Land Description Workshop: Writing, Reading & Drawing
DISCLAIMER
Before purchasing, review the rules of your licensing or certifying entity. It is your responsibility to confirm this course meets your CE requirements. See the credit tab on the course page for details.
What’s Included: Full webinar recording, written course materials, expert instruction, a mandatory quiz, and a certificate upon completion.
Deliverability Timeline: All courses are generally available within 1-2 weeks after the live presentation.
CE Credits: AIA and/or LA/CES accreditation is available by request for courses recorded prior to March 11, 2026. All courses after that date include those accreditations by default, if applicable. With these accreditations, our courses qualify for credit in nearly all states for engineers, surveyors, architects, and landscape architects.
Learn more about the on-demand format in our FAQ or contact us at (715) 835-5900 or customerservice@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12:15 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:15 – 4:00 pm
Description Basics
Types of descriptions
Basic survey math
• Bearings and North
• Azimuths
• Distances
• Area
• Curve basics
Understanding controlling description elements
• Senior rights
• Natural monuments
• Artificial monuments
• Record monuments
• Bearings and distances
• Area
Writing Descriptions
Establishing intent
Point of commencement and point of beginning
Coordinates: the good, the bad and the ugly
Description do’s and don’ts
Easements
Description writing workshop
Sketching Descriptions
Establishing and using north
Using scales and protractors
Concept of closure
Tips for drawing arcs and other special elements
Labels and information to document
Using sketches to find problems
Sketching workshop
Software for Plotting Descriptions
Free plot services on the web
Inexpensive and basic software
Industry standard software
Credits
Attorneys
6.0 Alabama CLE Hours
Engineers & Land Surveyors
6.0 PDHs
Landmen
6.0 CLE Hours
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public. The Mandatory CLE Commission of Alabama has approved it for 6.0 CLE hours for attorneys.
This seminar offers up to 6.0 PDHs to Alabama land surveyors and professional engineers to whom the subject matter is professionally relevant. Those with continuing education requirements in other states will be able to apply the hours earned at this event, in most cases. Refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility.
The American Association of Professional Landmen has approved this program for 6.0 RL, RPL or CPL recertification credits and no CPL/ESA or ethics credits.
Attendance will be monitored and reported, as required. Attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Barry E. Savage, PLS
Survey Products Group Manager with Tennessee Valley Authority in Chattanooga, TNPrior to his service at TVA, Mr. Savage was in private survey practice for 10 years specializing in dispute resolution and expert witness services. He has surveyed several disputed state boundaries to resolve jurisdictional conflicts. Mr. Savage is an adjunct professor at Cleveland State Community College where he teaches courses in boundary law, geodesy, GIS, and surveying fundamentals. He has researched and retraced the historical surveys of Henry David Thoreau and has published several articles on the subject. Mr. Savage teaches exam review and continuing education seminars at various state and local conferences across the country.
