Licensing

... provides hands-on development, creation through implementation, of exam, certification and licensing efforts for the CPSS/C and CSSE programs with the goal of maintaining and increasing the number of individuals taking exams and becoming certified and/or licensed. The manager will also develop and implement educational programs ...

The view of soil as a natural resource separates soil science from engineering.

My career has seen the soil science profession shift from predominantly government employer to mixed private, government and university employers. Until recently, I thought I was witnessing the decline of the profession, but now I believe it is the effect of the diversification that has ultimately broadened the knowledge and application of soil scientists. Today, there are more laws and regulations that pertain to soils than ever before, and states continue to add licensing. So why is the number of soil science students continuing to decrease?

(via Randall Fowler, President, Soil Science Society of South Carolina)

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is proposing to transfer the SC Soil Classifier’s Program to the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Agency (LRR). This is a good fit as most of the professional organizations in SC are regulated by LLR. However, this presents potential significant impacts to our profession.

Although the term soft engineering is not currently used extensively, it is replacing "bioengineering" as the preferred term to describe the engineering use of living plants to prevent shoreline and stream bank scour and such. "Soft engineering" has gone international (UK, USA, Canada). It is an instantly recognizeable term, implicitly going beyond hard engineering to embrace the non-engineering aspects of plants and soil...

A rare opportunity for California soil scientists is at hand. “Soil Scientist Certification” under the Board for Geology and Geophysicists could come about by regulation, rather than by legislation, a more onerous process. For context, in addition to technical qualifications, experience and examination passage, a licensed California Professional Geologist (PG), may have a specialty certification as an engineering geologist or as a hydrogeologist. Ostensibly, therefore, qualified soil scientists who pass the national basic examination for geologists (see “ASBOG”) could well become Certified Soil Scientists under regulations of the existing Geology Board.

Thanks to a matching gift from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) for the addition of the CSSE examination requirement to the current bill, a lobbyist was employed.

Well, several rumors have been going around about Florida Senate Bill 1318 that are not correct. As I see it, this will attempt to explain how this transpired.

Our state certification bill (SSB 5698) for soil scientists and wetland scientists is now scheduled for a hearing in the House Commerce and Labor Committee at 10 am on Tuesday March 24th. Please notify interested parties, and encourage them to email our sponsors or committee members (provided below) with words of support prior to the hearing.

The Soil Scientists Association of Tennessee have been involved for several years in writing legislation to invoke licensing of Soil Scientists in Tennessee. SSAT reports great success this month: a bill has been introduced, and it has be been sent into the committee process. Follow it here.

The Geology Board of California has requested to address the NSCSS Annual Conference. The agenda has been revised accordingly, with time added to discuss possible registration for soil scientists in CA. This will be at the Delta King, Old Town Sacramento, March 5-6 (geomorphology field trip March 7). PSSAC members will receive the same registration rate as NSCSS members. Time is of the essence.

Washington State will have a Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee hearing next Thursday Feb 12th at 3:30 in a continuing effort to attain a state-level certification program for both soil scientists and wetland scientists (soilscientistlicensing.com).

Edited by PSmall: Some very interesting changes have come about in the past month or so. I am providing a revised version of the previous bill.