Welcome to the District of Columbia
Association of Land Surveyors (DCALS)

Founded in 2001, DCALS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the sciences of Surveying and Mapping and to the improvement of the Profession of Land Surveying in the District of Columbia. 

2012 Spring Members Meeting Banquet!

DCALS hope all who came received the education and knowledge they seeked. Don Buhler, Don Dahl and our own Chas Langelan gave a great learning experience for all attendees with Educational Credits. Chas opened it with comparisons to Washington DC surveying and BLM. Don Buhler and Don Dahl gave the attendees extensive knowledge in surveying for the surveyor who need/required to survey the U.S. Federal Government way. Don an Don even autographed the new Federal Surveying Guidelines book that they wrote and was published in 2009. If you missed the meeting you really missed a education.

.

See News and Events Page  for pictures and the great Power Point Presentation

DCALS in a Collaborative effort with other local fellow survey Organizations a yearly Itinerary of theirs' and our events.

DCALS UPCOMING EVENTS!

April 4, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

April 5-6, 2012 . . . MSS Spring Conference, Maritime Institute, Linthicum, Maryland.

May 2, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

May 18-19, 2012 . . . “Two Centuries of Mapping Washington DC,” Library of Congress symposium featuring no fewer than eight past DCALS speakers . . . Iris Miller, Richard W. Stephenson, Ralph Ehrenberg, Dan Bailey, Timothy Davis, Don Alexander Hawkins, Ed Redmond and DCALS’ own Chas Langelan --- plus Pamela Scott, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, former Mayor Anthony Williams and a host of other interesting, well-known presenters. ALSO as part of this event, on display Saturday afternoon May 19 will be a unique assortment of rare antique surveying equipment, at Library of Congress’ Geography & Map Division, B-Level of Madison Building, where the original L’Enfant Plan, Ellicott Plan, Ellicott copper engraver’s plate and other early maps of Washington DC will be on view --- plus guided tours will be conducted through the Library’s astonishing collection of more than 5-million maps --- largest on earth. This entire two-day conference is absolutely FREE, but registrations are limited and will go fast. To view and download the full symposium program, go to http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/plp2012conference.html. Registrations for this event are by phone, to 202-707-1616, or by email to SpecialEvents@LOC.gov.

June 6, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

June 8, 2012 . . . MSS St. Michaels Seminars, featuring “Water Boundaries,” presented by Lou Connally, and a reenactment of the landmark Maryland case, “Green vs. WSSC.”

June 14, 2012 . . . VAS Mount Vernon Chapter Apprentice Dinner.

June 20, 2012 . . . DCALS June General Membership Meeting, featuring a great program at a new location. DC historian Patrick O’Neill will present an illustrated lecture on the little-known 1814 “Battle of the White House” --- a 5-day Potomac River engagement between Britain’s powerful Royal Navy and a few resourceful American militia units. This uneven struggle from two centuries ago was almost completely lost to history, until original research by Patrick O’Neill brought it back to light. Plus, for this meeting DCALS is trying a new location, DA’s R.F.D. Washington, (“Biggest Multi-Tap Bar in DC!”) at 810 7th Street NW, right around the corner from Tony Cheng’s and half-a-block from Metro’s Gallery Place-Chinatown Station on the Red Line. All beer will be half-price, compliments of DCALS. (Our annual discounted Washington Nationals game didn’t work out this year, due to group-tickets being unobtainable, so we decided to do Half-Price Beer Night instead!)

July 11, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

August 1, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

September 5, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

September 12, 2012 . . . VAS Mount Vernon Chapter Dinner and Seminar.

September 19, 2012 . . . DCALS 12th Annual Installation-of-Officers Banquet, at Maggiano’s Little Italy, 5333 Wisconsin Avenue NW, in Friendship Heights, DC. Eleventh president Don Falken will pass the DCALS gavel to incoming 2013 president Joe Afful, as our DC Association continues to grow. And the presentation at this meeting is not to be missed. Chris Shaheen, program manager for the DC Office of Planning, will explain “Public Parking in DC.” (No, it’s NOT what you think.) This talk has nothing to do with parking meters, parking lots, garages or those accursed DC parking tickets. It’s all about the sidewalks and tree-spaces along Washington’s streets, which are technically part of the city’s park system, and have gone by the quaint term “Public Parking” in DC since the 1870s. This is one of the most obscure, little-known areas of all DC land-use law. And not since the days of Alexander Robey ‘Boss’ Shepherd has there been an informative talk on this subject, given to the surveyors and engineers of Washington. Mr. Shaheen’s presentation qualifies as true professional education. Certificates for credits will be awarded by DCALS to every licensed attendee.

September 22, 2012 . . . “The Big Build,” National Building Museum’s all-day family festival of “Tools, Trucks and Building Arts.” Every year, the construction trades of Washington join together to put on a huge fun carnival-type event for thousands of kids, parents, scouts and students. DCALS always participates, hosting a display of interesting items staffed by volunteer surveyors . . . and promoting our profession to the next generation.

October 3, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

October 4-6, 2012 . . . MSS Annual Fall Conference, Ocean City, Maryland.

October 18-21, 2012 . . . 39th Annual Conference on DC Historical Studies, organized by the Historical Society of Washington and hosted by Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library’s “Washingtoniana” Division. This conference features three days of interesting, informative talks, lectures and presentations, covering many different aspects of Washington DC history, given by experts from all over the country and our own local area. Cost is always minimal.

November 7, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

November 16, 2012 . . . DCALS All-Day Seminar, “Land Surveying in the District of Columbia,” covering 80-percent (or more) of the material found in DCALS’ and DCSO’s latest 400-page DC Surveying Manual, which was published in January 2010. This comprehensive seminar, last given almost three years ago, is excellent preparation for those considering taking the DC Licensing Exam, and will feature for the first time a greatly-expanded segment on DC Boundary Surveying. Continuing-education credits will be awarded by DCALS to all licensed attendees. Location to be announced, date may change. Watch for our flyer giving more particulars.

December 5, 2012 . . . DCALS Board of Directors meeting, DCRA Third-Floor Conference Room E-380, 1100 4th Street SW, 5:30 pm.

December 5, 2012 . . . VAS Mount Vernon Chapter Holiday Dinner and Seminar.

December 12, 2012 . . . DCALS Gala Holiday-Season Banquet, at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, 707 Seventh Street NW, 6:00 pm. Program and topic to be announced.

Click here for a message from DCALS  President.

District of Columbia Association of Land Surveyor’s Store is now online for your convenience with Credit Card purchases through secure server PAYPAL most credit cards accepted.  

Save District of Columbia Boundary Stones.