A GPS on Bench Marks Odyssey: Sotries from the Pacific Southwest

February 9, 2023  |  2:00-3:30 pm, ET

Presenter: Dana Caccimise, Pacific Southwest Region Geodetic Advisor, Geodetic Servision Division, Philip Melcher, Servey and Enviro Tech, Provost & Prtichard Consulting Group, and Steven J. Martin, Retired top Surveyor for the East Bay Municipal Utility District

GPS on Bench Marks is a crowd sourced data collection effort to help communities across the Nation prepare to transition to, and reap the benefits of, the Modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) that NGS will release in 2025. One crucial component of NSRS Modernization is for NGS to provide national scale tools that will allow users to transform their existing data between the current system and the Modernized NSRS. GPSonBM participants across the country collect GPS data on historic NGS survey control monuments and submit that data to NGS to improve the local accuracy of NGS’ national-scale Transformation Tools.

NGS has extended the cut-off date to submit GPS on Bench Mark data for use in the 2022 Transformation Tool until September 30th, 2023. This extension reflects NGS’ commitment to include as much local data as possible in creating the transformation tool. It also gives participants an opportunity to submit much shorter RTK or RTN observations on marks through the new beta version of OPUS Projects 5.

This webinar will kick off the 2023 GPS on Bench Marks season by featuring a groovy trio from California, Steve Martin from Martin Geospatial, Philip Melcher from Provost & Pritchard and Dana Caccamise, the NGS Pacific Southwest Regional Geodetic Advisor. Dana, Philip and Steve will talk about how they have worked together and alone to collect data on nearly 1,000 priority bench marks in the Pacific Southwest and have inspired, cajoled, and convinced a growing legion of other surveyors to get out there on the GPSonBM trail. Their story will provide useful tips and tricks for both field and office and provide a roadmap for others across the country to hit the road, collect some data, and participate in preparing our Nation to derive the full suite of benefits from the Modernized NSRS to come.