the fall 2007 surveyor - files.engineers.org

The

SURVEYORThe Quarterly Newsletter of the Massachusetts Association of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers

www.malsce.org

FALL 2007

President’s MessageBy Kenneth B.Anderson

In my previous President’s Message, I discussed my family’shistory in surveying and the ways that technology has changedour profession in the last 50 years. But for all the changes, somany things remain the same. One of the constants in mytime as a surveyor is the importance of professional practiceand what we as surveyors owe the profession.

250 CMR Section 4 states: “In order to safeguard, life, healthand property, to promote the public welfare, and to establishand maintain a high standard of integrity and practice, thefollowing Rules of Professional Responsibility shall bebinding on every person holding a certificate of registrationand on all partnerships or corporations or other legal entitiesauthorized to offer or perform engineering or land surveyingservices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

The point is later re-emphasized: “All persons registeredunder the above stated Massachusetts General Laws arecharged with having knowledge of the existence of 250 CMR4.00: Professional Responsibility and shall be deemed to befamiliar with their provisions and to understand them.”

These regulations were adopted by the Board ofRegistration in 1983. I was at the Chapter meeting whenthese regulations were announced to the survey public.Theycaused quite a stir in the survey world. Surely theseregulations would solve the problems that surveyors facedevery day. It was common practice by some surveyors toleave off information on their plans. Trivial stuff would beleft off the plan, like the owner’s deed reference, any surveymonuments set or found (stakes set don’t count) and originof the bearing system, if a bearing system was used! After250 CMR Section 6 was announced these problems wouldsurely disappear! All licensed surveyors were charged withthe responsibility to be aware of and follow the newregulations.What happened? Nothing!

A person is granted a license to practice Land Surveyingwhen the have satisfied the Board of Registrationminimum requirements. Having a license does not makeyou a professional; it is only the first step. How you act and

represent yourself to the public, conform to 250 CMR andhelp further the surveying profession determines your stateof professionalism. Yet we all know of licensed individualsand firms that practice substandard work.

250 CMR Section 4.02 further states: “Registrants havingknowledge of any alleged violation of 250 CMR 4.00 shallcooperate with the Board in furnishing such information orassistance as may be required.”

MALSCE’s objectives as an association are as follows:

• To promote the general recognition and acceptance of thepractice of Land Surveying as a profession separate anddistinct from any other profession;

• To maintain and promote adherence to technical andprocedural standards for the practice of Land Surveying inthe Commonwealth, and the rules of professional conductfor the greater protection of the public;

CONTENTS

Don’t Like an Easement Across Your Land? Just Move It! A Discussion of M.P.M. Builders,LLC v. Dwyer (442 Mass. 87, 2004) . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Engineering Center Joins TransportationInvestment Coalition To Advocate For IncreaseIn Transportation Revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

How Geomatics Professional EmploymentCharacteristics Impact Four-Year EducationalPrograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

MALSCE Members Gather at State House for Design Professionals Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Letter from the University of Maine . . . . . . . 16

Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

continued page 6

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THE MALSCE SURVEYOR: FALL 2007

How many times has a project beenredesigned, scaled back, or even scrappedaltogether because the surveying researchrevealed an old easement across theproperty, long forgotten but still in force?How many landowners have ended uppaying a king’s ransom to an easementholder to release their rights in aneasement that they did not even knowthat they had. Or what about a servientestate holder who wishes to move aneasement, actively being used, justenough to allow them to utilize their landin a more beneficial way? Moves of evennegligible amounts have always beentaboo because of the mountains of caselaw that made it clear that an easement,especially once fixed on the ground, couldnot be moved without express permissionof the dominant estate holder. And ofcourse everyone has heard the sacredmantra: “Mere non-user of an easementdoes not constitute abandonment.” LandSurveyors have found these situations tobe particularly problematic because onceuncovered, an inevitable educationprocess begins as landowners, clients,attorneys, and other parties come toterms with the situation. Inordinateamounts of time can be spent trying toexplain a situation that on its face defieslogic and is so seemingly inflexible.

Well the inflexibility (at least of thisaspect) of easement law has changed inMassachusetts. In 2004 the Massachu-setts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC)ruled in M.P.M. Builders v. Dwyer that,in fact, a servient estate holder canunilaterally move an easement that isacross their property. The courts by nomeans threw the flood gates open to themovement of easements at will.They setsome very specific rules on how to goabout moving an easement, but beforethose are discussed it should be notedthat reform on this issue has been in theworks for a number of years.The idea of

allowing easements to be movedappeared in the American LawInstitute’s Restatement (Third) ofProperty (Servitudes) in 2000. TheAmerican Law Institute is, for lack of abetter term, a legal “think tank” wherelaw and policy across the nation areconstantly being reviewed, summarizedand compiled for the use of the legalprofession. At regular intervals theypublish books called “restatements”which are treatises on the “state of thelaw” in specific areas. In theircomparative discussions they oftenprovide the “roadmap” for courtswishing to modify the law in theirjurisdiction that includes “model” text,and the scholarly precedent and thoughtto back up such changes. In this case theSJC actually wrote in their introductoryparagraph in their decision:

“..held that: Restatement (Third) of Property(Servitudes) section giving owners of servientestate right to make reasonable changes inlocation and dimensions of easement wouldbe adopted as law of Massachusetts...”

As stated above however, the SJC didn’tjust allow for random easementmovement by the servient estate holderbut rather put in place a judicialprocedure and rules that they believedwould address the specific types ofsituations which the Land SurveyingProfession so often sees.The SJC statedthat in order for a servient estate ownerto move an easement unilaterally adeclaration from the court approvingthe move would be required.

“in absence of agreement concerning therelocation of an easement, servient estateowner should seek a declaration from courtthat proposed changes meet the criteria forunilateral relocation.”

Don’t Like an Easement Across Your Land? Just Move It!A Discussion of M.P.M. Builders, LLC v. Dwyer (442 Mass. 87, 2004) By A. Richard Vannozzi, PLS Published quarterly by the Massachusettes Association

of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers, Inc.

Send article submissions to:Editor,The MALSCE Surveyor The Engineering Center One Walnut StreetBoston, MA 02108-3616Email: [email protected]

For advertising information, contact Adam WebbPhone: 617/305-4105Fax: 617/227-6783Email: [email protected]

OfficersPresident:Kenneth B. AndersonEmail: [email protected] President:Scott D. CameronEmail: [email protected]:Mary Ellen StreeterEmail: [email protected]:David W. [email protected] Director:Abbie GoodmanEmail: [email protected]

Chapter PresidentsBerkshire Chapter:James E. SeidlEmail: [email protected]

Cape Cod Chapter:Donald T. PooleEmail: [email protected]

Central Mass Chapter:Mark VioletteEmail: [email protected]

Connecticut Valley Chapter:Robert ForesiEmail: [email protected]

Eastern Mass Chapter:Richard F. GosselinEmail: [email protected]

The MALSCE Surveyor is not copyrighted andarticles may be reprinted with due credit.

The acceptance and publication of any advertisementin The MALSCE Surveyor does not constituteapproval or endorsement of the product or servicesoffered therein.The Massachusetts Association ofLand Surveyors and Civil Engineers, Inc. assumes noresponsibility for the statements made or opinionsexpressed in this publication.

Editor:Mark R. SiegristEmail: [email protected]

Membership Information:Adam Webb, 617/305-4105Email: [email protected]

Design:Rival Marketing

The MALSCE Surveyor

continued page 5

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Easementcontinued from page 2

The SJC went on to identify threecriteria that must be met before thecourt could approve the move of aneasement: 1) The move can not signifi-cantly lessen the utility of the easement;2) it can not increase the burdens on theowner of the easement and 3) it can not“frustrate the purpose” the easement wascreated for.Though each of these criteriaallows for significant subjectivity in theirapplication to specific fact patterns, manyof the more absurd (and professionallyfrustrating) situations where easementrelocation was not an option before arenow able to be entertained.

The argument that M.P.M. Builders,LLC made for the change of the law wasthat the unbending rule that aneasement once fixed on the groundcould not be moved was in directconflict with the idea that a servient

holder, now, at least, another processexists to accomplish an easementrelocation that is not quite so one sided.

Clearly, this law is not a “quick fix” to aconflict between an easement holderand the owner of the underlying fee anddirect negotiation would be the mostexpedient way to move an easement.Toutilize the courts to move the easementas contemplated in this case, theservient estate holder may end upspending a lot of money and time toaccomplish such an easement relocation(the rules for relocation set down in thecase clearly make the owner of theservient estate responsible for all costsassociated with any relocation, too),however having such an option available,even as a last resort, will go a long wayin leveling the playing field in thenegotiation of the reasonable relocationof an easement and giving the owner ofthe servient estate an opportunity tohave their interests weighed.

estate holder can use their land overwhich another has an easement for allpurposes which are not inconsistentwith the easement holder’s rights. Thecourt felt that by setting forth the abovecriteria and the requirement of judicialreview that a balance could be struckbetween the rights of easement holdersto use their easements unimpeded fortheir intended purpose and the rights ofservient estate holders to use theunderlying land for reasonable purposesand who were increasingly being “heldhostage” in their legitimate developmentpursuits by easement holders.

Before this case, a land owner could noteven contemplate the movement of adriveway a few inches to accommodate asetback for a pool, the moving of anancient “paper” right of way to the drivinglanes of a proposed shopping center, orthe reconfiguring of a drainage easementto facilitate a deck or an addition withoutcomplete approval of the easement

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In April 2007, The Engineering Centerin Boston, Inc. (TEC) joined with adiverse group of environmental,planning, transportation, community,labor, business, industry and otheradvocacy organizations to form aMassachusetts Transportation InvestmentCoalition in response to the alarmingfindings recently released by the state’sTransportation Finance Commission. Inlate March, the Commission’s reportannounced that nearly every trans-portation agency is suffering frombudget shortfalls, and we face astaggering $15 – $19 billion gap infunding over the next 20 years.Addressing this crisis is essential toprotect the safety of residents, toincrease the state’s economic competi-tiveness and to advance environmentalgoals.

In late April, TEC signed on to a letterto the Legislature announcing thatMTIC had come together in support ofnecessary actions to address the state’stransportation finance woes. MTICannounced, “We are united in our beliefthat we cannot allow our transportationsystems to deteriorate further and thatwe should not cease advancing strategicexpansion and enhancement projectsthat will provide immense economicand environmental benefits to theCommonwealth.” Abbie Goodman(TEC, ACEC/MA and MALSCEExecutive Director) and MargaretO’Meara (member firm PB Americas)represent us in the coalition and serveon its Steering Committee.

Investment in our transportationsystem is essential to meet basic needs,but also presents an opportunity togrow our economy, increase mobility,connect thriving communities andpromote a wide range of public policy

Massachusetts Smart Growth AllianceMBTA Advisory BoardMassCommuteMASSPIRGMetropolitan Area Planning CouncilNAIOP Massachusetts (National

Association of Industrial and Office Properties)

Pioneer Valley Planning CommissionThe Engineering CenterUrban EdgeUrban Land Institute

goals. Please contact me at [email protected] if you would like to helpwith some of the MTIC activities in themonths ahead or would like moreinformation.You can read the full Com-mission report here: www.eot.state.ma.us/downloads/tfc/TFC_Findings.pdf.

The Transportation Finance Commissionheld public hearings on its findings inApril and May and has started work onthe next phase of its charge: makingrecommendations for meeting ourbudget needs.

Transportation Investment CoalitionMember Organizations (in formation):

A Better CityAAA Southern New EnglandAlternatives for Community

and EnvironmentAssociated Industries of MassachusettsAmerican Council of Engineering

Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA)

Boston Society of Architects, Civic Initiative for Smart Growth

Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section/ASCE

Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association

Conservation Law FoundationConstruction Industries of MassachusettsEnvironmental League of MassachusettsFair Housing Center of Greater BostonMassachusetts Association of

Community Development Corporations

Massachusetts Building Trades Council,AFL-CIO

Massachusetts Business RoundtableMassachusetts Motor Transportation

Association

The Engineering Center Joins Transportation Investment Coalition To Advocate For Increase In Transportation RevenueBy Abbie R. Goodman, Executive Director

• To assist in the discipline of unlicensedpersons and members of theprofession found to be workingoutside the standards of practice;

• To establish a medium for theexchange of professional knowledgeand practices, and to promotecontinuing education.

The only way for MALSCE to achieveits objectives is for all of us as membersto work towards them as well.

The question becomes: If this is whatthe standards require, why issubstandard work still being toleratedby the survey profession? Why are thesurveyors who are continuallyperforming sub-standard work notreported to the Board of Registration asthe current law requires? Why dolicensed “professionals” continue toignore the law? To quote Shakespeare“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in ourstars, but in ourselves.”

President’s Messagecontinued from page 1

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ABSTRACTGeomatics/Surveying 4-year academicprograms have now been active for 35years. Now twenty-five such programsgenerate about 250 graduates each year.Owners, managers and party chiefs (in a1-2-6 ratio) comprise the approximately50,000 currently active professionals inthe nation. New technology continuesto reduce field crew size, eliminatingtechnician slots, reducing up from theranks professional opportunities anddecreasing the pool of potentialstudents. Geomatics 4-year programstend to be small and higher education isscrutinizing small programs forcutbacks. Program enrollments need toincrease five-fold. The profession (oneprofessional at a time) must mobilizesignificant recruitment efforts into 4-year programs across the nation. Thiseffort will save the programs andpreserve the profession.

INTRODUCTIONThe first persons to complete a 4-yearsurveying program in the nation wereRobert Parsons and Steven Thumlertwho completed their studies in Juneof 1971 at California State University,Fresno. Nationally, since then, acontinuous stream of new programshave been implemented and approxi-mately five thousand graduates havemoved into professional geomaticscareers. This influx of trainedmeasuring and mapping professionalshas indeed changed the face of aprofession. Yet, was 5000 enough?Each year about 250 students graduatefrom approximately 25 total 4-yeardegree programs. Are 250 graduateseach year enough to keep pace withthe employee needs of the greater

CURRENT EMPLOYMENTCHARACTERISTICSVarious estimates suggest that approxi-mately 50,000 professionals are activelyengaged in the greater geomaticsprofession in the United States.Thousands of small, medium and large-scale agencies, utilities and privatecompanies employ the geomaticsprofessionals who measure and map theearth. The major subgroups under thegreater geomatics umbrella include(but are not limited to): land surveying,geodetic surveying, geodesy, photo-grammetry, mapping, GIS, remotesensing and construction surveying.

Current approaches to geomaticspersonnel utilization vary across a widespectrum. An effort to simplify this forpurposes of this discussion might bejustified.The typical organization mightbe staffed with an owner who managesthe office staff and two field managers,each of whom monitors three fieldparties. Each field party has a partychief and an average of one additionalcrewman.While it is realized that manyprivate firms already have one-personfield parties (due to the use of RTK-GPS and robotic total stations) manysituations still require two or morepersons as a minimum for safety and/orto comply with various work rulerequirements that may apply.

The typical office staff then iscomprised of approximately threeadditional CAD drafters or reportwriters or data processor technicians.This organizational scheme has anynumber of variations. Yet the ratios ofgeomatics professionals identified hereare representative of those found acrossthe nation. The makeup then is oneowner, two managers, six party chiefs,

geomatics profession that contains50,000 individuals? If each geomaticsprofessional has a 40 year career andthey were evenly distributed by age,then on average at least 1250 newprofessionals are needed each year toreplace them. We have a seriousshortfall. Where do the extraprofessionals come from?

Many are trained on the job. Startingout as low paid technicians some ofthese people move up to professionalpositions. Others get educated in arelated subject area like Forestry,Computer Science, Civil Engineering,Math, Physics, Geography or Geology.They may find jobs in their area of interest unsuitable or unavailable.Then they may get geomatics jobs and eventually move into theprofessional ranks as well. But what is the most effective way to generate a licensed professional? Licensure is composed of education and or experience and passing theappropriate licensing exam.

Careful analysis of the educationalbackgrounds of LS exam takers severalyears ago in one Western state revealedthe following information. Examineeswith a 4-year B.S. degree in surveying (orsimilarly named programs) were threetimes more likely to pass than those witha B.S. in Civil Engineering, nine timesmore likely to pass than someone holdingan associate degree in surveying, and 20-100 times more likely to pass than anyother educational category of examineewhich included those with no formaleducation. This suggests that obtaining a4-year degree greatly facilitates passing astate licensing exam.

How Geomatics Professional Employment Characteristics ImpactFour-Year Educational ProgramsBy: James K. Crossfield, L.S., Ph.D., Chair, Department of CGEC & ME, CSU, Fresno

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six crewpersons and three officetechnicians or 1-2-6-3. It is assumedthat on average the owner, managersand party chiefs are licensed and theoffice technicians are not. The numberof licensed office workers probably verynearly is balanced by the number ofparty chiefs who are not.

The current 50,000 licensed geomaticsprofessionals are broken into job typesas defined by the 1-2-6 owner-manager-party chief ratio, or approximately5500 owners, 11,000 managers and33,500 party chiefs.

EMPLOYMENT TRENDSThe Owner-Manager-Party Chief em-ployment ratio is likely to remainvirtually the same for the foreseeablefuture. Technology continues to drivethis profession however.Whereas thirtyyears ago a three person crew wastypical, now the goal seems to be to geta crew size of one person if possible,using RTK-GPS or a robotic totalstation.That one person typically is theparty chief. The noticeable declinerecently has been the number of crewmembers. These persons have histori-cally been the huge pool of raw talentfrom which future professionals havegenerated, coming up through the ranksand eventually developing themselvesinto a licensed professional.These crewpersons have also often been the typical4-year student, often unhappy withtheir immediate career prospects, andthereby deciding to use an education tocatapult them into the career faster thanwould have normally been the case.

The number of (not yet professional)crew persons is declining. This hasserious implications for the supply offuture geomatics professionals regard-less of the methodology chosen forobtaining the necessary credentials forlicensure.

recruited directly from high schools into4-year geomatics type programs.

MAKING UP THESHORTFALLWe need 1250 new professionals everyyear. Colleges are producing about 250.The number of technicians on surveycrews is dwindling, thereby decreasingthe number of professionals who comeup through the ranks. Communitycolleges are cutting back on geomaticsrelated coursework, thereby reducingthe number of potential transferstudents. Clearly, there is a need for upto 1000 more geomatics (and relatednamed degrees) graduates each yearfrom the nations institutions of higherlearning. That will require a five-foldincrease in students. Simply stated,1,000 – 2,000 new geomatics studentsmust enroll each year.This correlates toapproximately 40 – 100 for each of the25 or so 4-year degree programs in thenation. These programs need helprecruiting students.

FUTURE PROFESSIONALCOMMITMENTMany professionals have historicallygone all out to promote 4-yeareducation. NSPS and ACSM routinelyendorse the concept. A few reluctantholdouts might still not agree with thisidea. A few select quotes from WilliamBrown, a Minnesota licensed surveyorare appropriate here.

“If land surveyors ignore the need forcollege education we are going to findourselves waking up in a new world andwondering what happened to ourprofession.”

“Will a high school education and on-the-job training really prepare us to fillthe expanding role of the landsurveyor?”

DISTURBINGEDUCATIONAL TRENDSColleges and Universities are undergreat pressure across the nation toeconomize. State support for highereducation continues to dwindle almosteverywhere. Since geomatics degreeprograms typically have chronic lowenrollment (compared to other disci-plines) they are often singled out forcuts or elimination. These geomatics/surveying program difficulties havemanifested themselves in numerousways over the last few years. A fewexamples include:

1) A forced department merger intoanother department

2) A publicly announced plan to closeone program

3) A publicly announced plan to mergeone programs department intoanother College

4) The fragmentation of an entiredepartment and drastic change inaccreditation status

5) One programs department forcingthe program to absorb the entirebudget cut assigned to thedepartment

These situations are bad enough, butthere may be more trouble ahead. Severalprograms are almost totally dependentupon one individual faculty person.When that person retires or collapsesfrom fatigue, the campus administration(especially when enrollment is low) seesa great opportunity to close theprogram. Unfortunately, communitycolleges are less likely now to producepotential geomatics transfer students,since many have dropped surveyingcoursework. Only three communitycolleges out of 107 in Californiacurrently offer more than two surveyingcourses on a regular basis. It could beargued then, that a larger share of newprospective professionals will have to be

continued page 17

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Professional engineers, land surveyors,and other design professionals areimportant resources for public policymakers at all levels of government. Webring problem solving skills, insightsand expertise needed by our electedand appointed officials. They may notalways agree with our views on specificlaws or regulations, but they are alwaysinterested in listening to whatprofessionals from their home districtshave to say. This is how legislatorseducate themselves—and they want tohear from us.

The Massachusetts Association of LandSurveyors and Civil Engineers(MALSCE) promotes professional landsurveying and engineering registrationand provides professional developmentprograms for surveyors, engineers andrelated professionals throughout thestate. MALSCE also promotes the landsurveying profession to State Houseleaders and the public. We work forpassage of legislation and policies thatcreate a favorable climate in which theengineering community and relatedindustries can help Massachusetts growand improve the quality of life for itscitizens.

On Tuesday, May 15, 2007, MALSCEmembers gathered at the MassachusettsState House for our Annual DesignProfessionals Day at the State Housealong with leaders from otherengineering and design relatedassociations. We arranged for meetingswith our members’ Massachusetts StateRepresentatives and State Senatorsbased on where our members live andvote. Members discussed these keyissues with their legislators:

• Qualifications Based Selection(QBS): When procuring designservices, government agencies shouldaward contracts based on thequalifications of the firms. This isknown as Qualifications BasedSelection (QBS). In addition todelivering quality projects,government agencies safeguard thepublic while being accountable totaxpayers. Selection of designprofessionals using qualificationsaccomplishes these goals. To bringMassachusetts in line with the federalgovernment and 44 other states,ACEC/MA filed House Bill 3182, “AnAct Relative to Public Safety and FairPractices in Procurement Relating tothe Commonwealth of MassachusettsSelection of Architects Engineers andRelated Professionals.”

You can download the briefing sheetswe used in the meetings with StateRepresentatives and State Senators at:www.engineers.org and click on 2007Design Professionals Day Issues BriefingFact Sheets. You can download theInfrastructure Reports on the Status ofBridges, Status of Roadways, Status ofWater and Status of Wastewater at:http://www.engineers.org/resources/news.htm. Future reports on publicbuildings, dams, freight, and otherinfrastructure elements are indevelopment. Please feel free to contactyour legislators about these issues andto contact me if you need any moreinformation.We certainly were not ableto see people from all 200 legislators’offices on May 15, but with your help,we can reach many more of them.

Abbie Goodman can be reached at [email protected] or 617/305-4112.

• Infrastructure funding: Massa-chusetts should invest in maintaining,repairing and upgrading itsinfrastructure, and identify newsources of revenue to meet theCommonwealth’s infrastructureneeds. Both federal and state studiesshow that Massachusetts is fallingbehind in maintaining ourbridges/roadways, water/wastewatersystems, schools, and otherinfrastructure. Lack of adequatemaintenance is contributing to acontinuing increase in the backlog ofunmet infrastructure needs. Inaddition, there is limited capacity tofund capital programs. Adequateinvestment in our infrastructure willhave long-term benefits by improvingthe quality of life for our citizens,promoting future growth anddevelopment, and creating neededjobs.

• Water Infrastructure FinanceCommission: The Commonwealthand its municipalities are facing awater and wastewater crisis createdby antiquated infrastructure and afailure to properly invest inmaintaining existing infrastructure.We filed House Bill 855 (Senate Bill543), which creates a specialcommission charged with evaluatingthis public health and public safetyproblem and recommending ways toincrease the investment in water andwastewater.

• Board of Registration ofProfessional Engineers and LandSurveyors: The Board ofRegistration of Professional Engineersand Land Surveyors should have thesame authority as other Boards ofRegistration that are part of theDivision of Professional Licensure.

MALSCE Members Gather at State House for Design Professionals DayBy Abbie Goodman, Executive Director, MALSCE

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The 4-year programs are doingeverything they can to encourageenrollment. But professionals must help.Every current geomatics professional(on average) must recruit at least twogeomatics students (during theirlifetime) to enroll in a 4-year program.

Some professionals probably won t doanything, so to make up for theirinaction try to refer five or ten. Anaverage of two are required perprofessional because the typicaldropout rate is 50%.Two new studentsshould equal one graduate. Onegraduate will replace you. Someprofessionals have already done theirpart. Recent success stories at FresnoState include fathers sending three sonsand one daughter; one woman sent heryounger sister and a Junior Collegesurveying instructor who sent fourtransfer students. The referringprofessional in each of these instanceshas done his or her part to preserve theprofession. Similar success storiesabound across the nation.

But what about everyone else? Whohave you sent? Remember, there are noexcuses now. Complete 4-year degreeprograms are available on the Internet.Current Fresno State distance learnersfor example reside in the states of NewJersey, North Carolina, Illinois,Washington, Ohio, Utah, Michigan andthroughout distant parts of California(San Diego, Pasadena, San Franciscoand Bishop).

So what can you do to help? Simplysend students. Send your son ordaughter, nephew, niece, step-child,friend of the family or someone who

scrutinizing small programs forcutbacks. Not enough prospectivegeomatics professionals are entering thepipeline. Ultimately, 4-year geomaticsand surveying degree programenrollments need to increase five-foldjust to keep our professional ranksstable. The profession must help theacademic institutions mobilizesignificant recruitment efforts toincrease 4-year program enrollmentacross the nation. This effort willsimultaneously save the programs andpreserve the profession.

REFERENCESBrown, William, “Wake Up,” MinnesotaSurveyor, Vol. 11, Fall 2004, pp 15-16.

Crossfield, James K., “Where Have AllThe Flowers Gone,” ForeSight!, Vol. 22,No.1, Fall 2004, p 7.

Reprinted with permission fromCalifornia Surveyor issue #146www.californiasurveyors.org

About the AuthorDr. James K. Crossfield received his Ph.D.from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in1984. Since then he has taught at CSU,Fresno. He has been an ACSM member forover thirty years, serving on severalcommittees and presenting numerous papersat national meetings.He was AAGS Presidentin 1996. He served as the ACSM member ofthe Engineering Accreditation Commission ofABET from 1995 – 2001. Dr. Crossfieldcurrently serves as chair of the Departmentof Civil and Geomatics Engineering andConstruction and Mechanical Engineeringat CSU, Fresno.

works for you. Maybe someone wantsto work for you but is unqualified. Tellthem to go to a 4-year program and geta degree first. Send yourself. Go tolocal high schools or communitycolleges to promote the program thatbest serves your area, state or region.Try not to mention the S word(surveying) however, as this turns offmost high school students. It s OK totalk to prospective students one-on-oneabout surveying if they bring it up first.Call your favorite 4-year program andthey will be glad to send you suitablerecruitment materials. If schedulesallow it, a faculty member or studentmay be able to come to the recruitmentevent with you.

Helping to motivate a student alreadyenrolled will reduce dropout rates,thereby increasing the number ofgraduates. Provide a good summer job.Sponsor a scholarship. Participate onAdvisory Committees if asked, go toannual banquets or conferences that the4-year program organizes. Contributeto endowments and other forms ofprogram support. Send unusedequipment for possible use in labs. Itmay take a little extra effort, but in theend you will be able to say, I did mypart. Send students to 4-year geomaticsand surveying programs. The faculty atthose programs will educate them, theprofession will nurture the graduatesand thus we will all have managed tokeep a profession alive.

CONCLUSIONGeomatics 4-year programs tend to besmall and higher education is

Geomatics Professional Employment Characteristics continued from page 11

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and Aerial Photogrammetry. AutoDesksoftware experience is required; LDD2000i or better preferred. SIT or PLSpreferred. Experience working onmultidisciplinary projects requiringcoordination with civil engineering,landscape architecture and environ-mental consultants is helpful.

Qualified candidates please send coverletter and resume with salary require-ments to:

Hancock AssociatesReference: MALSCE185 Centre StreetDanvers, MA 01923

Email: [email protected]: 978/774-7816

Project Surveyor/ManagerHancock Associates is a multi-disciplinary firm engaged in landdevelopment projects throughoutMassachusetts and Southern NH forover 25 years, with offices in Danvers,Marlborough, and NEW offices inLakeville, MA and Salem, N.H.

Our firm is seeking a Project Surveyor/Manager for our Marlborough, MAoffice.We are looking for a person with5+ years experience in land surveyingExperience should include surveys suchas: Boundary, ALTA/ACSM, ExistingConditions, Topographic, Land Court,Wetlands, Construction Layout, Condo-miniums, and coordinating with GPS

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Designers and DraftersDesigners and Drafters needed tosupport the design layout and detaildrafting of energy power lines,pipelines, construction and transpor-tation engineering within our EnergyInfrastructure and Land Develop-ment sectors. 3 – 7 years experience.AutoCAD (2D required, 3D preferred).

Contact: Melody Quine,Human Resources ManagerColer & Colantonio101 Accord Park DriveNorwell, MA 02061

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR!Join in the Fun!

FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2008

ACEC/Massachusetts, BSCES and MALSCE once again join forces to host the

16th Annual Golf Tournamentto benefit The Engineering Center Education Trust

Shaker Hill Golf Club, Harvard, MAone of Golf Digest’s Top 18 Country Clubs

Registration details to be announced soon

For Sponsorship opportunities contact Susan D’Olimpio at 617/305-4111 or [email protected]

Allen Precision Equipment1550 Boggs RoadDuluth, GA 30096800/241-6223Contact: Jimmie [email protected]

B.L. Makepeace125 Guest St.Brighton, MA 02135617/782-3800Contact: Peter [email protected]

Chas. H. Sells90 Worcester RdCharlton, MA 01507-1351508/248-1970Contact: Scott W. [email protected]

Col-East, Inc.PO Box 347North Adams, MA 01247Contact: Steven [email protected]

Eastern TopographicsPO Box 970495 Center StWolfeboro, NH 03894Contact: David J. [email protected]

Minuteman Mapping7 Colby Court, Unit 4-209Bedford, NH 03110Contact: Paul [email protected]

Photogrammetric Technology, Inc884 Washington StLakewiew Pro. Bldg. Ste. 8Weymouth, MA 02189-1530781/335-7229Contact: Hugh [email protected]

Superior Instrument1403 Meridien Waterbury RoadPO Box 57Milldale, CT 06467Contact: Mike [email protected]

Surveying & Mapping Consultants170 Forbes Rd, Ste 207Braintree, MA 02184781/380-7766Contact: Kevin [email protected]

Trimble455 Guard StLewiston, NY 14092716/754-1100Contact: Ken [email protected]

F. R. Mahony + Associates, Inc273 Weymouth StRockland, MA 02370Contact: Jo-Anne [email protected]

Keystone Precision Instruments455 Fortune BlvdMilford, MA 01757800/443-9840Contact: Nicholas [email protected]

Maine Technical Source494 US Route OneYarmouth, ME 04096-6735207/846-5143Contact:Tim [email protected]

MicroCAD Training & Consulting440 Arsenal St.Watertown, MA 02472617/923-0500Contact: Sarah [email protected]

Mill River Consulting2 Blackburn CenterGloucester, MA 01930-2259Contact: Daniel [email protected]

Presort StandardU.S. Postage

PAIDBoston, MA

Permit No. 56248

Massachusetts Association of Land Surveyors and Civil EngineersThe Engineering CenterOne Walnut StreetBoston, MA 02108-3616

MALSCE SUSTAINING MEMBERSWhen considering the purchase of equipment and services, please first consider these companies that support your organization through membership.

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the fall 2007 surveyor - files.engineers.org

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