As any surveyor knows, our nation was built on surveying, with many of our early leaders getting their start as surveyors (Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson, to name a few). Early surveyors laid the essential groundwork for land records that have served us well for many years. Unfortunately, land records in many states are based on original surveys done in the 1800s or even earlier. That’s fine when land remains unchanged for decades . . .

As a member of the Point of Beginning (POB) Advisory Board, I have a unique opportunity to reach out to a larger audience about surveying and geomatics subjects that are of great importance.

One of the most important subjects to me (and to the surveying profession) is letting young people know about our exciting and fulfilling profession.

It’s been a busy fall and I was shocked to see that Thanksgiving is coming up soon – and I am NOT ready!

I was clued into the upcoming holiday season when I received the order form for nuts, popcorn & cheese from the company gift vendor. Everybody likes snacks, but sometimes it’s better to give something less fleeting.

Berntsen International, the leader in infrastructure marking solutions, announced that it has partnered with CHA Integrated Solutions (formerly NovaraGeo Solutions) to provide it’s InfraMarker RFID capability within the Corrivo mobile software platform, delivering Traceable, Verifiable and Complete (TVC) field asset data.

I was chatting the other day with a colleague from my surveying days, Bob Beilfuss, a surveyor from Germantown, Wisconsin. Since I’m now working for Berntsen, Bob shared some of his favorite stories about the Berntsen products he uses. It was an interesting and informative chat, so I asked him to share his stories with you.

More than anyone, surveyors understand the importance of location. We master many types of tools to generate the specific data required for boundary lines, construction grids, laying out developments, creating 3D models of buildings and topography and more.

When I saw “It’s National School Success Month” highlighted in my feed, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

I have kids in high school and elementary school, so normally September is packed with activity to get them set in their routines of getting to class, playing their sports, doing homework and visiting with friends.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was not only a surveyor, but he was actually instrumental in the design of the United States itself? The story of Jefferson’s career is the story of nation-building, with surveying as its foundation.

Earlier this week we commemorated National 811 Day. On August 11 we were reminded to call 811 (or visit call811.com) before digging – in our yards or at a construction site. This simple reminder has saved lives and repair costs by preventing accidental damage to power lines, gas lines and other buried utilities during excavation.

Inaccurate FEMA flood maps affect many property owners – even if the property isn’t located near an ocean, lake or river.

If property is located in the area FEMA has designated as floodplain, higher rates for insurance and difficulty selling the property is a common result.

Additionally, owners run a higher risk of experiencing a flood event. Flood maps are issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These maps are used as the basis for property insurance rates, permitting for construction, and are part of the documentation mortgage lenders require.

At the Custer State Park in South Dakota, kids can take the “Trail Challenge” that rewards them for hiking eight of the many trails in the park over the course of the summer. To prove they’ve walked the trail, they take a rubbing of the unique Berntsen medallion placed along the each trail. Once they have all eight rubbings, the kids turn them in and receive a Custer State Park Trail Challenge Pin. This is a significant achievement, because the eight trails include some rugged terrain.

I’m proud to be a surveyor. Surveying is the foundation of my career and has taught me a lot about the world. It has improved my ability to think analytically, helped me understand underlying principles, and shown me how to use data to solve problems help people find common ground (pun intended).

Today, as Berntsen’s business development manager, I’m relying on those skills to help Berntsen better serve surveyors. Long before I joined the Berntsen team, I was a Berntsen customer – I could count on their products (and support) to be top-notch.

Of all presidents, Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most revered. Most people know that he grew up in a one-room log cabin and taught himself the law by the light of a kerosene lamp.

Surveyors know him as one of their own.

The history of Grand Canyon mapping and surveying is almost as convoluted as the canyon itself. The task requires vision, a special set of skills, determination, money, endurance and luck - nevertheless, many explorers and surveyors have accepted the challenge and produced some of the most beautiful maps ever created.

While COVID-19 measures have closed many businesses, workers building and maintaining our infrastructure have been busier than ever dealing with the new demands created by a massive workforce shift from offices to homes. Many of us working at home have been given the opportunity to consider these services from a different perspective.

As construction continues to become a bigger part of the business, surveyors are not only using new technology, they are becoming acquainted with new technologies used by their customers. For example, many construction and engineering firms contract with municipalities that use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map and track infrastructure assets. Asset location is represented on a digital map, which is very useful for centralized planning and administration of resources.

Berntsen International, Inc., is pleased to announce that Emily Pierce, former president of the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, is Berntsen’s new Business Development Manager. With decades of experience as a surveyor and leader, Emily brings in-depth knowledge of the art of surveying; her on-going contributions to the profession of surveying are welcomed and supported by Berntsen.

You would think that with all of the technology available today, we’d be able to see what’s underground almost as well as we see what’s above ground. Unfortunately, that’s not the case - underground utility locating remains an issue.

George Washington’s physical strength and endurance are well documented in biographies of his time as a soldier. His vigorous physicality made the art of surveying a natural fit as an occupation.

Though he was not formally educated in schools, he was taught the basics of surveying and land measuring as a home-schooled youth. He began surveying by measuring land at Mount Vernon, and when he was only 16, he was invited to join a survey party to lay out lots in western Virginia.

Among surveyors, Mount Rushmore is referred to as Three Surveyors and That Other Guy.

Did you know that it could be argued that all of the presidents on Mount Rushmore were surveyors? Three of the presidents are acknowledged surveyors: Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson (more to come about these surveyors in future blogs). But what about that other guy, Theodore Roosevelt?

While he never earned the title of surveyor or developed surveying expertise, Roosevelt was instrumental in mapping a thousand mile-long uncharted river in Brazil.