The Wisconsin County Surveyor’s Association (WCSA) exists to support the state’s County Surveyors in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. As of March, 2011, Wisconsin had 60 County Surveyors, about half of which were working full-time in this role.
County surveyors are responsible for restoring and protecting the corner monuments of the Public Land Survey System. These corner monuments are vital to property ownership rights and affect nearly every property description in Wisconsin. In addition, County Surveyors review and approve survey maps for compliance with state and local requirements, and provide professional assistance to other county departments, local units of government, and the public concerning land surveying and land ownership rights.
The WCSA holds quarterly “Board of Directors” meetings in March, May, August, and November. These are open to the surveying community and are usually held at the courthouse in Neillsville. The meetings are a forum for new and ongoing issues concerning the surveying community, especially those affecting County Surveyors, and provide a great way to network and share solutions.
These meetings are also an opportunity to share educational materials. Over the past several years, these have included reports from the NGS State Advisor, John Ellingson, on NGS programs, datums, and software; Glen Schaefer (WisDOT) on transformations, height modernization, and WISCORS; and Brenda Hemstead (State Cartographer’s Office) on statewide programs, issues, and projects.
To learn more about the WCSA, contact Kathy Swingle, WCSA Secretary,or any of the Board of Directors . The WCSA Web site is currently hosted by the State Cartographer’s Office and includes links to WCSA meeting minutes, newsletters and publications, as well as an online County Surveyor directory .