through mentoring programs. 2015 LSG graduate survey ranked the quality of this

program as “excellent”

Great Basin College Land Surveying/Geomatics Program Great Basin College 1500 College Parkway, HTC 130 Elko, Nevada (USA) 89801 Phone: (775) 753-2344 www.gbcnv.edu

SuStaining MeMberS

Following is a listing oF sustaining members oF the nevada association oF land surveyors. Please remember that these Firms and businesses, through their nals membershiP, are suPPorting the aims and objectives oF our association.

Become a Sustaining Member Today!NvLandSurveyors.org

Aerial Mapping Consultants4011 W. Cheyenne Avenue, Ste. A

North Las Vegas, NV 89032T. (702) 291-2875

[email protected]

t

AeroTech Mapping2580 Montessouri St., Ste. 104

Las Vegas, NV 89117T. (702) 228-6277F. (702) 228-6753

[email protected]

t

Berntsen International, Inc.PO Box 8670

Madison, WI 53708Reno, NV 89511

T. (608) [email protected]

www.berntsen.com

t

BizWatt, LLCT. (805) [email protected]

t

Carlson SoftwareT. (859) 568-8429

[email protected]

t

Dirtworks Positioning, LLCT. (702) 405-6578

[email protected]

Heritage SurveyingT. (702) 474-6277

[email protected]

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LiDAR USAT. (256) 274-1616

[email protected]

t

Monsen Eng. Supply1190 Corporate Blvd.

Reno, NV 89502-2381T. (775) 359-6671F. (778) 359-6693

[email protected]

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Nevada Transit & LaserJoe Schneiderwind

5720 S. Arville, #110Las Vegas, NV 89118


t

Paul R. Wolf’s Artisan Surveying GroupLas Vegas˚ Pioche´ McGill˝

PO Box 33434Las Vegas, NV 83133-3434


t

Vertical Mapping Resources, Inc.Joeseph Bartorelli

18140 Wedge ParkwayReno, NV 89511


t

NALS has launched a new job board to help employers fill vacancies and members search for new opportunities. The job board is a separate system from our members’ portal, to post you will need to register and follow the onscreen prompts. Registration is free. You do not have to register to view postings.

NALS Launches Job BoardVisit the NALS Website at: NvLandSurveyors.org

WOOD RODGERS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

Wood Rodgers provides photogrammetry and aerial mapping services utilizing our fleet of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). We have the ability to capture oblique imagery and video, model surfaces, produce cross sections, compute vol-umes, surveying vertical structures, monitor mining and construction sites, and detect change over time. Our FAA li-censed pilots ensure data is collected in the safest way and ensuring regulatory procedures. Our licensed land survey-ors and photogrammetrists ensure your data meets accuracy standards you need for your project each and every time.

Michael Detwiler, LSI – PhotogrammetristPhone: (775) 828-5688 E-mail: [email protected]

Contacts:Kevin Almeter, PLS – Survey & Mapping ManagerPhone: (775) 828-5687 Email: [email protected]

PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND AERIAL MAPPING

ApplicationsSurveying• Topographic and planimetric maps• Elevation and terrain models• Orthorectified mosaic imagery

Mining• Pit and leach pad volume measurements• Disturbance and reclamation monitoring• Base maps for mining claims• Site documentation for regulator permitting

Monitoring & Inspection• Geological surface monitoring• Structures and facility imagery and video• Change detection over time• Removing personnel from dangerous situations

GIS• Imagery and elevation layers for databases• Imagery classification and analysis


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NSPS Nevada Director Reportby Nancy J. Almanzan, PLSProxy for Carl C. de Baca, PLS, Nevada NSPS Director

The Fall 2019 NSPS Business Meetings were held September 26-28 in Orlando, Florida. As this was my first meeting as proxy for Carl C. de Baca, I attended the new director orientation meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26. Tim Burch, NSPS Vice President, did a great job introducing the new directors to the process and procedures for the meetings. Following the orientation, I attended the Western States Director’s Council; NSPS Workforce Development Committee; and the NSPS Foundation meeting on Thursday. The Board of Directors Meetings were held on Friday and Saturday and included committee reports and the business meetings.

Western States Director’s Council: Discussion was held on preparing a letter of support from both NSPS and the Director’s council for the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) Geomatics program. ASPLS raised $150K in 5 weeks for hiring a professor/adjunct instructor. They currently have 115 students in the program. The CFedS program was also discussed during the WSDC meeting. NSPS will continue to manage the finances of the CFedS program and the logistics/website is currently being managed by a third party vendor. WFPS has expressed their support of the CFedS program and has offered to assist in any way needed.

Workforce Development Committee: Discussion was held on the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the rate/salary for professional surveyors. Recommendation to NSPS to revise the information to make it current. Discussion was also held on what states are doing to promote the industry and what NSPS role is. Brochures, swag and a PowerPoint presentation are available for states to use. The committee is looking at developing a shared data base for states activities. States can share what they do for workforce development and what works for them. NCEES recently awarded a recruiting grant for the Surveying Candidate Objectives for Recruitment and Education (SCORE) program established by North Carolina and surrounding states including Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and Georgia. The grant will aid this pilot program in completing marketing research and hiring someone to run the program with the goal of reaching the younger generation. If successful, the goal is to expand the program nationally.

NSPS Foundation. The foundation is currently managing 15 funds. These funds include scholarships and grants to surveyors experiencing hardships. The foundation will be creating a newsletter, “The Foundation Corner,” and will contain articles regarding philanthropy. NALS currently has two MOUs with the NSPS Foundation. Reporting for the fund was not available at the time of the meeting and the Foundation Directors are working to resolve issues with the administration of the Foundation.

2020 NSPS Student Competition – Competition will include a field exercise to be conducted at the National Geodetic Survey’s Testing and Training Center. The topic for the competition is “The Terrestrial References Frames of 2022 and the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 of the modernized National Spatial Reference System and their application in your jurisdiction.” Student teams will be judge on Technical Report, a poster and an oral report to be presented at the competition. A team from the Great Basin College Land Surveying and Geomatics program will be participating in the competition. NCEES Modular Licensing: The Exam Modular Task Force was created to review the land surveyor’s exam and recommend changes. 5 Modules were recommended: Core PS, Boundary, PLSS, Mapping Science, and Incidental Drainage Design. States may have to modify their current state statutes to implement the changes. Implementation is expected to take 2 to 3 years. The NSPS dues raise was voted in the affirmative at the Fall 2018 meetings and went into effect with the 2019 dues. As you may recall, NALS voted to support this in early 2018. As of the Fall 2019 meetings, thirty-three states have signed the joint MOU with NSPS.

There were 14 motions voted on under new business at the Fall meetings. One of the highlights was a motion to approve our own Paul Burn as a Fellow Member of NSPS and another motion accepting Carl C deBaca as a nominee as a Fellow Member. These two gentlemen have tirelessly served both NALS and NSPS the last several years and are certainly deserving of this honor. Congratulations Paul and Carl!

Nominations for NSPS officers for 2020 were held at the meeting. Mark Sargent will accede to President; Tim Burch will accede to President-Elect; Lisa Van Horn will accede to Past President; Bob Miller will serve the second year of a two-year term as Treasurer and Craig Amey will serve the second year of a two-year term as Secretary. Amanda Allred, Bob Akins and Thomas Brooks were nominated for Vice President and Robert Miller was nominated for Treasurer. The bios and podcast interviews of the Vice President nominees can be found at https://www.nsps.us.com/page/2020Election?&hhsearchterms=%222020+and+election%22. Keep an eye out for your ballot and be sure to vote.

The next NSPS meetings will be held April 3 & 4, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to the meetings, the student competition will be held as well as lobby day at our nation’s capital. I’m looking forward to representing NALS at these meetings and am honored to serve as your delegate to our national society. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns, suggestions, or questions you may have about NSPS.

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WFPS Highlights

The Western Federation of Professional Surveyors (WFPS) held a Board of Directors meeting on September 14, 2019 in Reno, Nevada.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 13 WESTERN STATESALASKA (ASPLS) Steve Buchanan – Current membership is 185. ASPLS is modifying their membership categories and pricing structure. A new website is being developed and expected to launch soon. Conference will be held April 6-8, 2020 in Anchorage, AK. The University of Alaska Anchorage Geomatics program is in jeopardy even though it continues to attract students and produce graduates (12-15 annually for the last 5+ years). This is due to the Governor’s veto of $130 million from the university’s operating budget. The Geomatics Advisory Board (GAB) mobilized and started a fundraising campaign to save the program and they have almost reached their goal of $160,000.

ARIZONA (APLS) Mike Fondren – Current membership is 355. Chapters are currently reviewing their bylaws and a boilerplate has been provided to chapters to utilize as a resource. A membership survey was sent and the Board is reviewing feedback to determine what issues the membership finds most important and what new programs APLS can develop to provide more value to membership. A task force has been established to review the Arizona Minimum Standards. APLS is working with AGIC to develop language to address the 2022 Datum. APLS held a summer seminar featuring Michael Dennis. The event was successful and registration sold out. APLS developed a Right of Entry best practice guide which is available to members.

CALIFORNIA (CLSA) Ray Mathe & Rob McMillan – Current membership is 1592. CLSA Education Foundation provides over $40,000 in scholarships each year. SB 556 which was opposed by the Board of Registration, CLSA, and ACEC was referred to the Committee on Business and Professions. The California Board of Registration has completed sunset review process. COLORADO (PLSC) Roger Nelson & Todd Beers – Current membership is 329. PLSC Board voted not to raise dues and instead absorb the increase in NSPS dues. The 11th annual Rocky Mountain Surveyors Summit will be moved to a new venue in Golden Colorado and will be held February 26-28, 2020. PLSC volunteers have established a survey degree program at the Western Colorado Community College and Colorado Mesa University. PLSC has committed $250,000 to the program. PLSC members will be participating in the Boy Scout

Jamboree, Colorado State Guidance Counselor Conference, and various other career days throughout the state.HAWAII (HLSA) Meyer Cummins – Current membership is 88. HLSA worked with its members and crafted a bill, SB 898, to amend the current Land Court Deregistration Legislation and require land owners seeking deregistration to submit a File Plan and Regular System description of the deregistered parcels as part of the deregistration process. The bill did not pass and HLSA is working to enlist a lobbyist to assist. HLSA held a successful workshop and plans to hold more throughout the year. Hawaii continues to struggle with unlicensed practice.

MONTANA (MARLS) Dick Smith & Russ Kluesner – MARLS conference will be held February 19-21, 2020 in Great Falls, MT. The Montana Board of Registration presents commemorative pins for 30 years of licensure. MARLS Board of Directors will review an updated Standards of Practice Manual at their next meeting. MARLS is in the process of updating their laws and regulations reference guide. Dave Dorsett has retired and Corryn Greenwalt is now the survey instructor at Flathead Valley Community College. NEVADA (NALS) Nancy Almanzan & Matt Gingerich – Current membership is 252. NALS membership has increased 40% over the last four years. The APLS-CLSA-NALS Conference will be held March 28-31, 2020 at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. NALS passed a resolution reaffirming support of a four-year degree requirement for licensure. A bill tracking service is used to identify legislation that affects the profession. NALS has recently established and funded a Young Surveyors Network (NV YSN). The YSN has been extremely active and assists NALS with many outreach opportunities. The NDOT Ad Hoc Committee was formed in March 2019 with an immediate goal of increasing accessibility of NDOT records. The committee has helped to create direct lines of communication between NALS and NDOT. A workshop was held in both Reno and Las Vegas to provide a demonstration of the NDOT AX system. Discussion is occurring on possible funding to make this system accessible by the public. The bylaw amendments recommended by the NALS Board of Directors passed. The amendments broaden the purpose of NALS to include attracting and mentoring the next generation of land surveyors. In addition, retired and honorary membership categories were added. NALS continues to support the Great Basin College survey program and has pledged to help fund a second professor. Workforce development continues to be a key focus and NALS has sent a letter to the Nevada Career and Technical Education (CTE) department to determine if we can partner on outreach efforts.

NEW MEXICO (NMPS) Allen Grace – New Mexico State University was awarded the 2019 NCEES Surveying Education Award with a $25,000 grand prize. The Young Surveyors Network is very active in New Mexico and assists in outreach activities. Bills HB-268 and SB-312, for the required 4-year degree, were not successful at this session and have been tabled. NMPS will stay focused on these areas.

UTAH (UCLS) Mike Nadeau – Current membership is 399. The Surveyors Historical Society Rendezvous will be in Salt Lake City September 18-21, 2019. UCLS Conference will be held February 19-21, 2020 in St. George, UT. Legislative Committee is working on legislation to address the 2022 datum and on language to include legal descriptions as part of the



definition of land surveying. UCLS participates in the TrigStar and Boy Scout merit badge programs.

WASHINGTON (LSAW) Ben Petersen & Jeff Lynch – Current membership is 872. LSAW will hold a fall seminar series which will include a track for survey technicians. The track is being developed to also prepare technicians for the NSPS CST exam should they wish to pursue certification. The LSAW-WFPS Conference will be held February 26-28, 2020 in Tulalip, WA. Featured speakers include Kris Kline, Dave Doyle, and John Stahl. LSAW has affiliated with American Association of Geodetic Surveying (AAGS) which provides LSAW members a discount on AAGS membership. The LSAW Chapters have each adopted new bylaws which are in conformance with the LSAW bylaws. The Evergreen State Surveyor (ESS) magazine has been revived and is now being published, in both print and digital format twice a year. LSAW will introduce monument preservation fund legislation during the 2020 legislative session. The Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Action (WUCIOA) affects all subdivisions of property and agencies are working to determine how this affects surveys.

WYOMING (PLSW) Mark Corbridge – Current membership is 198. Fall Technical Session will be held November 7-8, 2019 in Casper, WY. PLSW is working with the Board of Registration and the University of Wyoming on an outreach program to elementary through high school students. PLSW is also working with GeoInquiry in conjuction with the GIS community to reach high school students. A beta version of this program has been presented to teachers and was well received. The national TrigStar winner was from Laramie, WY.

WFPS OFFICERS 2019-2021 Steve Parrish installed the 2019-20 WFPS Officers and the gavel passed from Matt Gingerich to Mike Nadeau.

Mike Nadeau (Utah) – Chair Ben Peterson (Washington) – Chair-Elect Mark Corbridge (Wyoming) – Secretary/Treasurer Matt Gingerich (Nevada) – Immediate Past Chair

WFPS FOUNDATIONThe WFPS Disaster Relief and Scholarship fund has been established through the NSPS Education Foundation. Donations are now being accepted. The criteria and application information has been sent to all State Associations and can be found on the WFPS website. Urgent assistance is needed for land surveyors that have been affected by the California wildfires.

The WFPS Foundation has awarded a California surveyor relief funds to aid after their home and all belongings were lost in the recent California wildfires.

Donations can be made mailed to WFPS: 526 South E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.https://www.nsps.us.com/donations/donate.asp?id=18191

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WFPS Highlights...continued from previous page


MINUTESNALS Board of Directors meeting held October 16, 2019 at the offices of Diamondback Land Surveying in Las Vegas, NV.

ROLL CALLJason Higgins, PresidentGreg Phillips, President-ElectJustin Moore, SecretaryRobert Carrington, TreasurerBill Kruger, DirectorGene Sawyer, DirectorCrissy Willson, Executive Director

Absent: Nick Ariotti, Director; Todd Enke, Director

Guests: Sarah Walker, Trent Keenan, Nancy Almanzan

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCEPresident Jason Higgins led the Pledge of Allegiance.

PRESIDENT’S REPORTReport included in agenda.

President Jason Higgins reported that due to health issues Carl CdeBaca has resigned his position as the NALS NSPS Director and Editor of the Nevada Traverse. Greg Phillips is working with a potential replacement Editor and Jason Higgins has appointed Nancy Almanzan as the NSPS Director and NSPS Foundation Trustee.

MOVED by Robert Carrington and SECONDED to ratify the appointment of Nancy Almanzan as NSPS Director and NSPS Foundation Trustee. MOTION CARRIED.

As approved by the Board, a letter has been sent to the Nevada CTE regarding the potential of partnering on workforce development. To date, no response has been received.

A letter was sent to the Great Basin College (GBC) offering support for a second professor for the Geomatics Program. Advanced Education Chair Gene Sawyer reported that GBC has approved a second professor and will begin the search.

Jason thanked the Board for their dedicated service over the last year. NALS was able to accomplish many of the objectives that were set forth during the strategic planning meeting. A highlight report outlining the achievements for the year will be developed and distributed to the membership.

PRESIDENT-ELECT’S REPORTPresident-Elect Greg Phillips discussed appointments for Committee Chairs. Greg has already confirmed several of the positions and will finalize in the coming months.

Greg is in discussion with a potential replacement for the Editor of the Nevada Traverse. The Board discussed creation of departments to ease the time commitment of the Editor. Crissy will assist with management of the Traverse and will develop an outline for the duties of Editor and those assisting with specific departments.

Greg discussed goals for 2020 which include maintaining the momentum that was built in 2019 and continuing to focus on the initiatives as outlined during the strategic planning meeting.

TREASURER’S REPORTFinancials included in agenda.

The Board reviewed the financial statements as included in agenda. The net profit for the association was higher than expected due to increased membership, higher conference registration, and lower expenses. Crissy recommended additional funds be invested.

MOVED by Justin Moore and SECONDED to authorize Crissy Willson to invest $10,000 in an additional CD. MOTION CARRIED.

MOVED by Greg Phillips and SECONDED to accept the financials as included in the agenda. MOTION CARRIED.

A draft budget for 2020 was included in the agenda. A request from the TrigStar Committee was received for additional funds. The additional funds requested were to help offset travel costs for the NSPS TrigStar Committee to meet during the summer. The Board discussed the request and agreed to partially fund the travel to assist NSPS. However, the Board agreed that NSPS should allocate their own funds to cover the costs of their committee business.

MOVED by Bill Kruger and SECONDED to allocate up to $1000 for the TrigStar program to cover the cost of license, plaque, requested travel expenses for NSPS Committee. MOTION CARRIED.

The Board discussed the additional outreach programs that NALS participated in 2019 including attendance at the School Counselors Association Conference. Other potential outreach programs discussed include:

NCEES Future CitiesStaking Exercise at Schools STEM Events School Counselor Association ConferenceSkills USA

MOVED by Justin Moore and SECONDED to create a $1500 outreach budget separate from TrigStar. MOTION CARRIED.

Additional adjustments were made to the draft budget.

MOVED by Bill Kruger and SECONDED to adopt the 2020 budget as amended. MOTION CARRIED.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORTExecutive Director Crissy Willson provided an update regarding NALS membership. NALS membership continues to increase and realized their highest rate of renewal. An additional membership drive will be conducted in the final quarter.

The bylaw amendments were adopted by the membership and will be updated on the NALS website.

Crissy reported discussing the boilerplate bylaws with the chapters and provided information regarding the process for a group exemption. Chapters are working through the process of updating their bylaws or adopting the boilerplate provided. Once each chapter is in conformance with the NALS bylaws and submits the chapter affiliation agreement, the NALS Executive Office will file the paperwork with the IRS for a group exemption.Reminder, the deadline to submit nominations for NALS awards is January 15th.

NALS Board of Directors MeetingWednesday, October 16th, 2019 • Diamondback Land Surveying • Las Vegas, NV



EDUCATON FOUNDATIONReport included in agenda.

The deadline for scholarship applications is November 1st. The application has been emailed to all student members, to Professor Byron Calkins for distribution, posted to NALS social media, and posted to the NALS website. Please encourage any students you know to submit a scholarship application by the November 1st deadline.

ADVANCED EDUCATIONReport distributed.

Advanced Education Chair Gene Sawyer reported that UNLV is moving closer to the creation of a minor program. NALS has sent two letters to GBC urging the authorization of a second professor and pledging funds if needed. GBC has moved forward with the authorized a second professor for their survey program.

MOVED by Gene Sawyer and SECONDED to grant Honorary Membership to Byron Calkins and Dr. Dave James. MOTION CARRIED.

BPELS REPORTReport included in agenda.

The Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELS) hosted the ReConnect workshop in Reno. The event provided a networking opportunity and presented a broad range of topics. In addition, BPELS participated in a roundtable discussion regarding digital signature.

CONFERENCE The Arizona-California-Nevada TriState Conference will be held March 28-31, 2020 at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The Conference Committee is finalizing the program and we anticipate the registration to open in November.

The 2021 Conference will be held March 27-30, 2021 at the Silver Legacy in Reno, NV.

MEMBERSHIPReport included in the agenda.

Membership continues to increase. The Board discussed the possibility of automatically adding chapter membership dues instead of making it an optional add-on to NALS membership. The Board decided that 2020 dues structure will remain the same with chapter membership optional. Crissy will provide statistics regarding the number of members that opt out of chapter membership at the next Board meeting.

NDOT AD-HOC COMMITTEE Report distributed.

NDOT Ad Hoc Committee Chair Greg Phillips provided a report on the activities of the committee. The committee was formed in March 2019 with an immediate goal of increasing accessibility of NDOT records. The committee has helped to create direct lines of communication between NALS and NDOT.

NDOT is working toward providing access to the internal database by the beginning of 2020. Two workshops have been held to provide demonstration on how to access the database and use the software. NALS is pleased the progress that has been made through this committee and looks forward to continuing to work with NDOT.

Greg Phillips to draft a thank you letter to NDOT.

NSPS DIRECTORNancy Almanzan has been appointed as the new Nevada NSPS Director. Nancy reported attending the NSPS fall meetings in Orlando. She is awaiting the minutes from the meeting to provide a full report which will be included in the next issue of the Nevada Traverse.

NOMINATING COMMITTEEThe slate of candidates was approved by the Board of Directors at the last meeting. The slate was sent to the membership with opportunity to nominate additional candidates. No additional candidates were nominated therefore, per the bylaws, a unanimous ballot was cast by the Secretary.

2020 OfficersGreg Phillips, President Justin Moore, Vice PresidentRobert Carrington, Secretary/TreasurerJason Higgins, Immediate Past President

NEVADA YOUNG SURVEYORS NETWORK (YSN)Report included in agenda.

YSN Chair Sarah Walker provided an update regarding the activities of the YSN. The YSN has more than doubled their membership in the last quarter with 19 members currently. The YSN recently held a meeting in Carson City that was well attended.

Both Sarah Walker and Nick Montoya attended the NSPS fall meetings in Orlando. There they were able to network with YSN members from around the country. Sarah has opened discussions for the potential of NALS hosting the FIG YSN meetings at their 2021 Conference in Reno. The Conference Committee is reviewing the requirements of the FIG YSN to make sure that we can accommodate all their needs at the facility.

Sarah discussed multiple ideas regarding outreach. Both NALS and NALS Education Foundation are funding the activities of the YSN. The Board encouraged Sarah to develop an outline for the year and provide draft budgets for the Board to review so that funds needed for 2020 can be determined.

WESTERN FEDERATION OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS (WFPS)Report included in agenda.

WFPS met in September in Reno, Nevada. Highlights from each of the western state associations were included in the report and will be published in the Nevada Traverse.

CHAPTERSReports included in agenda.

Both the Lahonton and SNALS Chapters held successful golf tournaments. Holiday party information for the Chapters will be available soon.

MEETING SCHEDULE January 10th – RenoMarch 28-31 – Conference, Las VegasMay 1st – Las VegasJuly 30th – Reno October 16th – Las Vegas

NALS BoD Minutes... continued from previous page

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Lahontan Chapter ReportPrepared by Todd Enke, PLSPresident - Lahontan Chapter

Wow, time has flown by this year as it has been, without a doubt, one of the fastest moving years I can remember! I would like to start off by saying what a great time I have had this year. I really appreciate the opportunity that was afforded to me to be the Lahontan Chapter President for 2019. It has truly been an honor and I hope that the membership has enjoyed this year as much as I have.Special thanks to these individuals for taking the time to share their information with the profession. This includes our 2019 NALS President Jason Higgins, Paul Pace, Mike Harmening, Jeff Henkleman, John Wilusz, the entire Great Basin College NSPS Competition Team, and representatives from the Young Surveyors Network. Thank you!Running a Chapter cannot be done alone. It takes the hands of many volunteers to create successful programs and events. I would like to thank Justin Moore, Greg Phillips, Lance Smith, and Doug Larson for their continued support of the Lahontan Chapter. With your help we were able to execute a successful Golf Tournament, Chapter Picnic, and charitable outreach event to the Nevada Food Bank. The Lahontan Chapter was pleased that the 2019 CLSA-NALS Conference was hosted in Reno. As the home Chapter, our members stepped up and hosted the NALS membership booth and a hospitality suite. The Conference was a great event and a good time was had by all! Next year, Bill Ray will take over the reigns as the Lahontan Chapter President. Bill cannot do it alone, so I challenge each of you to find some way to help make the Lahontan Chapter better. Volunteering does not need to be overwhelming, there are plenty of small jobs to do and we are counting on our members to fill those roles. We hope to see you at our final event of the year which is the annual Lahontan Chapter Holiday Party which will be held on December 5th at 5:00 at the Zeppelin in South Meadows. In closing, I again thank you for the opportunity to serve the Association and I wish you all a great finish to 2019. U

Great Basin Chapter ReportPrepared by William Nisbet, PLS Treasurer - Great Basin Chapter

Over the last year the Great Basin Chapter has suspended monthly meetings. The current Officers are developing an action plan to generate more participation. We remain steadfast in our support of the Great Basin College surveying program and are available to offer support in way necessary. We look forward to 2020 and are hopeful to move forward with a revitalized Chapter. U

Southern Nevada Chapter ReportPrepared by Gene Sawyer, PLS President - SNALS Chapter

Dear Members and Friends:Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as SNALS Chapter President for the 2019 year. It has truly been an honor and I am grateful for the experience. I’ve been involved with NALS for many years and when making the commitment in 2018 to lead the Southern Chapter, I was comfortable knowing I would have

a strong executive board and circle of friends and associates to lean on. I am proud to have been able to work with each of them and my hat is off to those members of the board who plan to move forward through the chairs. The work never ends, you know that!

My personal life was somewhat chaotic this past year. My mother passed away suddenly in July while I was in the midst of retiring from my position as Deputy Clark County Surveyor after nearly 22 years in the County Surveyor’s office. I also began a new phase in my career with Poggemeyer Design Group; all within the span of a few weeks. Life can be challenging at times! Although there was some mid-year turmoil for me, everything went very smoothly for our association and our events this year. We found a nice change of pace in Lawry’s, Fogo de Chao and Gordon Biersch to have our lunch meetings.



Participation was in full swing for nearly all our meetings and events and I can’t thank you all enough for that. We had wonderful guest speakers including; Dr. David James, Mr. Sean Corkill, NALS President Jason Higgins, Mr. Duane Price of the BLM who was kind enough to volunteer his time to present a half day seminar on Reading And Interpreting Legal Descriptions, Mr. Spotted Eagle of the Drone Center of Excellence, Mr. Bill Avery discussed Alexy Von Schmidt and the Nevada California state line, and the County and City Surveyors were on hand once again for the Agency Surveyors Meeting.

We held our annual golf tournament in October and it was a smashing success. I almost beat out Jason Fackrell for attendance but missed the count by ten people. Almost had him! There were 105 guests who participated in the event. Winners were; Verland Pierson’s Team in first place (with their youthful champion ringer!) Mike Smith’s team took home second place trophies, and Ryan Sligar’s team took third. Mr. Foley won the grand prize drawing (second chance!) flat screen T.V.

Our upcoming events are the November Annual Meeting which is our Past President’s Dinner and Mapping Contest to be held on the 21st (our honored guests will judge the entries and prizes will awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.) We will also announce the results of our election during this event. Our Christmas Party is scheduled to take place at the Suncoast Hotel on December 6th. We will have Jeremiah Johnston provide our evening entertainment (http://www.thethrowzone.com) with strolling magic and comedy juggling. Our final official business will be the swearing in of the new members of the 2020 Board of Directors of the Southern Chapter of NALS.

I want to mention those who play an important role in our work on the sidelines. Thanks to Paul Ikari, Justin Rowsell, Jeremy Rowsell and Travis Newsom for volunteering their time to help with Trig Star, our seminar and the Golf Tournament. Thanks to Russell Hyatt who worked so hard this year with the picnic and golf tournament. He did a great job. Big thanks to Frank Wittie for staying involved in the calendar of events and for getting on-line payments available to our members! Thanks to Nick Ariotti for accepting the challenge to take on more responsibility next year and assume the duties of President. I’m sure the coming year will be exciting as we host the annual conference here in Las Vegas. If you haven’t registered yet, take care of that.

I would also like to thank Michael Kidd (City of Henderson Surveyor), Alan Riekki (City of Las Vegas Surveyor), Gary Hancock (City of North Las Vegas Surveyor), and Dustin Crowther (Clark County Surveyor), for your thought provoking and enlightening topics of discussion at our October meeting. There is a reason that particular meeting is so well attended, you are all respected professionals in our community, and I thank you for your commitment to us all. A special thank you to Dustin Crowther for the kind words spoken and the gift he so graciously presented me with. (Dustin made me a very nice Maple desktop organizer as a retirement gift). I promise to put it to use.

There are many people working to make things happen for us all to benefit from and enjoy, namely our sponsors (of which we are blessed to have many). Please read on and recognize the people who give generously and selflessly to all of our causes, and help us when we need them. They make it all possible.

Leo Torres (Aerotech Mapping), Mike Grill (Monsen Eng.), Craig Morris (WMK Surveying), Trent Keenan (Diamondback Land Surveying), Larry Carroll (Poggemeyer Design Group), Greg Spinkelink (Tri-Core Surveying), Gene Krametbauer (VTN NV), Joe Bustamante (Aerial Mapping Consultants), Ray Bond and Kevin Campbell (VTN NV), Kevin Wallace (WMK Surveying), Mike Smith (Smith and Associates Land Surveying), Charles Kircher (Horrocks Engineers), Richard Ariotti (E.G. Radig), Trinity Land Surveying, Steve Dumovich (Taney Corp.), David Logsdon (Actus-nv). Please pardon me of I’ve forgotten you and please know we are grateful for your support.

In closing, I would like to thank you all for leading by example and for demonstrating the importance of being actively involved in your association. I appreciate you. Thanks for a great year.

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Southern Nevada Chapter Report... continued from previous page


Looking forward, 2020 will be a busy year. The conference will be held March 28th – 31st at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be co-sponsored by Arizona (APLS) and California (CLSA). The 2022 datum change by NGS is rapidly nearing and NALS will be playing an active role in preparation. The strategic plan will continue to guide the Board leadership next year and beyond. I am certain 2020 will see more goals realized under the leadership of your incoming President, Greg Phillips. While we have many things to be grateful for, there is much work to be continued and I encourage you to get involved and help make a difference.

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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS POSED ON PAGE 51. The major issue with NAD 83 is that the origin of coordinates defined as earth-mass center in 1986 is biased to our best contemporary knowledge of earth geocenter by approximately 1.5 m (5 ft) for the conterminous United States. This can be seen by comparing the X,Y,Z Earth-Centered Earth-Fixed NAD 83 vs. ITRF coordinates for any Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) – for example Tacoma (ZSE1) equals 1.412 m (4.63 ft)

2. The International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) headquartered in Paris, France is responsible for the computation of the ITRF, the most current being ITRF14 which NGS will adopt for all CORS in the coming months. – https/www.iers.org

3. The IERS uses data from four different geodetic measurement services to compute the ITRF – GNSS, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Doppler Orbitography and Radio Positioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS):

GNSS – www.igs.org VLBI – https://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov SLR – https://ilrs.cddis.eosdis.nasa.govDORIS – https://ids-doris.org

4. Sort of a trick question – no bench marks will be used in the defining the new vertical datum, it will be based exclusively on a combination of space-based, aircraft and terrestrial high accuracy gravity observations.

5. The North American Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022 (NATRF2022) will replace NAD 83 for the conterminous U.S. and Alaska, and the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022) will replace NAVD 88 and all of the various state and territory island vertical datums. There will also be separate horizontal/geometric systems for the Caribbean, Pacific and Marianas areas to replace NAD 83.

6. While the horizontal and vertical differences will vary slightly across the state of Washington, in general the differences in horizontal position, ellipsoid and orthometric heights will be 1.48 m (4.9 ft), 0.36 m (1.2 ft) and 1.09 m (3.6 ft) respectively. Computing the approximate 3-d positional changes for anywhere in the country can be performed using the annual NGS xGEOID beta models – currently xGEOID18 -- https://beta.ngs.noaa.gov/GEOID/xGEOID18/

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The Presdent’s Message...continued from page 4 Nevada Mapping...continued from page 6

Are You Prepared for...continued from page 4

survey was made a record of survey relating to land boundaries and property lines, which discloses:1. The result of an adjustment of a boundary line that causes

a transfer of land between two abutting parcels but does not result in the creation of any additional parcels.

2. The boundary limits and configuration of any new parcel created in an industrial or commercial subdivision for which a final map has been filed previously pursuant to the provisions of chapter 278 of NRS.

3. Material evidence which, in whole or in part, does not ap-pear on any map or record previously recorded or filed in the office of the municipal engineer, county recorder, county clerk, county surveyor, or in the Bureau of Land Manage-ment of the Department of the Interior.

4. A material discrepancy with a map or record described in subsection 3.

5. Evidence that, by reasonable analysis, might result in alter-nate positions of points or lines.

6. The establishment of one or more lines not shown on any map or record described in subsection 3, the positions of which are not ascertained from an inspection of the re-cord or map without trigonometric calculations. [Part 15:198:1919; added 1947, 797; A 1949, 639; 1953, 196; 1955, 391]—(NRS A 1989, 785)

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Has Your ContactInformation Changed?

Change in your address, email address, or telephone? Please contact NALS with

your updated information.

You may log onto the NALS Website at: www.nvlandsurveyors.org

Go to: Update Contact Info.Fill in your information and submit.

Help your NALS Boardto keep you current.

Thank you!

ADVERTISER HOT LINKS To receive FREE information about products and services from advertisers featured in this issue of The Nevada Traverse, you may log onto the NALS Web Page at www.nv-landsurveyors.org, click on

Nevada Traverse, and you will find a hot link to the web sites of all advertisers in this issue. Using these links, you can go directly to the advertiser(s) of your

choice for inquiries, to request catalogs, training schedules and information, or placing orders.

ADVERTISER INDEX for this Issue

Berntsen International ......................................... 14

Carlson ................................................................... 19

Monsen Engineering Supply ............ Inside Front Cover

Office Depot .......................................Inside Rear Cover

Surv-Kap ................................................................ 15

Vertical Mapping Resources ................................. 24

Wood Rodgers ........................................................ 15

Nevada Transit & Laser ................ Outside Back Cover

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The Nevada TraverseThe Nevada Association of Land SurveyorsNALS Central Office526 So. E StreetSanta Rosa, CA 95404

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are you prepared for the national datum changes planned ... - 46.4.pdfnavigation satellite system...

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