Activity Feed › Discussion Forums › Strictly Surveying › Licensed in which states
Kent McMillan, post: 426437, member: 3 wrote: Fortunately, we do not have US Mineral Surveyors running around loose in Texas with the idea that just because some surveyor erroneously set a marker on what was supposed to be the line of a senior grant that that automagically *moved* the line to some newly created angle point. Once you recognize that, the rest follows.
There is a simple reason that U.S. Mineral Surveyors have never worked in their official capacity in the State of Texas. Texas is not subject to the U.S. mining laws! For the western states with mineral lands, a U.S. Mineral Surveyor has federal survey authority to conduct the official survey of mining claims prior to patent. A USMS must obtain a mineral survey order from the BLM Cadastral Chief prior to the survey. The survey is then approved by the Cadastral Chief. I imagine that the process is akin to a Texas LSLS conducting a survey in his/her official capacity. One thing they never do is bend senior lines through junior corners!
You seem to believe that I am a U.S. Mineral Surveyor. I am not, nor have I ever advertised being a USMS. There are currently 39 active U.S. Mineral Surveyors. Should you have any questions regarding their work, I suggest you contact one directly. The only USMS that I know posts here is Jim Luke.
Gene Kooper, post: 426554, member: 9850 wrote: You seem to believe that I am a U.S. Mineral Surveyor. I am not, nor have I ever advertised being a USMS. There are currently 39 active U.S. Mineral Surveyors.
Were you unable to obtain the license for some reason or did you just decide that it was better not to be fully credentialed?
Kent McMillan, post: 426614, member: 3 wrote: Were you unable to obtain the license for some reason or did you just decide that it was better not to be fully credentialed?
I obtained my Colorado license in January 1985 while I was in graduate school. The last test administered for USMS was given in the spring of 1985 in Anchorage. No one is required to be appointed a U.S. Mineral Surveyor to be “fully credentialed” as you put it. Official mineral surveys are conducted under federal survey authority. Mineral survey retracements/resurveys are conducted under state survey authority. A USMS not licensed in Colorado has no authority to conduct mineral survey retracements/resurveys in Colorado. Once again, your ignorance is on display.
Also, a USMS is not licensed, but rather appointed to a 5-year term by the BLM Chief Cadastral Surveyor. They are regarded as special BLM employees with no salary. They must negotiate their survey fee with the mining claimant. Steve Gardner was among the few that sat for the Anchorage exam. Keith Williams likely appointed Steve.
P.S. If one were inclined to counter your “credentialed” pejorative, they would likely ask a similar question of you. That being, “Were you unable to obtain the Texas LSLS for some reason or did you just decide that it was better not to be fully credentialed as a surveyor in Texas?”
Bump to top. Too many shy people out there.
I am licensed in MD, PA, DE and WV. Live in PA and regularly practice in MD, DE and PA.
AZ, AK, and TN.
Kent, Texas is not the only state that had four sovereigns
Licensed in NC. Never thought I would need another state. But I really need SC and VA.
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MN and WI here.
Things get more interesting in PLSS country in places where someone in the past decided that the admittedly logical and orderly Federal system was still too much trouble. I’ve heard of several townships in MN where some or all of the meander lines were invented by a surveyor drinking whiskey in his tent, thus turning land into water and water into land on the official plat. Another thing that helps prevent boredom is the influence of iron-bearing rock on the magnetic compass.
Chalk up one more for CA
Gene Kooper, post: 426624, member: 9850 wrote: I obtained my Colorado license in January 1985 while I was in graduate school. The last test administered for USMS was given in the spring of 1985 in Anchorage. No one is required to be appointed a U.S. Mineral Surveyor to be “fully credentialed” as you put it. Official mineral surveys are conducted under federal survey authority. Mineral survey retracements/resurveys are conducted under state survey authority. A USMS not licensed in Colorado has no authority to conduct mineral survey retracements/resurveys in Colorado. Once again, your ignorance is on display.
Also, a USMS is not licensed, but rather appointed to a 5-year term by the BLM Chief Cadastral Surveyor. They are regarded as special BLM employees with no salary. They must negotiate their survey fee with the mining claimant. Steve Gardner was among the few that sat for the Anchorage exam. Keith Williams likely appointed Steve.
P.S. If one were inclined to counter your “credentialed” pejorative, they would likely ask a similar question of you. That being, “Were you unable to obtain the Texas LSLS for some reason or did you just decide that it was better not to be fully credentialed as a surveyor in Texas?”
Gene
I can’t take the LSLS because I am not a resident of Texas. When I could because I was a resident, they wouldn’t let me because I didn’t have a year under a LSLS(requirement since rescinded). However I did help mentor someone who is the Latest LSLS, the last time I checked.Stephen Johnson, post: 428586, member: 53 wrote: Gene
I can’t take the LSLS because I am not a resident of Texas. When I could because I was a resident, they wouldn’t let me because I didn’t have a year under a LSLS(requirement since rescinded). However I did help mentor someone who is the Latest LSLS, the last time I checked.Stephen,
So does an LSLS have to maintain residency in Texas to keep their license?
For U.S. Mineral Surveyors there has to be a demonstrated need for additional USMS before the BLM administers another test. That is unlikely to happen since there has been a moratorium on accepting mineral lands patent applications since 1994. Besides, I’m not sure any of the BLM staff that oversaw the last few tests in the 1980s are still around!
I just got the Virgin Islands
thebionicman, post: 426440, member: 8136 wrote: If you were attempting humor your ignorance would almost be funny. Explain to me how tidelands law in Oregon is the same in let’s say, Nevada? It takes a real Texas Surveyor to trash on the ethics of half the Surveyors in the country based solely on where they live.
Every post you make confirms that putting that rathole in my rearview was the best decision I ever made. You truly are the epitome of the all hat no cattle crowd.I hope you do not lump all of us lowly R.P.L.S.s from Tejas in with Mr. Kent. I am licensed in 5 States and work in all of them, they all have there issues and all are different. I will say that generally it is easier to survey in Texas than the Sectionalize States because the old survey work in my area is a lot better than PLSS states where you had the rampant 1320 clubs for a 100 years and you are now required to subdivide the section by BLM method, but you know you deed comes from a 1320 club monument. I think any surveyor from a colonial state to become licensed in a PLSS state should have to take a test on the BLM (GLO) manual and the history of the PLSS system on top of any other test.
makerofmaps, post: 430519, member: 9079 wrote: I just got the Virgin Islands
Welcome.
We’re trying to form a Professional Association. We have a number of difficult issues to deal with. We need a lot of help. Can I add you to our email list?Larry Best, post: 430576, member: 763 wrote: Welcome.
We’re trying to form a Professional Association. We have a number of difficult issues to deal with. We need a lot of help. Can I add you to our email list?Please do.
If the profile data entry could be modified to include licensing jurisdictions beyond the 50 states that would be nice.
(Such as US territories and other countries)Gene Kooper, post: 428610, member: 9850 wrote: Stephen,
So does an LSLS have to maintain residency in Texas to keep their license?
For U.S. Mineral Surveyors there has to be a demonstrated need for additional USMS before the BLM administers another test. That is unlikely to happen since there has been a moratorium on accepting mineral lands patent applications since 1994. Besides, I’m not sure any of the BLM staff that oversaw the last few tests in the 1980s are still around!
I know of one who moved to NM and at least for a while maintained his LSLS. I do not know his current status. My last knowledge is about 7-10 years old.
Georgia and Tennessee. Going through the process with North Carolina now.
TX, OK, KS, CO, AZ
MA, NH, RI
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