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Scholarships are available for second or third year students majoring in Civil Engineering Technology or Geomatics for the Spring 2012 semester.

Deadline to apply is October 15, 2011. Students must be enrolled full-time and have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Visit our scholarship page for more information and to obtain an application.

Kim Leavitt, the former ISPLS NSPS Governor and newly elected NSPS Area 7 Director, contacted Idaho Senator Mike Crapo about the issues surrounding LightSquared and possible GPS interference. Senator's Crapo's response:

April 26, 2011

"Dear Kim:

Thank you for contacting me regarding potential disruptions to the Global Positioning System (GPS). I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, on January 26, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted LightSquared, a wireless broadband provider, authority to use its Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) L-band spectrum to provide wholesale broadband service. With the accelerated expansion of wireless devices on the market, current broadband frequencies are increasingly being overwhelmed. The FCC’s decision comes as an effort to provide more broadband capability in response to the growing consumer demand.

I recognize the importance of broadband technology and the many benefits it brings to our society. Over the past 30 years, telecommunications policy in the United States slowly has evolved from government sanctioned monopoly provision of all telecommunications services to competitive provision of most telecommunications services. In today’s world, business, government, and our personal lives rely heavily upon broadband technology. However, I am also well aware of the serious concerns that signals sent over the L-band spectrum may interfere with GPS receivers. Individual GPS operators, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Transportation, among others, have all voiced concerns on this issue.

In response, the FCC has required LightSquared to work with GPS makers and users to test the service and examine the interference issue. The group's report is due this summer. Additionally, the Senate Commerce Committee is currently conducting oversight of proposed rules being considered by the FCC. Although I am not a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over these matters, I support continued oversight in this matter and look forward to reviewing the Committee’s findings. Please rest assured that I will continue to support accessibility, competition, and diversity in the broadcast industry, while protecting the needs of our vital Global Positioning System.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, http://crapo.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mike Crapo

United States Senator"

Surveyors throughout Idaho and across the country kicked of National Surveyors Week by particpating in Survey USA. On Saturday, March 19, surveyors occupied points from 11:00am to 3:00pm Mountain Time. Their data was sent to the National Society of Professional Surveyors, who sponsored this event.

John Howe was presented the award for Distinguished Service at the Awards Banquet at the Annual Convention in Spokane, Washington in March, 2011.

John has been a member of ISPLS since 1976 and has held most offices, including President. He is serving his sixth year as the Surveyor Member on the Idaho Board of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors.

In his presentation remarks for the award, Glenn Bennett stated;

"John has had a tremendous impact on many surveyors over the years. He is the main reason I am in the profession today, so if you want to blame someone, he’s the guy. John hired me in May of 1978 and by mid June we were in the Alaskan bush surveying mineral patents. I had so much fun and it was such a pivotal learning period in my young surveying career, that it became my Initial Point. Anything that occurred after that was always referenced to the summer of 1978.

John has always made himself available to me, and I am sure to others sitting in this room as well, and has offered sound advice and wise counsel whenever I have requested it and to assist in any way he could.  I hope all of you younger surveyors that are just beginning your careers have someone like John that you can rely on to bounce ideas off of and help you avoid the pitfalls that abound in our profession."