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surveying published in a newspaper is What do I do with the proclamation? • Update Passive Control Status: mark
to contact a local reporter and let them If you are able to schedule a signing recoveries and shared solutions provide
know that you have a good lead on a ceremony, you’ll want to arrange to have NGS and other users of the NSRS
community interest story. If that fails to several surveyors present. Promote the day with insight into the health of the
attract their attention offer to write one and time of the ceremony on community passive control network and updated
yourself and submit it to the paper. State calendars and in local news publications. information for project planning.
societies, society chapters and even private You’ll also want to make sure a photographer • Tie your local control stations to
firms have written or sponsored articles is present to commemorate the event so you the NSRS
or public service announcements which can include a photo with any news releases
serve as advertising for the surveying and post them on your website. • RTN Check Stations – Get updated
profession and their businesses. coordinates on marks in your area for
Modified from an article by Frank National Geodetic Survey: field checks of RTN rovers to ensure
1
Lenik, PLS (2016) GPS on BenchMarks consistency with NSRS coordinates
One of the simplest ways to participate Get your community prepared for the NGS has created a prioritized list of
is to request a proclamation from your modernized National Spatial Reference survey marks (found at https://geodesy.
local government. Below, NSPS shares a System by participating in NGS’s crowd- noaa.gov/GPSonBM/files/) where new
guide on how to request a proclamation sourced data collection program called data would be most beneficial. Anyone
and what to do with it. GPS on BenchMarks (GPSonBM). can participate by searching for, finding,
For the last 200 years, the Nation’s and reporting back about the condition
NSPS Guide to Requesting National foundational mapping infrastructure of the marks on the list. Those with
Surveyors Week Proclamations has relied on hundreds of thousands of access to survey grade GPS equipment
can help further by collecting GPS data
What is a proclamation? survey marks set in the ground across on these marks and sharing it with NGS.
A Proclamation is a public or official the country. In 2007, NGS embarked
announcement of an important matter. on a decades-long endeavor to update Recover, Observe, Report
the mapping infrastructure to take full
Why should I request a proclamation advantage of modern technology and Regardless of your objective, GPS on
for National Surveyors Week? dramatically improve the accuracy of BM will always include three important
A proclamation is a great way to announce height measurements. To fully realize steps: recover, observe, and report.
the dates and purpose of National the billions of dollars in benefits that Recover: Use GPSonBM web map to
Surveyors Week. It’s effective in bringing will come through moving to the identify priority marks in your area,
public recognition to the surveying modernized NSRS, Federal, State, and or the NGS Data Explorer to look up
profession and the vital services surveyors local governments and private sector the description of existing benchmarks.
provide regarding the advancement and firms will need to prepare and adapt Follow the instructions on the Recover
betterment of human welfare. page to find bench marks of interest.
their procedures and workflows. The
How do I request a proclamation? GPSonBM program harnesses the Observe: Follow instructions on the
Contact the state and local government power of partnerships across the country Observe page and record field notes,
offices from which you would like to to move us all along the path toward take digital photos, and collect GPS
request a proclamation to determine realizing the benefits of the modernized observations for the benchmark you visit.
the process for each. Use the samples NSRS. Benefits of participation include:
provided in this guide to complete and Report: Use the online Mark Recovery
submit the request. • Automatic generation of 2020.0 Form to submit your recovery notes and
Reference Epoch Coordinates (REC) photos and Share the OPUS Solutions
How long will it take to process my upon release of modernized NSRS from your GPS observations.
request and receive a proclamation? and eventual generation and release of
Most state and local governments need at Survey Epoch Coordinates For more information, visit https://
least 3-4 weeks to complete the request. geodesy.noaa.gov/GPSonBM/.
• Local improvements to the 2022
What do I do once I’ve submitted Transformation Tool, which will enable
the request? conversions from current vertical
Make sure you follow-up to confirm datums to the North American-
receipt of your request and find out how Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022
long it will take to complete it, how you (NAPGD2022) and will be integrated
will be notified, and if you can schedule a into the NGS Coordinate Conversion
signing ceremony.
and Transformation Tool (NCAT).

EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 60 • NO 1 2024 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 11