Opinions on CFedS

I had a former co-worker go through the program and he found it informative and difficult and rewarding from a survey perspective.?ÿ He said if he would not do it again, knowing what he knows now.?ÿ In addition, we never obtained any work as a result of being a C-Fed.?ÿ Somehow the Indian reservations in our area shy away from the gov't telling them how to survey on their property.

In Alaska, a jurisdiction with a PLSS based cadastre, I found it to be well worth the time and money. I suspect that this would be true in any PLSS jurisdiction.

You'll be a more knowledgeable and confident surveyor regardless of whether or not it brings in work. It'll change the way you work on lands that are rooted in the PLSS.

Posted by: @jkinak

You'll be a more knowledgeable and confident surveyor regardless of whether or not it brings in work. It'll change the way you work on lands that are rooted in the PLSS.

Trying to remember when I took it, either 2008 or 2009, when I was still tossing around the idea of moving west.?ÿ

Somehow I got roped into giving the keynote address at the CFedS Banquet at the ACSM Conference in 2010 (the year NSPS voted to withdraw from ACSM) and I believe I referred to it as "PLSS Grad School".?ÿ I still think that's a pretty fair description.?ÿ?ÿ

My employer paid for the course, which made the decision easier. I am glad I did it, and recommend it for anyone surveying in a PLSS State.

Good luck, Tom?ÿ

Not CFedS, but I took the BLM Cadastral Survey Course at a community college back in the mid-70s, part of their adult education program, taught by BLMers.?ÿ It was a few hundred bucks and 8(?) weeks of one day a week 2 (4?) hour evening classes. The only offering in the State was at a community college in a town 120 miles away so after each class I slept in my car then drove back the next morning.?ÿ Comprehensive, somewhat difficult; I still have the 3-ring binder set of course materials, maybe 15 pounds worth.?ÿ Sure made the LS licensure test questions easy.?ÿ I clearly recall there was a 1 hour session on dendrology.

The principals of one of the companies I worked for in Norman, OK had all taken CFEDS and were disappointed that it brought in no additional work. At least, not directly. They had nothing to say about the value of the knowledge for knowledge's sake.?ÿ ?ÿ

We have a State Forest in the mountains with 3 80s in difficult areas, incomplete township, benson township. One might have control on the Township line 2.5 miles into the wilderness. The idea was floated someone get CFEDS then Survey the 80s on instructions from BLM. It is National Forest boundary.

Since you are based in Idaho my answer is an emphatic yes; even more so if you work in areas where there are federal interest lands.

Also, if you've ever wondered about the PLSS solutions that past and present BLM surveyors post here, take CFedS. The course is very helpful in understanding how the BLM approaches rectangular PLSS surveys. No, it won't give you a full understanding of what a BLM Cadastral Surveyor knows. It will also give you an idea of the BLM process!

In conversations with other private surveyors I often hear crap like, "Those d^*ned BLMers rejected a monument that we private surveyors have relied upon for a long time." They aren't interested in an explanation for why it was rejected, only that they relied upon it at some time in the past. A good friend that has worked in the PLSS for several decades decided to take the course and every Sunday he would call me and tell me that the BLM was dead wrong. My reply was usually, "No, they are correct. Keep reading and you'll come to understand why the BLM does it that way!" He eventually caught on.

Lastly, Steve Parrish is the current CFedS Training Coordinator.?ÿ You will most likely find that your questions and interactions with Steve are worth more than the cost of the training.?ÿ You should also be able to apply your CFedS training to your license renewal continuing education, not to mention the 6 CEUs you need to take every two years to keep your certification active.

?ÿ

@gene-kooper

I would like to see an explanation in their field notes beyond "not acceptable." If you're going to throw half a section into chaos a couple of paragraphs would be in order, it seems to me.

@mike-marks That was ARCS, a good training program.?ÿ Acronym stands for "Advanced Rectangular Cadastral Survey" .?ÿ I also took the training and though highly of it.?ÿ At that point in my career I was a PLS in private practice, however I was doing BLM Cadastral Surveys under contract.?ÿ The workgroup networking and discussion on case studies was invaluable.?ÿ ?ÿIt was a nice diverse group of students as it was about a 60/40 mix of BLM and private sector PLS's in our class.

Posted by: @gene-kooper

Since you are based in Idaho my answer is an emphatic yes; even more so if you work in areas where there are federal interest lands.

Also, if you've ever wondered about the PLSS solutions that past and present BLM surveyors post here, take CFedS. The course is very helpful in understanding how the BLM approaches rectangular PLSS surveys. No, it won't give you a full understanding of what a BLM Cadastral Surveyor knows. It will also give you an idea of the BLM process!

In conversations with other private surveyors I often hear crap like, "Those d^*ned BLMers rejected a monument that we private surveyors have relied upon for a long time." They aren't interested in an explanation for why it was rejected, only that they relied upon it at some time in the past. A good friend that has worked in the PLSS for several decades decided to take the course and every Sunday he would call me and tell me that the BLM was dead wrong. My reply was usually, "No, they are correct. Keep reading and you'll come to understand why the BLM does it that way!" He eventually caught on.

Lastly, Steve Parrish is the current CFedS Training Coordinator.?ÿ You will most likely find that your questions and interactions with Steve are worth more than the cost of the training.?ÿ You should also be able to apply your CFedS training to your license renewal continuing education, not to mention the 6 CEUs you need to take every two years to keep your certification active.

?ÿ

Very well stated Gene!?ÿ ?ÿ

I am a little biased, to the value of the training as I was on the originating steering committee for the creation of CFeDS, with Bob Dahl, Dennis Mouland, Ron Scherler, Jim Claflin (RIP), Mary Hartel and a group of other BLM Cadastral surveyors SME's (Subject Matter Experts).?ÿ ?ÿIt was a very interesting process on how the program developed.?ÿ Dennis's idea was for the SME group to come up of what the?ÿ desired outcomes?ÿ of learned knowledge was to create a key indexed to subject matter.?ÿ Then we worked on the examination blueprint and initial pool of questions for the exam.?ÿ We were a week into the workgroup.?ÿ Then Dennis said, NOW we develop the training to teach what is needed to bring the students to knowledge empowerment and ability to demonstrate it in the examination.?ÿ Brilliant.?ÿ ?ÿ

Posted by: @james-fleming

Somehow I got roped into giving the keynote address at...

Probably due to your pretty face.

@northernsurveyor

In the military that was termed 'the backwards planning process'. It's been used with great success for millennia. .

@brad-ott

@gene-kooper?ÿ That's really good to know.?ÿ I'm in the first year of licensure but if I'm remembering right a certain amount can carry over.

I do think the extra PLSS education would be interesting and useful so I'm leaning towards signing up.

Everyone has different business models, area(s) of expertise, regional variations, so forth and so on.

I NEVER picked a seminar, course, or certification SOLELY for potential (real or imagined) financial reasons.

If I was going to spend money (always my own it seemed), I wanted to LEARN something that I thought would increase my knowledge base (not my bottom line). Others mileage will of course vary.

Loyal?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ

Is it recommended to get several years of experience before going through the program? Or is it fine for licensed noobies?

@bad, its really up to you, and perhaps dependent on what type of your current work is.?ÿ ?ÿ

Entry level is having a state PLS license, although there are some that have taken the training without a State PLS license.?ÿ However, if you take and complete the training, a CFedS certification and number will not be issued until such time that you have the State-issued PLS license.?ÿ If you are a "licensed noobie", its really your call about when to engage in the training.?ÿ?ÿ

Does your current work include a significant amount of PLSS retracement and resurvey work??ÿ ?ÿAre you by chance working on Indian Trust lands frequently??ÿ ?ÿIf not, it may make sense to wait until you get some experience in either of these areas so you have a background of some experience in the PLSS and with ITL to make the advanced training make sense.?ÿ After receiving the training, it helps to put some of the new knowledge and skills to use, so the type of work your doing may weigh in on your decision.?ÿ

Also, once you gain CFedS certification, there is a continuing education requirement for additional training.?ÿ It is all really good training, and most find that it is interesting and worthwhile.?ÿ ?ÿAnd I beileve most States with continuing education requirements accept the CFedS initial and follow on training for State required CEU or PDHs.?ÿ

If you happen to known someone who has done the training, they may be able to let you review some of the materials so you could gage what you think of the training.

Best of luck, and I encourage you to keep the training in mind for some point in your career.?ÿ ?ÿ