Boundaries and Beyond - CLSA

Evidence, Exhibits and Testimony: 

Boundaries and Beyond 

Saturday, March 24th 

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

This intermediate–to–advanced level seminar provides an overview of the Law of Evidence, 

civil lawsuits, trial processes, and professional practices. Legal concepts and terminology are 

discussed within the context that they arise. The seminar can be thought of as having three 

parts: 

1. Basic concepts and the Rules of Evidence 

2. Application of the concepts and rules within the context of our profession 

3. Forensic Surveying practice 

The course discusses and explores areas of professional practice that can help to increase 

productivity and reduce potential liability, as well as improve service to the client. The goal is 

to provide practical tools to assist participants in being a more effective witness/surveyor. This 

seminar is based on the Federal Rules of Evidence. 

About the Speaker: 

Chuck Karayan began surveying in 1963. Since then his career 

in public and private practice has taken him from the deserts of 

southern Arizona to the forests of northwestern Washington. He 

is licensed in Oregon and California, is a Contributing Writer for 

The American Surveyor magazine, and teaches courses on water 

boundaries for the University of Wyoming – Outreach Credit 

Programs. Academically trained as an Earth Scientist/Geographer, 

Chuck attended the University of San Fernando Valley, College 

of Law. For over 25 years, his career has focused on boundary 

and land title matters as a manager and expert witness. In addition 

to authoring texts and professional papers, he has been active 

in formal and continuing education of surveyors, realtors, and 

attorneys since 1978. Chuck retired as the Chief of Training in the Office of Land Surveys for 

the California Department of Transportation. Previous service includes: County Surveyor in 

Clark County, Washington; Survey Operations Manager for Marx & Chase, Gresham, Oregon; 

and Regional Property Engineer of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Los Angeles, California. He 

also directed the Land Surveyor’s Training Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Since retirement from 

CalTrans, Chuck formed and is now the president of GeoLex, a consulting practice specializing 

in boundary and title litigation.

Charm School for Surveyors 

Sunday, March 25th 

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM 

Charm School for Professional Surveyors – A half day course on how our appearance, attitudes, 

and communication skills impact our profession as a whole, and our own business 

success. At time humorous, at other times very pointed, this course will challenge 

your world view of how you impact the rest of the profession as well as yourself. 

Thinking Beyond Technology 


2:00 PM - 5:00 PM 

A half day course on the negative impacts technology has had on society and on 

the survey profession in particular. Starting with a review of technological changes 

in our lives in general, it focuses on the failure of our profession to offset technology’s 

impact on our perceptions of the profession. This course encourages us to examine 

how we do things in the field and office versus how we should be doing things. 


Dennis J. Mouland, PLS is a registered professional surveyor in Arizona, 

New Mexico, and Colorado. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational 

Management, and has been in the surveying profession 

since 1972. His experience is evenly split between the private sector, 

including his own surveying firm, and federal government employment. 

Dennis has been an instructor and course manager for the BLM/Forest 

Service “Advanced Cadastral School” and served as the National 

Cadastral Training Coordinator for BLM in Phoenix, AZ for over 6 

years. In that position he developed the Certified Federal Surveyors 

Program for the Department of the Interior. In addition to having over 

300 technical articles published in the U.S. and Canada, Dennis is a 

contributing author to the textbook “The Surveying Handbook”, and authored “Ethics for the Professional 

Surveyor” in 1996, now in it’s third printing. He has conducted seminars for the surveying 

and real estate professions since 1984 which have included over 70,000 students to date. 

Dennis has taught boundary law subjects in higher education institutions since 1995, and is currently 

a Surveying Instructor at the University of Wyoming, Metro State College of Denver and 

Oklahoma State University. He lives near Prescott, Arizona, about 100 miles north of Phoenix.

Keynote Address: 

Challenges Facing the Surveying Profession 


1:30 PM - 2:00 PM 

The keynote address will cover a variety of elements that present challenges, including those 

brought about by the technological revolution that seems never-ending, as well as those 

brought on by our own actions and inactions as a profession. 


Curtis W. (Curt) Sumner is the Executive Director of the National Society 

of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) and the American Congress on Surveying 

and Mapping (ACSM), collectively serving the interests of professional 

surveyors nationwide, and internationally. 

He is a primary point of contact and liaison for the surveying profession 

with numerous national and state organizations in the geospatial community 

and the U. S. Congress, and is a member of the ACSM Delegation 

to the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). He also serves 

on the Surveying Curriculum Advisory Committee at Troy University in Alabama. 

Curt serves as the ACSM Delegate to the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO) 

whose purpose is to increase dialog among a variety of interest groups, and diminish discord 

among them on issues affecting them respectively. He served as COGO Chair in 2010. 

As a long-time member representing NSPS on the ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey Requirements 

Committee, he has joined his fellow committee members in the development of upgrades 

made to these standards, including the 2011 version. 

Mr. Sumner is an invited presenter and keynote speaker throughout the U. S., and his articles 

routinely appear in many national and state publications. 

In 2006, he was named by Professional Surveyor Magazine to be among the Top 25 Most 

Influential individuals in the surveying profession during the first 25 years of the magazine’s 

existence. 

He is a licensed professional surveyor in Virginia and Maryland.

3D Laser Scanning: 

Is Now the Time ? 


2:00 PM - 3:00 PM 

This presentation is for surveyors who are thinking about getting into 3D laser scanning, but 

aren’t sure it’s right technology or right time to invest. It will not be an introduction to scanning 

(there will be a quick review of the technology), nor will we be promoting any specific brand of 

scanner. It will be a straight forward discussion of how we made the decision to invest in the 

technology and our experiences since. Topics will include: 

• Static vs. Mobile scanning 

• Cost and financing 

• Training 

• Marketing the Technology 

• What type of projects are right for scanning 

• Successes and Failures 


Jeremy L. Evans, PLS has 36 years of professional land surveying 

experience. He specializes in boundary determinations, topographic 

surveying (including the use of 3D Laser Scanning), computerized 

mapping, and right-of-way surveying and mapping. As the Corporate 

Technical Survey Director for Psomas, Mr. Evans is responsible 

for developing and monitoring all technical aspects and quality assurance 

on surveying and mapping projects including freeway and 

highway routes, right-of-way surveying and mapping, and boundary 

surveys for public and private agencies. He also manages technical 

teams that are responsible for developing and implementing new 

technologies and new procedures for improved production and quality 

assurance. 

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the California State University of 

Long Beach and is liscenced to practice land surveying in California, Nevada and Arizona. 

Over and above his responsibilities at Psomas, Mr. Evans teaches land surveying classes at 

Santiago Canyon College. These classes include the Public Land Survey System, Land Descriptions, 

Boundary Surveying and Analysis, Geodesy and State Plane Coordinates, Route 

Surveying, Measurement Analysis and Adjustment, Photogrammetry, and GPS. He is also an 

instructor for the land surveyor exam review workshops presented by several chapters of the 

California Land Surveyors Association.

The Challenges of Change: 

The Evolution of the NSRS and the 

NGS Geodetic Advisor Progam 


3:15 PM - 5:00 PM 

Two NGS Advisors will provide lots of information about the changing face of geodesy in the 

U.S., covering the following topics: 

• New Coordinates and Epoch for CORS and OPUS Solutions, 2010.00 

• New Realization of Passive NSRS: NAD83 (2011) 

• New GEOID12 Model 

• Datasheet Format/Content Changes 

• Network and Local Accuracies 

• State Geodetic Advisor Program Evolving 

• Trans4D software 

• GRAV-D Update 

• Completely New Geometric/Geopotential Datums for NSRS 

• Enhancements to DSWorld Mapping (and More!) Program 

About the Speakers: 

Marti Ikehara is the State Geodetic Advisor with National Geodetic Survey, 

which is an agency within NOAA. She has been in this position in 

California for 12+ years; prior to that, she was a ground-water hydrologist 

with the US Geological Survey for nearly 20 years, first in Honolulu (5 yrs) 

and then in Sacramento, investigating land subsidence while in California. 

One of her main duties is to help the public locate and utilize accurate 

horizontal and vertical control in their surveying, engineering, and mapping 

projects. Of increasing interest is determining and understanding the relationship between 

geodetic vertical and tidal datums along the coast and tidally-influenced waters. As we shift to 

a spatial reference system that is defined by permanent continuous GPS reference stations 

(rather than passive monuments in the ground) and real-time surveying, dynamic rather than 

static, a key role for the Advisor is to provide assistance in expanding, accessing, and utilizing 

the NSRS. 

William A. Stone is the NOAA/National Geodetic Survey’s (NGS) Southwest 

Region Geodetic Advisor. He assists the geospatial community throughout 

Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah—including public- and private-sector 

surveyors, GIS professionals, engineers, and earth scientists—with proper 

application of the National Spatial Reference System. Stone has been with 

NGS since 1989, and he previously worked for the Department of the Navy 

and the Defense Mapping Agency. He has a BA in Physics from Bowdoin College and an MS 

in Physical Oceanography from 

the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Surveying the Comstock: 

MS, PLSS, Townsites & County Lines 

Monday, March 26th 

8:30 AM - 5:00 PM 

The “Comstock” began with Mineral Surveys in the early 1860’s, soon thereafter sectionalized 

by the Public Land Survey System, overlaid with several Townsites and mostly contained 

within Lyon and Storey Counties, Nevada. Extensive mining activities, settlement impacts and 

deterioration of natural monuments has rendered recovery of original monuments infrequent 

and questionable. Fragmented resurveys of mining claims, sectionalized lands and town lots 

have created double corner situations that present a difficult challenge for today’s land surveyor 

and local property owners. This interactive workshop will highlight both government and 

private resurvey efforts and the difficult decisions of defining locations of the original survey 

monuments that control patents and subsequent deeds within the Comstock. 


Steve Parrish PLS, CFedS began surveying with the U.S. Forest 

Service in 1963, acquired his Utah PLS in 1973 and worked in a variety 

of land surveying positions with the USFS through 1984. In early 

1985 he began working for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and 

eventually served as the BLM Nevada Cadastral Chief. Steve left the 

government in late 1995 to pursue private surveying experience. He is 

licensed in 7 western states, a Nevada water rights surveyor and contract 

county surveyor for Inyo, Modoc and Mono Counties in California. 

Steve shares his 45+ years of land surveying knowledge and experience 

through participation in land survey seminars, consulting and expert witness testimony. 

He joined Tri State Surveying in Sparks, Nevada in 1999, is an adjunct professor in the survey 

program for Great Basin College (Elko, NV), acquired his Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS) 

certificate in 2007 and will receive his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in May 2009. He 

is active in state and national surveying organizations and enjoys sharing time with his family, 

photography and fishing. 

Dave Morlan, Chief, Branch of Geographic Sciences, BLM - Reno, Nevada. Dave’s career 

spans over 30 years, beginning as a Cadastral Survey-Aid in 1979, and becoming the Chief 

Cadastral Surveyor of Nevada in 2004. David is a registered Professional Land Surveyor in 

the State of Nevada, an active member of the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors (NALS), 

and Past President of the Lahontan Chapter. He has instructed at numerous land surveying 

seminars regarding the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), as well as at the National Training 

Center in Phoenix, Arizona; and the engineering department at the University of Nevada, 

Reno.

CEQA 

Monday, March 26th - 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM 

This seminar provides an overview of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including: 

• Purpose of CEQA 

• Summary of the CEQA Process 

• Definitions of a “Project” Under CEQA 

• Exemptions 

• Initial Study 

• Negative Declarations/Mitigated Negative 

Declarations 

General Plan, Specific Plan, Zoning 

Monday, March 26th - 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

This seminar provides an overview of California Planning and Zoning Law (General Plans, Specific 

Plans and Zoning), including: 

• Vertical Consistency (the Pyramid) 

• Horizontal Consistency 

• Legal Adequacy 

• Housing 

• EIRs and Starting the Process 

• EIR Contents 

• Further Review Under CEQA 

• Special Processes 

• AB32 / Greenhouse Gases / Climate 

Change 

• CEQA Litigation 

• Legislative vs. Adjudicatory 

• Variances and Conditional Use Permits 

• Ballot Measures 

Subdivision Map Act 

Monday, March 26th -1:30 PM - 3:00 PM 

This seminar discusses and provides practical guidelines for some “thorny” Map Act issues, including: 

• When is a Map Required? 

• What kind of Map (Tentative/Final or Parcel Map) to Use 

• Certificates of Compliance 

• Life of Tentative Map 

• Vested Rights (including Vesting Maps, Development Agreements and Common Law Vesting) 


Mike Durkee serves as Co-Chair for the law firm of Allen Matkins’ Land Use Practice. 

As a resident in the firm’s Walnut Creek office, Mike’s practice encompasses land use, 

elections, and local government law in both administrative and judicial proceedings. He 

represents developers, builders, property owners, governmental agencies, special districts 

and interest groups in all aspects of California local government, elections and land use 

entitlement, review and approval processes. Mike has transactional and litigation expertise 

in the laws and processes regarding the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), 

local governance, general plans, specific plans, planning, zoning and development, vested 

rights (common law, development agreements, vesting maps), exactions (fees/dedications), 

the Subdivision Map Act, Williamson Act, and local elections (initiative, referendum, 

recall). He also serves as an expert on these topics, and has been involved in several 

law-changing CEQA litigation matters. Mike is the author of Map Act Navigator-the Definitive, Practical Guide to the 

California Subdivision Map Act, and is co-author of Ballot Box Navigator and Land Use Initiatives and Referenda 

in California. Mike runs the site, www.landusenavigators.com, a preeminent online resource about California land 

use issues. In 2010 he launched the blog www.sustainablecommunitieslaw.com. He also authors the quarterly 

column “Ask the Map Act Expert” in the magazine California Surveyor. Mike is widely recognized for his creativity 

and expertise in effective negotiation, strategy and resolution of land use disputes.

Communication Skills for Surveyors 


8:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

Effective communication strategies for reports and presentations are detailed. The 

foundation of technical writing includes evaluating the intended audience, using proper 

grammar and mechanics, and formatting material. These three key elements are 

then applied to several scenarios including the best practices for drafting documentation, 

proposals, e-mails, memos, and design review reports. The foundation of technical 

presentations includes understanding different learning styles, selecting appropriate 

material, and conducting effective questions and answers sessions. Additional 

best practices for reducing nervousness, creating PowerPoint slides, and engaging 

audience members are reviewed. 


Candice works at the University of Nevada, Reno where she teaches several junior 

and senior courses including Engineering Communications which is a multidisciplinary 

course to focus on technical writing and presentation skills. She also serves 

as a student counselor and assessment coordinator for the College of Engineering. 

Candice is a past ASME Vice President for the Center for Professional Development, 

Practice, and Ethics. Candice was recognized by FIE as a new faculty fellow for 

her development of education strategies for engineering ethics and communication. 

Candice was presented with the ASME Old Guard Early Career Engineer Award for 

outstanding service, leadership, and accomplishment in the profession of academia/ 

teaching and in the community. With advanced degrees in mechanical engineering, 

aeronautical engineering, educational leadership, and engineering management, 

Candice has a diverse background.

CA BPELSG Panel 


1:30 PM - 3:00 PM 

Ric Moore and Pat Tami will moderate an open debate on various topics that relate to the 

Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists involving the practice of 

land surveying. 


Ric Moore, P.L.S., Executive Officer, BPELSG began his Surveying 

career over 30 years ago working in the private sector in Colorado, 

Arizona, and New England before moving to California in 1990. While 

working in the Ventura / Santa Barbara areas, he began assisting with 

state Land Surveyor exam grading and development. In 2007 Ric became 

the Land Surveyor Consultant to what was then BPELS. When 

the Senior Registrar Land Surveyor position was created, he applied, 

and was hired to that position. After managing the internal licensing 

examination operations of the Board, Ric was appointed by the Board 

to be the BPELSG Executive Officer in July 2011. 

For over 30 years, Patrick Tami has been involved in all aspects of the 

land surveying profession. He is currently a Vice President and Manager 

of the Surveying and Mapping Department in the Sacramento office 

for RBF Consulting. He also serves as Land Surveyor Member of 

the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, 

and as Vice President – Western Zone for the National Council of Examiners 

for Engineering and Surveying. 

Since 1990, he has been active as an instructor for practical, technical 

and legal issues related to surveying and mapping; served in leadership 

positions with numerous professional surveying and engineering 

associations in California and nationally; and has directed the development 

and application of licensing examinations for the surveying profession at the state and 

national levels. He has also been an expert witness and is a published author on issues of 

boundary and property ownership.

NV BELS 


3:30 PM - 5:00 PM 

This program will cover The Nevada State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors: 

• Composition 

• Operation 

• Testing 

• Licensing 

• Compliance issue examples 

• Recent changes to NAC 625 

• The effect of NRS 625.270 on new licensure 

• Discussion 


Alan R. Riekki, PLS has been involved in private and public sector surveying 

for the better part of the last 22 years. Until 1994, he was a member of the International 

Union of Operating Engineers Local #12 in Southern California. Mr. 

Riekki became a registered Professional Land Surveyor in the state of Nevada 

in January 1997, a Nevada State Water Rights Surveyor in September, 1997, 

and a registered Professional Land Surveyor in the state of Utah in April, 2000. 

Mr. Riekki became a member of the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors in 

1994 and served the Southern Chapter as Director, Treasurer, President-Elect 

and, in 2002, as President. In 2004 Mr. Riekki was appointed City Surveyor for 

the City of Las Vegas, Nevada, a position he currently holds. In July of 2008 Mr. 

Riekki was appointed to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and 

Land Surveyors where he serves as one of the two Professional Land Surveyor members. 

Robert O. LaRiviere, PLS has been a surveyor working in Northern Nevada 

and the Lake Tahoe area for the past 30 years. He has been a partner at CFA 

since joining the firm in 1998. He was promoted to President in the spring of 

2011. He is responsible for the firm’s overall operations, oversees all department 

directors, and ensures that high quality service is provided at all times to 

all clients. He is a member of the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors and 

has served as the Lahontan Chapter President in 1994 and State President in 

1999. Bob is also very active and a charter member of the Sparks Centennial 

Sunrise Rotary Club and served as club president in 2008-2009. Mr. LaRiviere 

recently obtained the OSHA-10 Certification for construction. In July of 2010, 

Bob was appointed to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and 

Land Surveyors; he is one of two surveyors on a board of 9 members. He has 

an Associate in Applied Sciences degree in Surveying and Forestry from Paul Smith’s College, New 

York and is a licensed professional Land Surveyor in Nevada and California.

How to Prepare an Effective RFQ/ 

RFP and Understanding the Law 

as it Pertains to Evaluation and 

Selection Process 


3:30 PM - 5:00 PM 

“How to Prepare an Effective RFQ/RFP and Understanding the Law as it Pertains to Evaluation 

& Selection Process,” will be a brief look at strategies, examples and best practices for 

the preparation of successful RFQ’s and RFP’s for public works A/E consultant services in 

California. Additionally, a discussion of the Brooks and Mini-Brooks will be facilitated. 


Raymond Mathe was appointed Orange County Surveyor by the 

Board of Supervisors in 2004 and manages the OC Survey Section 

of the OC Public Works Department. OC Survey is responsible 

for the development and maintenance of the OC Landbase. 

Raymond is the Immediate-Past Chairman for the Western Federation 

of Professional Land Surveyors (WFPS), Vice-Chair for 

the Consulting Engineers Association of California (CEAC) Survey 

Policy Committee and past President of the California Land 

Surveyors Association (CLSA). Previously he was employed 

with RBF Consulting for six years. Additionally, he worked for the 

Riverside County Surveying Department for 17 years; has been 

involved in the local and State chapter of CLSA for several years as an officer, board representative, 

education & workshop chairman and survey instructor; and he was the Chairman for the 

development, review and administration of the 2009 California State-Specific Land Surveyors 

exam. 

Raymond has an A.S. in Land Surveying from Riverside Community College, a B.S. in Workforce 

Education and Development from Southern Illinois University and has been a licensed 

land surveyor in California since 1989. 

He has been married to his wife Marcy for 30 years. They have two adult children, two teenage 

children, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency 

Tuesday, March 27th 

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM 

Presentation will include discussion about The Planning Process at Lake Tahoe, and the various 

requirements of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency that relate to the surveying professional. 

Presentation discussion will include the requirements for site plans/topographic maps 

of any property seeking a permit, issues including Land Capability Classification and Challenges, 

Individual Parcel Evaluation System (IPES) scores, appeals, Subdivision issues and 

requirements, and Boundary Line Adjustments. Because the TRPA process and requirements 

differ greatly from the requirements of either Nevada or California, participants should find this 

discussion helpful should they have a need, or desire, to do surveying work in the Tahoe Basin. 


Gary Midkiff graduated from the University of Georgia with a major in 

Forest management and a minor in recreational planner. Gary has over 

30 years in planning, permitting, and public private administration, including 

7 years at TRPA (5 years as Assistant Director and 2 years as 

Acting Director), and over 20 years as a private consultant providing 

permitting assistance and project facilitation at Lake Tahoe. Gary has 

extensive experience and contacts throughout the Tahoe Basin, including 

permitting many projects (public and private) through the TRPA, NV 

and CA State Lands, NTRPA, and US Army Corps of Engineers. Gary started Midkiff & Associates, 

Inc. in 1990. 

Nick Exline received his Bachelor of Sciences degrees from the University 

of Nevada in Biology and Geography in 2003. Following graduation 

from the University of Nevada he moved to Monterey, California and began 

working with Land Watch Monterey and Watt and Associates. While 

working toward a master’s degree with an emphasis on economics, he 

spent two and a half years as a planner for Washoe County, Nevada. 

He worked extensively on planning issues in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe 

including: affordable housing, creation of general improvement districts, 

single family additions/modifications, and contributed to Incline Village 

Area Plans. In May, 2008 he received a master’s degree in Land Use 

Planning from the University of Nevada. Nick joined Midkiff & Associates 

Inc. in 2008.

Easments and Right of Way 


8:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

In this program, we explore the types, elements and nature of easements and rights of way, both written and 

unwritten. Specific topics will include defining easements and licenses (and discussing the differences); 

outlining the various types of easements; explaining the differences between appurtenant easements and 

easements in gross; explaining the differences between affirmative and negative easements; identifying the 

many ways in which easements can be created; understanding the numerous ways in which easements may 

be terminated or extinguished; identifying the several types of unwritten easements, and explaining the nature 

of each. We will also look at recent California and Nevada case law regarding easements. 

Mock Trial 

Wednesday, March 28th 

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

Plaintiff Dale Wright has filed a quiet title action against Defendant Lee Hawk to clear title to 35 acres of 

prime farm land. Part of the dispute revolves around the original dividing line between the parcels, which was 

dependent on the location of a large ox-bow in an old meandering river. The location of the river has been 

historically ill-defined and it has also moved significantly from where it was when the parcels were originally 

created. The dividing line between the two parcels was created by partition in the late 19th century, but that 

line was apparently altered to match a long-standing line of possession in the mid 20th century. It was subsequently 

changed back and is currently described in the written records as it was originally created. In addition 

to the boundary question, Wright is also asking that the court force Hawk to stop using a long-used access 

lane crossing Wright’s property - claiming that the use was permissive all along. Hawk has counterclaimed 

saying that he has gained the right to use the lane by prescription, implied easement or easement by necessity. 

Aside from questions as to the location of the common boundary as described in the records, both Wright 

and Hawk have, of course, had conflicting surveys performed and the two surveyors will testify in support of 

their respective surveys. A judge will preside and following the testimony, the audience will be divided into 

juries of 6 to 8 persons each. Each jury will deliberate independently and return its verdict. A spokesperson 

for each jury will explain their decision. 


Gary R. Kent is chair of the National Society of Professional Surveyors’ 

committee on the ALTA/ACSM Standards and is liaison to NSPS for the 

American Land Title Association. He is in his 28th year with The Schneider 

Corporation, a surveying, GIS and consulting engineering firm based in Indianapolis 

and with offices in Charlotte and Des Moines. Gary is a pastpresident 

of both the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (2001) 

and the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors (1989), and is just 

starting a new term as ISPLS President for 2012. He taught Boundary 

Law, Legal Descriptions, Property Surveying and Land Survey Systems as an adjunct instructor for Purdue 

University in Indianapolis and West Lafayette from 1999 to 2006 and received Excellence in Teaching and 

Outstanding Associate Faculty awards for his efforts there. Gary is currently in his third term as Vice Chairman 

of the Indiana State Board of Registration for Land Surveyors. He also writes regular columns for The 

American Surveyor magazine and for the ACSM Bulletin.

FEMA 


8:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

The FEMA Elevation Certificate is an important regulatory tool of the National Flood Insurance 

Program. This class will demystify the seven sections of the form and the nine building diagrams, 

and will provide an understanding of the uses of the Elevation Certificate in the context 

of flood insurance and community floodplain compliance. The class will include an exercise on 

how to complete the form and develop a Base Flood Elevation, as well as one on troubleshooting 

common problems found on Elevation Certificates. 


Kim Davis is the State Floodplain Manager and National Flood Insurance 

Program Coordinator for Nevada. She holds a Bachelor 

of Arts degree in Geology from San Francisco State University 

and a Master of Science degree in Geophysics from the University 

of Utah. Kim is a Certified Floodplain Manager since 2003 

and a Nevada Licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering 

since 2009. Kim has been with the Nevada Division of Water 

Resources for 18 years, eight of which have been serving as the 

Nevada State Floodplain Manager.

San Joaquin Valley 

Subsidence & Beyond 


10:30 AM - 12:00 PM 

Presentation will begin by including discussions of historic subsidence within the Central San 

Joaquin Valley. It will then go over efforts performed for the California Department of Water 

Resources (DWR), Central Valley Flood Evaluation and Delineation (CVFED), which uncovered 

sizable and recent non-homogenous subsidence of close to two feet over a two year 

period. Recent Landsat missions confirmed the sizable change and furthermore revealed a 

more widespread problem beyond those discovered during CVFED. Looking to future flood 

protection, proposed high speed rail, San Joaquin River restoration efforts and other larger 

regional projects, the extent and nature of the subsidence needs to be better studied and addressed. 

Participates will be asked to weigh in on how to better address this significant issue 

in the future. 


Timothy Case received his Bachelor of Science degree in 

Surveying Engineering from CSU Fresno in 1994 and his 

Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering (Geomatics 

Emphasis) from CSU, Fresno in 1999. He received his California 

Land Surveyor’s license, also in 1999. He has extensive 

experience working within the central San Joaquin Valley, 

including being the lead project surveyor for the CVFED 

upper San Joaquin River mapping efforts that covered over 

2600 square miles. He is also licensed in the states of Utah, 

New Mexico, Oregon and Utah and is a project manager in 

the Sacramento office of RBF Consulting, a Baker Company.

Nevada Water Rights for Surveyors 


1:30 PM - 5:00 PM 

Water is a key element for agricultural, residential, industrial and commercial land development. 

The Surveyor can play a vital role assisting clients in their efforts to secure water rights 

for their projects. This seminar is designed to introduce the Surveyor to the general aspects of 

the world of water rights, water right mapping, water right title and strategies. 


Since 1975, Mr. Buschelman has been continuously employed in 

the field of water rights and water planning as an Assistant to the 

Federal District Courts Water Master, as staff of the Nevada Division 

of Water Resources, as the Chief Water Right and Water Planning 

Specialist for Kennedy/Jenks/Chilton Consulting Engineers, 

as Manager of the Water Right Department of Summit Engineering 

and currently as president of Michael D. Buschelman Consulting, 

Inc. specializing in water right planning and consulting projects. 

Mr. Buschelman is licensed Professional Land Surveyor in States 

of Nevada and California and an appointed Water Right Surveyor 

in the State of Nevada.

Solar Energy and Surveying 


1:30 PM - 3:00 PM 

Massive amounts of “renewable energy” (RE) are going to be needed within the next ten years, 

particularly in the form of electricity, to supply a burgeoning world population which demands 

more American-like standards of living. In addition, governments such as the State of California 

are passing laws that order public energy utility companies to create specific percentages 

of their electricity and heat by RE methods. Information will be presented to support these two 

claims. 

The most promoted forms of RE are wind power, bio-fuels, and solar energy. In California 

and Nevada solar energy (SE) has the most in-place facilities and the most potential for future 

growth. Surveyors are needed to assist in this growth, and they can expand their share of SE 

work by marketing their skills to SE companies. 

Applicable laws will be introduced. Skills and knowledge already known by surveyors will be 

discussed. Skills and knowledge that will be needed in the future to build an SE environment 

will be presented. Participants will be shown simple tools that are used for measuring solar 

influx and predicting how much future interference will occur from nearby shade producing 

plants and objects. 


Fareed W. Nader, a California resident for 36 years, is a native of Arizona 

but has lived and worked in eleven states. He is a Licensed Land Surveyor 

in California and is Professor Emeritus of Geomatics Engineering at California 

State University, Fresno. Nader has experience working for private 

surveying companies, and also the Federal Aviation Agency, US Forest 

Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. He has taught surveying/ 

geomatics at CSU Fresno, the University of Hawaii, Purdue University, and 

Arizona State University. Nader has earned academic degrees: B. S. in 

Civil Engineering (at University of Arizona), M. S. in Engineering (at Arizona 

State University), and Ph.D. in Surveying & Mapping (at Purdue University). 

In retirement, Nader is exploring the multiple roles surveying can serve in 

developing solar energy.

Business Aspects of 

Land Surveying 


3:30 PM - 5:00 PM 

This presentation will take a look at how we do business! We will begin with a fundamental 

discussion on structuring costs and profits and determining how much it actually costs us to do 

business. We will take a look at the medical and legal professions and how they do business 

and if we can pattern our business model to reflect other professions. Once again we will talk 

a closer look at WHAT DOES IT COST? The discussion will turn to contracts, lump sum/fixed 

pricing structures-pros & cons! Although our time is limited, this presentation will allow you to 

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! Your speaker will bring over forty years of experience in the business 

aspects of land surveying and a very unique perspective to the session. Come join us 

and participate in the process! 


Jay Seymour, PLS brings his forty plus years’ experience in Land 

Surveying to speak to us today about the Business Aspects of 

Surveying. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Charles 

Albert and his father Rule O. Seymour, RLS-20; he began his career 

in 1953! It was a family tradition to take the future surveyor 

out at age 2! For the record his career actually began in 1969. 

Having now surveyed in six decades, in ten western states, and 

holding professional registration in three, allows him to draw on 

his experiences to present his topics today. He is president of 

Professional Land Consultants a consulting firm specializing in 

Educational Seminars and training-presentations for surveyors, 

attorneys, and developers, and the Real Estate community since 

1984. He has presented to several of the local CLSA Chapters 

throughout California and other western states. He has also presented at the national ALTA 

conventions as well as co-presenting with Gary Kent on the ALTA Standards at the 2011 ACSM/ 

ESRI Conference in San Diego. He is the past president of the Los Angeles Chapter of CLSA; 

a three year member of the state Executive Committee; a three year member of the board of 

directors of CLSA, and is the 2012 state treasurer of CLSA. He continues to support education 

of the next generation of surveyors and engineers speaking annually at Cal Poly Pomona, 

Cal State Fresno, College of the Canyons, Santiago College, and East LA College. He seldom 

misses an opportunity to speak to his local elementary, middle, and high schools in his area

Boundaries and Beyond - CLSA

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