There is a great article in last June’s issue of The American Surveyor by Jerry Penry called “$250 Fine or Imprisonment for Disturbing this Mark,” concerning survey markers and the evolution of the warning against their removal.

Penry remarks that, “In the eyes of the public, our permanent survey markers have always been one of the most visible aspects of our profession. They have been the subject of curiosity, conversation, and unfortunately, the victims of vandalism and theft. Human nature seemingly drives many to covet and possess something that emulates an interesting or rare character. “

It’s that fascination which drove the regulation of benchmark monuments in the first place, yielding the unique combination of legalese and technical data that appear on these markers that dot the surface of the land.
Read the article here, or here if you prefer the PDF version.

Recently, Louis and I attended some seminars at the AIA's DesignDC conference. We both had interesting days down there. I sat in on:

"Different Structures on Going Global"

"The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design"

Louis saw:

"Greening Your Client: Developing Green Building Goals for Every Project"

"The Designer's Guide to Cost Management"

"Never Be Undercompensated Again!"

Overall, I have to say that my strongest impression coming away is that green design and designing for energy efficiency are going to be industry standards if they aren't already. Be on the lookout for articles in the September/October issue of Guidelines.