Updated Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

Workforce Lodging (deprecated, will be replaced in the future, courtesy of the Department of Health)

Surficial Aquifer (updated, courtesy of the State Water Commission)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: aquifer) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

Updated Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

Ward County Aerial Photography (new, courtesy of Ward County and City of Minot)

TIGER 2015 Roads (new, replaces 2014, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau)

Missouri River 2015 Aerial Photography (new, courtesy of the Game and Fish Department and the Department of Transportation)

Surficial Aquifer (updated, courtesy of the State Water Commission)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: aquifer) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

Announcing the New Visual ND Interface

Visual ND is the State of North Dakota’s enterprise ArcGIS Online for state agencies and it is a component of the GIS Hub.  When agencies publish their content to Visual ND, they choose to tag that content with one or more of the following groups defined by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee (GISTC):  Applications, Maps, Data, Documents, and/or Websites.  These groups are used to assist in searching or browsing for content.

The current Visual ND interface has served us reasonably well:

However, searching across the groups does not work, creating the need for additional mouse clicks in order to search within a group.  It can be a bit slow and it is also not completely ready for use on mobile devices.  The GISTC opted to develop a new Visual ND interface that addressed these issues and was configurable for others to use.  North Point Geographic Solutions was hired from the state’s Vendor Pool to develop the new application:

The searching is sensitive to what is being typed; typing in the first few letters of a term will display results in one or more of the tabs.  One can also simply browse all content within each tab.  Clicking on the title of an item will show the corresponding thumbnail; clicking on the thumbnail will then open up the content of that item.

Give it a try and let us know what you think about the new Visual ND.

Updated Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

Earthquake Locations (updated, courtesy of the North Dakota Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey)

Railroads 24k (updated, with assistance from Applied Data Consultants)

Mile Markers (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)

State and Federal Roads (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: railroads) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

2015 NSGIC Conference Summary

The 2015 National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) Conference was held October 5-9 in Kansas City, MO.  Nearly 40 states were represented along with people from the private sector and from federal and tribal organizations.

Tom Lee of Mapbox provided the keynote.  His comments on the value of open data were backed by the experience of Denmark which continues to see a return on investment since their efforts began in 2005.  Tom compared open data to generic drugs, something that is so important that it needs to be shared.  He also said that open street map data is now the equal of commercial providers in many aspects.

Statistics from the avian influenza panel were very sobering. 

• Some types of this are highly pathogenic and have the potential to infect humans
• Four of the top ten meat producers are in the US
• The chicken industry alone represents about $74 billion in wages
• Trade restrictions by 40 countries have so far cost the US $600 million
• There have been two cases in ND as of the conference

The Minnesota GIO described his state's experience in which 108 farms were impacted in a 5,236 square mile area.  GIS staffing included 2.5 full-time employees during weekdays and 1 full-time employee on weekends.  They processed maps three times a day as they found interactive maps weren't all that useful; printed maps were best.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture wanted parcel maps for determining land ownership.  I believe this example is a strong business case for parcels in North Dakota. 

Tribal GIS was a topic this year.  There are 567 federally recognized tribes located in 36 states.  The National Tribal Geographic Information Support Center (NTGISC) is the largest Native American GIS organization and the only National Native American GIS organization.  During the conference the states approved a memorandum of understanding between NSGIC and NTGISC.  For states wishing to collaborate with tribal GIS activities the NTGISC might be good resource.

The crowd mapping panel provided information on the first-hand experiences of the presenters.  New Jersey has a road centerline project in which their DOT works with Open Street Map (OSM); citizens are able to add data and make changes after logging in.  Those changes are then QA'd before going to production.  One of the speakers expressed that putting an organization's data into OSM has more value than not doing so.  A question was raised about the liability of using crowd mapping.  The response to that question is that liability is the reason why people want licensing; states and other government agencies are getting away from selling data.

Of course, unmanned aircraft systems was the topic of a panel session.  In the US about 50 companies, universities, and government organizations are developing over 155 unmanned aircraft designs.  It was reported that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hardware is still in its infancy and that the return on investment is not always as great as manned aircraft.  Currently, public agencies require a certificate of authorization and commercial users need a Section 333 exemption.  The restrictions that are part of Section 333 are limiting enough that in one case, a vendor determined that after applying all of those restrictions only 28% of a county was flyable by a UAV.

Addresses are a common NSGIC topic and this year we heard about the National Address Database (NAD).  The U.S. Department of Transportation stated there are five goals of the current pilot project:  

1. Determine minimum content standards
2. Explore workflows for address creation
3. Understand best practices for rolling up addresses from contributors 
4. Assess the technical feasibility
5. Insure that the final product is shareable in the public domain

Arkansas and Arizona are the pilot participants.  The U.S. Census Bureau spoke about using Community TIGER as a means to help populate the NAD.  Community TIGER is used to exchange and manage address data, is based on ArcGIS Online, uses Esri's Local Government Data Model, and is not limited by the Title 13 constraint. 

We heard about open data at last year's conference and this year we heard even more.  During the panel session data.gov and OSM were described. For example, data.gov follows the Project Open Data schema which describes the set of required fields.  OSM data is compared with proprietary data sources and over 300,000 people have contributed to OSM.  New York, which for some time has been on the leading edge of open data, did note some challenges of connecting a typical GIS clearinghouse, such as the GIS Hub, to an open data site.  The technologies differ which impacts display of data, searching, and metadata requirements.  Other challenges include linking to data versus copying of data and linking to web-based services.

The U.S. Census Bureau described the measures they are taking to reduce the cost of the upcoming 2020 census.  Streamlining of their processes should save them (and us taxpayers!) about $5 billion for the 2020 census compared to the 2010 census which cost $17 billion.  In the 2010 census there were 57 different languages in the census survey and 650 million pieces of mail were sent.  For the 2020 census they expect about a 63% response rate via electronic and paper media; for the remainder Census has to knock on doors.

Shelby Johnson of Arkansas, NSGIC's outgoing president, offers some additional insight of NSGIC and the geospatial industry in this article.

And finally, as I've done before, I'll leave you with two additional points:

1. You do not have to be a GIS Coordinator, GIS Manager, GIO, etc. to attend.  You can be from a state, county, city, Tribal organization and no matter your title, you can attend. 
2. Presentations from this NSGIC conference can be found on the NSGIC web site here.

Updated Dataset on the GIS Hub

A dataset has been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  This dataset is:

• City Boundaries (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)

This dataset can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on this dataset can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for this dataset (e.g., type in: incorporated) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

North Dakota GIS Users Conference Update - Early Bird Registration Expiring

There’s still time to register for the ND GIS Users Conference but the clock is ticking. Be sure to register by September 14 to get the Early Bird discount. Much more information can be found at the conference website. Please be sure to RSVP for the Granite City Dinner by the end of the day September 14.

North Dakota GIS Users Conference Update - Don't Miss Out

The 2015 Conference is right around the corner!  The block of rooms at the hotel will be released August 28. You still have time to register to be a sponsor, exhibitor, or participant but be sure to register soon to get the Early Bird discount.  Much more information can be found at the conference website.

Updated Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

• National Grasslands (updated, courtesy of the Game and Fish Dept.)
• National Wildlife Refuges (updated, courtesy of the Game and Fish Department)
• Waterfowl Production Areas(updated, courtesy of the Game and Fish Department)
• Army Corps of Engineers (updated, courtesy of the Game and Fish Department)
• Wildlife Management Areas (updated, courtesy of the Game and Fish Department)
• Surface Tracts (updated, courtesy of the Department of Trust Lands and Game and Fish Department)
• City Boundaries (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)
• State and Federal Roads (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: surface) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

Final Call for Presentations and Keynote Sneak Peak

Is it just us or have you too noticed that location technology is seemingly everywhere these days?   We are pleased to give you a sneak peak at Dr. Philp’s keynote, “Billions of Interconnected Things: A Revolution for the Geospatial Community.”  Dr. Alex Philp, one of the geospatial industry’s leaders will be Tuesday’s featured keynote at your ND GIS Users Conference, September 28-29 in beautiful Fargo, ND. 

Please see the attached Conference News below for more details.  Forward to other interested individuals, print it off and post it in a prominent place in your office, and then REGISTER to attend.  REMINDER THAT ABSTRACT DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING – submit your abstract by July 31.

General conference information is also posted on the website. Registration is available NOW for both participants and sponsors at the conference website.   Any questions?  Feel free to drop either of us a note.  We’ll see you in September in Fargo!

Conference Co-Chairs,

Eunsu Lee, Eunsu.lee@ndsu.edu and Ann Fritz, afritz@nd.gov

Updated Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

• Mobile Radio Broadcast (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Mobile Radio Commercial (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Microwave (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Paging (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• FM Radio (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• AM Radio (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Cellular (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Television (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Antenna Structures (updated, courtesy of the FCC)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: radio) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

3D Elevation Program (3DEP) Upcoming Public Workshop

On May 12, at 9:00 AM CDT, a public meeting will be held to discuss potential high-resolution elevation data projects for federal fiscal year (FY) 2016.  This meeting is designed as a forum for all interested stakeholders in the North and South Dakota 3DEP community to discuss potential high-resolution elevation data project areas, identify common areas of mutual interest, and refine requirements.  The meeting will also cover general  information about the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process for submitting 3DEP proposals for the FY 2016 program year.

Both in-person and virtual attendance is available for the May 12th meeting. MEETING REGISTRATION is required. Please visit HERE to register. The Meeting will be held at the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Building, Room 353, 220 East Rosser Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501.

The meeting is the next step in the BAA Public Meeting Series. National meetings were held on April 24th and 29th to provide basic information about the national BAA process to the 3DEP stakeholder community.  Presentation materials from those meetings are available on the 3DEP Geospatial Platform Sharing Site. The next set of meetings are geographically focused. Additional information on the May 12th Dakotas meeting, and other state and regional public meetings, can be found at the 3DEP Geospatial Platform Sharing Site noted above.

The meeting will be led by the area's USGS National Map Liaison, Steve Shivers. For questions or further information on the meeting, 3DEP, and BAA, contact Steve Shivers (email:spshivers@usgs.gov).

Updated and New Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been added and updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

• Skilled Nursing Home Facilities (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)
• Basic Care Facilities (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)
• Assisted Care Facilities (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)
• Mobile Radio Broadcast (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Mobile Radio Commercial (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Microwave (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Paging (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• FM Radio (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• AM Radio (updated, courtesy of the FCC)
• Cellular (updated, removed cellular market, courtesy of the FCC)
• Television (new, removed NTSC and Digital, courtesy of the FCC)
• Antenna Structures (updated, courtesy of the FCC)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: radio) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

Updated and New Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been added and updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

• Department of Emergency Services "Base Map Project" Imagery (updated cache service, courtesy of the Department of Emergency Services and the Department of Transportation
• Basemap_Imagery (updated cache service with 2014 and 2013 imagery,  courtesy of the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), City of Fargo, Williams County, City of Devils Lake, Cities of Bismarck and Mandan)
• Abandoned Mines (updated, courtesy of the Public Service Commission
• Williams County 2012, 2013, 2014 Imagery (new, courtesy of Williams County, available from the Imagery folder and the All_Imagery service)
• City of Fargo 2014 Imagery (new, courtesy of the City of Fargo, available from the Imagery folder and the All_Imagery service)
• Assessed Lakes and Reservoirs (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)
• Assessed Streams and Rivers (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: abandoned) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

Call for Papers! - North Dakota GIS Users Conference

On behalf of the ND GIS User's Conference Planning Committee we are pleased to announce the FIRST CALL for presentations at the ND GIS Users Conference that will be held September 28-29, 2015 at the Holiday Inn in Fargo, ND. Presentations can include posters, oral presentations, workshops and the Demo Theater. Presentations addressing any aspect of geospatial technologies are welcome: 

• Cloud 
• County and Local Government 
• Engineering & Analysis 
• Environment 
• Health & GIS Topics 
• LiDAR/elevation 
• Mobile GIS 
• Open Source GIS 
• Practical Skills for the GIS Practitioner 
• Remote Sensing 
• Server GIS 
• Transportation 
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Please see the Call for Abstracts for more details. General conference information is available at the conference website. Registration is available for both participants and sponsors at the conference website.   

Updated Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

• Mile Markers (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)
• State and Federal Roads (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)
• Snowmobile Trails (updated, courtesy of the Parks and Recreation Department)
• Trauma Centers (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)
• Hospitals (updated, courtesy of the Department of Health)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: snowmobile) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.

Updated and New Datasets on the GIS Hub

A number of datasets have been added and updated on the GIS Hub by the North Dakota GIS Technical Committee data stewards.  These are:

• TIGER 2014 Roads (new, replaces 2013, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau)
• NAIP 2014 (new, courtesy of the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), available from the Imagery folder and the All_Imagery service, the Basemap_Imagery service will soon be updated with the 2014 NAIP)
• Fire Districts (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)
• City Boundaries (updated, courtesy of the Department of Transportation)
• Department of Emergency Services "Base Map Project" Imagery (updated, courtesy of the Department of Emergency Services and the Department of Transportation, updated cache coming)

These datasets can be downloaded and/or delivered via data services.  More information on these datasets can be found on the Hub Data Portal. You can search for these datasets (e.g., type in: tiger) or you may find it convenient to simply browse to the data within the Categories section of the Hub Data Portal. After you've located the data of interest, click on the More Information button and then scroll down to the Transfer Options section. In that section, click the Download link to download the data or click one of the other links such as the 'Esri REST including WMS' link to obtain the data service information.