Today the importance of measuring and monitoring our environment is becoming
increasingly critical as our population expands, land values appreciate, our
natural resources dwindle, and human activities continue to stress the quality of
our land, water, and air. Using modern ground, aerial, and satellite technologies,
and computers for data processing, contemporary surveyors are now able to measure
and monitor the Earth and its natural resources on literally a global basis.
Never before has so much information been available for assessing current conditions,
making sound planning decisions, and formulating policy in a host of landuse,
resource development, and environmental preservation applications.