Surveying was critical to the development of our nation – in fact all four of the presidents on Mount Rushmore were surveyors or map-makers and many of those who fought for our independence were surveyors. Thomas Jefferson was the author U.S. Public Land Survey System which bases land divisions on a rectangular grid. This system became law in 1785 and continues to provide the backbone of economic development to this day.

Hi, this is Tim Burch, Executive Director of NSPS, and I’m teaming up with Berntsen to share why we’re so excited about this year’s FIG Working Week.

Surveyor’s Week is a great time to recognize the work of surveyors and their contributions, not only within the United States, but around the world. In our many blogs about surveying and famous surveyors, we’ve mainly focused on this country, but surveying is just as important around the world as it is here.