California Surveyors Forums

Gentlemen & Ladies,
As you may be aware, the feds have closed down shop on the Noaa website.
I'm sure we all use the site to obtain benchmarks and other survey control.

Is there a reliable / alternate site to use during the government shut down ?

Thank you
And have a great week end


Good

Team Obama Shuts Down DOJ Amber Alert Site; Leaves Up Michelle's 'Let's Move!'

I guess it's a matter of priorities. :(

This MAY be helpful depending on what datum/epoch you are looking for, but it does NOT include latest/greatest info from NGS:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/row/landsurveys/geodetic/geodetic_control.html

I am not sure what land butcher is referring to in his reply to the initial post from goodgps concerning the NGS website being rendered unavailable.

It is clear to me that the National Geodetic Survey is an essential service of the federal government just as federally operated GPS satellites are essential. Do surveyors have a lobbyist perhaps through the NSPS who could inform the House of Representatives of these essential services?

Just think if the state stopped licensing new surveyors or enforcing violations. What if counties were not open so that we could not obtain recorded maps or local benchmarks. These are all essential government services funded by taxes and some fees.

Shutting down portions of the government may be an experiment to determine whether they can be eliminated permanently. NGS started in 1807 with the Survey of the Coast and it was essential for commerce on the high seas to safely reach ports. As a government service it was provided equally to all who needed it and benefitted even those who were unaware it existed. Today the NGS remains essential for commerce but now it extends beyond the coasts to provide spatial information for companies to more efficiently deliver goods, farmers to plow fields, airlines to better navigate, and surveyors to provide more comprehensive data to clients.

It is the House of Representatives who decide budgets and therefore those portions of the government that are funded. Don't wait for a lobbyist to speak for you but remind your elected Representative how important the NGS is and to keep it funded.

Give this a try... http://www.geocaching.com/mark/

The govt closed less than 20% of govt, only those services that inconvenience the citizens. Why close the parks then have rangers posted to keep people out, where is the savings there. Natl forest land they provide only fire and rescue services so why close then patrol for trespassers. Nat'l parks the people hurt the most is the concessionaires that are still paying the fed for the privilege of having a business there that no one can get to, then there is the inconvenience to travelers from all over the world that can't see our natural parks.
The feds even shut down the charter boat businesses in FL.

But Michelles site is still up and running.