PLSO The Oregon Surveyor May June 2020

18 The Oregon Surveyor  | Vol. 43, No. 3 Featured Article continues on page 20 T An Outsider’s Inside Look on PLS By James Barber I ’ve had a unique opportunity to experi- ence the PLS profession in a variety of ways. One of which was recently tag- ging along with my closest friend from university on the adult equivalent of “career day” while she set monuments, but also abroad when the United States delegation to Swisstopo took place in September 2018. I’m a U.S. Air Force Captain (Retired) with a B.S. in comput- er science who spent that time flying around in a jet and is now living as a chef and sommelier. So, while I have a technical background, I’m definitely not in the PLS scene and my observations as an outsider are truly as an outsider. And with that said, here we go... There I was, undertaking culinary and sommelier courses in Europe when my friend, Samantha Tanner of 45th Parallel Geomatics, asked if I was willing to take a side trip to Switzerland. She was a part of the U.S. visit to Swisstopo and since I was already close by, she recommend- ed I explore the area. I thought about it, realized how little I knew about the PLS profession, and asked if I could tag along to all the meetings, tours, and presenta- tions. I wanted to better understand her field, especially since our friendship was reaching 16 years and I still knew very little about what it was she actually did. Saman- tha said I could accompany her, but on the condition that I be significantly more quiet than usual; I mostly acquiesced to her request. I was able to learn a great deal and subsequently, was allowed to tag along on future PLS adventures that involved carrying gear, verifying proper- ty lines, and hammering in monuments. I found a few things particularly intrigu- ing from these PLS experiences: 1. How incredibly different, and rigid, the profession and PLS process is in Switzerland. In addition, how the U.S. is more seemingly viewed as the “wild west” in comparison. E.g., the Swiss method of “the recorded parcel has these boundaries and therefore the property is here in accordance with government records via this coordinate system, and the PLS verified so that’s the property and there’s no argument about it,” versus the U.S. method of a PLS “combing through local records, resetting monuments because that tree/rock/ body of water, etc. is no longer there or has moved, and now working with the parties involved to determine the current boundary and the government isn’t involved.” 2. That the U.S. is vast and there’s little to no federal or organizational hierarchy or structure and with that, there’s also little crosstalk or sharing of ideas from one region to another. But I also observed that each region is so different that what may be considered best practice in one area may not work in another. E.g., “Great idea, thanks for sharing. I’m glad that works for you, but that won’t work here because of these reasons... ” Or, “I’ve never considered that technique for this area, let me try this out.” 3. How heavily involved the PLS profession is in my daily way of life, but is hidden behind the scenes and thus, unknown to those outside of the career field. I remember one instance where I was hiking up Kinnoull Hill in Perth, Scotland, and came across this cool monument of sorts at the very top. Since I was in the highlands of Scotland, there really was only one photo I felt inspired to take (there can be only one, inspired, naturally, by the movie “The Highlander”). When Samantha saw it she pointed out that it was a geologic triangulation monument used in the local area, and my mind was blown. Seriously go visit, it was a cool experience. James helping Samantha in the field. Photo courtesy of James Barber.