I would like to challenge every reader to become a student of surveying.

As my mentor Vance Breshears has always said, we should all continue to be

“students of surveying.”

I would like to thank all of my mentors in surveying.

Walt Butcher – my Father and first teacher, who never gave up on my Land Surveying

career.

A special thanks to Vance Breshears, the biggest contributor to this review guide.

Vance is a mentor that stands above the rest and is a true friend, I cannot say enough

about his positive influence on my surveying career.

Boundary mentors Curtis M. Brown, Vance Breshears, Howard Dye, Mike Butcher,

Jeff Safford, Paul Cuomo and Dr. Ben Buckner.

Legal Description mentors Walt Butcher, Jeff Safford, Russ Forsberg, Verne Klassen,

Paul Cuomo, Gurdon H. Wattles,Vance Breshears, Mike Butcher, Jaime Taynor.

Public Lands mentors Jim McCavitt, Vance Breshears and Dr. P. Boniface.

Photogrammetry mentor Jas Arnold.

GPS mentor Jeff Safford.

Subdivision Map Act mentor Lee Hennes.

Research and Records mentors Fred LePage and Rick McCormick.

Construction Staking mentors Mel Stilson, Gale Hurni, Don Woolley, Don Church,

Geff Dye, Jim Wilson, Bob Taylor, Jim McKinley and Harold Bryan.

Programming mentors Don Church and Bob Taylor.

Thanks to all who participated in this review guide: Dr. P Boniface, Russ Forsberg, Jeff

Safford, Rob Russel, Justin Pallamary, and Dave Cochran. Also many thanks to my

wonderful wife Cecelia, none of this could have been possible without her continued

support.

I would also like to thank the California, Washington and Oregon Departments of

Transportation for all the time spent on their manuals and videos to help further my

education.

In memory of Mel Stilson, a true friend and mentor of surveying.

JOHN R. BUTCHER RLS, PLS, CFedS

SUGGESTED READING

2009 BLM MANUAL

1973 BLM MANUAL

GLOSSARY OF BLM SURVEYING AND MAPPING TERMS

BROWN’S BOUNDARY CONTROL AND LEGAL PRINCIPLES

BROWN’S EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURES FOR BOUNDARY LOCATION

WATTLES WRITING LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SURVEY BOUNDARY CONTROL

HARBIN LAND SURVEYOR REFERENCE MANUAL

EDWARD ZIMMERMAN BASIC SURVEYING COMPUTATIONS

DR. BEN BUCKNER LAND SURVEY REVIEW MANUAL

ADVANCED LAND DESCRIPTIONS BY CUOMO, MINNICK & PALLAMARY

The Lucas Letter

SUGGESTED SEMINARS

PACIFIC LAND SEMINARS

PAUL CUOMO SEMINARS

JOHN KEEN SEMINARS

SUGGESTED CD AND DVD LEARNING TOOLS

CALTRANS LS / LSIT VIDEO TRAINING COURSE

JOHN KEEN AUDIO LAND SURVEY LAW CD’S

CFedS Training Course

Quick Reference

• Page 1 Professional Status - Curtis M. Brown• Page 11 Public Lands - Dr. Boniface• Page 28 Land Division in California - Vance Breshears• Page 40 Public Lands Quick Reference• Page 52 Public Lands Boiler Plates• Page 57 Section 6 Breakdown• Page 59 Caltrans Public Lands Section• Page 68 Public Lands Test Problems• Page 90 Public Lands Problem Study Guide• Page 97 Public Lands 2005 Exam Solved

• Page 108 Boundary Sources of Information• Page 109 Boundary Selected Principles• Page 123 Selected California Codes• Page 134 Transfer of Real Property - Paul Cuomo• Page 139 Boundary 2005 Exam Solved• Page 144 Boundary Exam Problems

• Page 202 Legal Descriptions Guide• Page 204 Legal Descriptions Rules - Russ Forsberg• Page 208 Legal Descriptions Clauses -Vance Breshears• Page 216 Caltrans Legal Descriptions Clauses• Page 227 Legal Descriptions Test Problems

• Page 245 Subdivision Map Act - Lee Hennes• Page 265 Tentative Map Reference• Page 269 ALTA Minimum Standards

• Page 276 Water Boundaries• Page 286 Photo / State Plane 2005 Exam Solved• Page 289 State Plane Cheat Sheet• Page 294 Brown and Wattles Quick Reference

• Page 296 Exam Definitions• Page 297 Code of a Surveyor 476• Page 299 Boundary Definitions• Page 320 Chronological Dates• Page 325 Cadastral Survey Limits

• Page 327 Photogrammetry Boiler Plate• Page 330 Photogrammetry Exam Problems• Page 342 Photogrammetry Definitions• Page 345 California Plain Language Pamphlet• Page 372 Survey Datums• Page 388 Parts Per Million• Page 389 Construction Exam Problems• Page 405 GPS Terminology• Page 416 Professional Land Surveyors’ Act