All posts by John Byrd
The Politcal Surveyor: Managing Federal Land Data
Since the 113th Congress convened in January, data management has been the topic of congressional hearings and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The data in question is on real property the federal government owns as well as current, accurate, and accessible data necessary for responsible management of both land and buildings.Information on what the...
Political Surveyor: “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” No Longer Works
Locating Pipelines and Other Underground Infrastructure The nation’s underground infrastructure is aging and deteriorating at a rapid rate. According to a University of Idaho study, “Much has been made, in recent years, of the potential crisis facing the nation due to our aging infrastructure. This concern is easily understood by the public as they travel...
The Political Surveyor: The Surveyor, GIS, and Privacy
Imagine that a surveyor is contacted to provide property surveys and topographic mapping for the planning and potential design of a major new highway project. All the initial processes—the collection of parcel information to conduct a corridor analysis, to study alternative alignments for the road, to select a right-of-way, and to identify properties for which...
The Political Surveyor: Defining “Geospatial” for Today’s Education and Tomorrow’s Workforce
The traditional surveying and mapping profession, which today is more commonly known as “geospatial,” has an identity crisis. While the profession was long considered part of the broad field of engineering, the geospatial community today lacks a common and accepted definition and classification. This could adversely affect its future workforce and hundreds of millions of...
Davis-Bacon Misapplied
The surveying community is facing the most serious threat to its professional image in decades. The U.S. Department of Labor—without consultation with the community, public notice, or opportunity for public comment—issued an order on March 22 declaring that members of survey crews are “laborers and mechanics” subject to the controversial Davis-Bacon Act. Since then, I’ve...
Political Surveyor: Entering the International Market
A recent economic survey of the members of MAPPS found that U.S. firms view the international market as a bright spot in the demand for geospatial data products and services. However, entering the international market can be a difficult and time-consuming endeavor. Here are a few tips most experienced exporting professionals say are essential to successfully performing...
