110 HCON 326 IH: Honoring professional surveyors and
U.S. House of Representatives
2008-04-09
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
Whereas there are over 45,000 professional surveyors in
the United States;
Whereas the nature of surveying has changed dramatically
since 1785, as it is no longer limited to the description and location of land
boundaries;
Whereas hydrographic surveys are important to the use of
all bodies of water;
Whereas engineering surveys are utilized in the study and
selection of engineering construction;
Whereas geodetic surveys determine precise global
positioning for such activities as aircraft and missile navigation;
Whereas cartographic surveys are used for mapping and
charting, as well as photogrammetry, the science of using aerial photographs
for measurement and map production;
Whereas many services are provided through the use of
sophisticated surveying equipment and techniques, including satellite-borne
remote sensing devices and automated positioning, measuring, recording, and
plotting equipment;
Whereas the role of the surveyor has been, and remains, of
vital importance in the development of the United States;
Whereas since the colonial days of this Nation, surveyors
have been leaders in the community, statesmen, influential citizens, and
shapers of cultural standards;
Whereas former surveyors include George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln;
Whereas it was the work of the surveyor that determined
the boundaries of land, the greatest economic asset in the colonies that became
the United States;
Whereas Thomas Jefferson chaired a committee, in 1784, to
devise a plan for disposing of lands west of the 13 original colonies;
Whereas Thomas Jefferson argued that surveying before sale
was necessary to prevent overlapping claim and to simplify deeds and
registers;
Whereas Thomas Jefferson reportedly wrote a plan, which
was debated in Congress and in modified form was adopted as the Land Ordinance
of May 20, 1785, establishing the Public Land Survey System
(PLSS
), the rectangular system that continues today in 30
midwestern and western States; and
Whereas the establishment of the third week of March as
National Surveyors Week
would be a fitting tribute to all
surveyors: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
(1)supports the establishment of National
Surveyors Week;
(2)requests that the
President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to
observe National Surveyors Week each year with appropriate ceremonies and
activities paying tribute to professional surveyors and their contribution to
society; and
(3)invites the people
of the United States to look back at the historic contributions of surveying
and look ahead to the new technologies which are constantly modernizing this
honored and learned profession.