by Gary Johnston
March 15-22 is National Surveyors Week. Members of The
Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon are pleased to see federal
recognition of our profession through this proclamation.
Surveyors have been an integral part of the development of
western civilization. They have measured and mapped lands and
marked boundaries throughout recorded history.
Advancements in technology have changed the nature of surveying
and cartography. Today, geomatics (surveying) professionals use
an integrated approach to measuring, analyzing and managing
spatial data. They employ high-tech equipment such as Geographic
Information Systems , Global Positioning Systems, digital
photogrammetry, digital total stations, satellite and
terrestrial remote sensing to create a detailed but
understandable picture of the earth's natural and manmade
features.
As a profession, surveying is so diverse that it attracts people
of many different talents and interests. Surveyors work in
private practice in small businesses and in corporations large
and small. These people commonly establish property boundaries
and design and lay out land developments. Surveyors also work
for public agencies, establishing control for street and highway
projects plus a variety of other public works and mapping
projects.
Another facet of surveying is dedicated to measuring the earth's
surface to more accurately define the earth's surface and
monitor even minute movements in the Earth's surface. While the
common image of a surveyor looking through a telescope on a
tripod is somewhat accurate, it falls far short of showing the
large variety of jobs performed by the modern surveyor.
Surveying can be largely an outdoor occupation, or can involve a
large amount of work at a computer and any combination in
between. The experience of working on a survey crew can be an
excellent starting point, and many have progressed "through the
ranks" with this work experience. Formal training can be
obtained through a number of two-year programs in Oregon,
including a program at Chemeketa Community College.
A nationally acclaimed four-year program is offered at the
Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. The institution
offers a bachelor of science degree in geomatics with a
surveying option, combining land surveying techniques with
computer technology.
If you have some specific questions you would like answered
about the surveying profession, please contact the PLSO's office
in Salem at (503) 585-4551. They can assist you with many
questions about the organization and the profession in general.
PLSO can connect you with a licensed surveyor if you have a
specific question about educational programs in Oregon or career
opportunities in the profession.
Gary Johnston of Dallas is the state chairman of Professional
Land Surveyors of Oregon.
Published March 22, 2009 in the Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon