PLSO The Oregon Surveyor November December 2020

6 The Oregon Surveyor  | Vol. 43, No. 6 From the Publications Committee Tim Kent, PLS Publications Committee PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE FROM THE FIELD NOTES Many of you look forward to the annual PLSO Conference. It will have a new look this year as it will occur in successive weeks in January and be completely online. The Conference Committee has worked hard to bring you an informative and entertaining event covering a variety of topics. A s we head into the winter months, it is time to think about continu- ing education. This is normally the quieter time of the business year, but all indications are that most of you are pretty busy. That is great! However, training is an ongoing activity and should be a part of your goals. This is a list of some educational opportuni- ties to help with those PDH’s required to keep your license current with OSBEELS, and the continuing need to have your surveying technicians become more pro- ficient. This is not a complete list, nor is it intended to support one opportunity over another. PLSO Conference Many of you look forward to the annu- al PLSO Conference. It will have a new look this year as it will occur in succes- sive weeks in January and be completely online. The Conference Committee has worked hard to bring you an informative and entertaining event covering a vari- ety of topics. Also included will be vendor digital displays, raffle prizes, and a silent auction. Go to plso.org/conference to re- view the schedule and register to attend. Certified Survey Technician CST is a training opportunity for survey- ing technicians sponsored by the NSPS ( nsps.us.com) . This four-level training course, which has an Office Track and a Field Track, offers a very attractive path for surveying technicians to be tested on a variety of technical problems. The train- ing program is divided into four levels of increasing difficulty. It is a national certi - fication program (based on experience and examination for field and office) at four levels (Level I; entry level, Level II; instrument/computer operator, Level III; party chief/chief computer operator, and Level IV; chief of parties/office manager). For example, Level I contains 11 work ele- ments that are designed to demonstrate the basic knowledge of field operations and types of surveys as well as familiar- ity with field equipment and procedures used in these functions. Additional skills required include computational ability, survey note taking, drafting/CAD, and map reading. Also included are first aid skills and safety requirements. Each succeeding level has increasing requirements in knowledge and skills at- tached to typical surveying technicians’ duty and each level has a time-limited examination. A companion program to assist the surveying technician in studying for Level I, II, or III is available at learncst. com. The website is a collaborative effort between the National Society of Pro- fessional Surveyors (NSPS) and Spatial Media. I highly recommend signing up for this training. Certified Federal Surveyors This training course is the bell-weather for those interested in all aspects of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). It is a very in-depth study of how the Bureau Options for Continuing Education