2022 Activities & Accomplishments

VAS members and surveyors across the Commonwealth remained busy during the current market boom, having been able to sustain operations throughout the COVID pandemic as a result of working closely with Governor Northam in 2020 to assure that surveying was defined as “critical” and “essential” and permitted to remain open for business and operational while some other professions and industries were restricted or closed during the COVID pandemic.

• VAS worked with the Virginia Courts Clerks Association (VCCA) improve poorly recorded documents, specifically plats in counties in the Commonwealth.

• VAS has opened a dialogue with the Virginia Association for Mapping and Land Information Systems (VAMLIS) to better educate GIS practitioners, including those working in county government, of the importance of survey-grade, spatially accurate data in GIS and improving the working relationships between surveyors and GIS personnel.

• Monitored more than 50 bills of interest to the surveying profession in the Virginia General Assembly through the VAS Legislative Committee and our lobbyists, McGuire Woods Consulting, and we had an influence on several, both supporting good bills that passed and helped defeated bills that adversely affected surveyors.

• VAS secured a 2022 Surveyors Week proclamation from Governor Youngkin in March.

• VAS provided input to the APELSCIDLA board on regulatory review items for consideration, including on photogrammetry and education for licensure as a surveyor.

• As a member of VAS, you’re also a member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), our national organization and voice. NSPS has a very high profile and successful Government Affairs program that has impacted legislation to protect GPS signals from interference by the proposed Ligado (formerly LightSquared) satellite broadband system; won enactment into law of the MAPLand Act that provides for public access to digital mapping of Federal lands; secured a “geomatics” provision in the recently enacted Infrastructure bill; led the effort to gain a a $5 million appropriation amendment in the House on the Interior appropriations bill for FY2022, providing for USGS to begin a National Land Level Change (NLLC) Map measuring land subsidence, secured appropriations of $3 million for NOAA’s Digital Coast program, nearly a $5 million increase for USGS 3DEP, and increases for FEMA NFIP flood mapping;

• VAS worked with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) on a Workforce Development program to attract the next generation into careers in surveying. This includes professional market research and design and implementation of a program to identify target audiences, a successful message, and the most effective media and communications to reach the targeted audiences.

• We began developing strategies to realize growth in the association, including exploring new programs and benefits, as well as the creation of a special committee to consider a broader “geospatial” focus for VAS.

• Explored ways to continue the Apprenticeship Program for surveying, upon the announcement that the program in Fairfax County is no longer accepting new students.

• We stayed connected with the membership through our new, professional website; social media; email alerts; and our monthly e-newsletter, The Old Dominion Surveyor.

• Provided quality continuing education for Virginia surveyors through quarterly seminars on VDOT right of entry, VDOT research, easements, the VDOT Manual, and GIS; Subsurface Utility Engineering; Tree Identification; Herpetology; Professional Image; Legislation Affecting Surveyors; and GIS in Virginia, as well as a full schedule of professional development classes at our annual convention, held in Virginia Beach in April.