ArcGIS 8.1: The Future ESRI Technology Direction
Chris Attridge, Account Manager, ESRI-Boston, 100 Conifer Hill Drive, Suite 305, Danvers, MA 01923 [Phone: (978) 777-4543 x8420 Fax: (978) 777-8476]

ArcView and ArcInfo were conceived a number of years ago as merging into a single, integrated platform. With the release next release of ArcInfo 8.1, we will simultaneously release the next version of ArcView. At this release, users will see a common architecture, common code base, and single, open development environment, and share a single data model (GeoDatabase). This has been something that ESRI and its users have wanted for many years and will result in, we believe, a dramatic increase in both use and interoperability between the two different environments.

Digital Earth: A Pennsylvania/Regional Demonstration Project
Todd Bacastow, EMS Environment Institute, 2217 Earth-Engineering Science Building, University Park, PA 16802 [Phone (814) 863-0049 E-mail: bacastow@psu.edu]

This demonstration project supports the Digital Earth initiative and is intended to be a regional contribution to this new and evolving worldwide framework for integrating a wide variety of geo-referenced data, processes, and place-based knowledge. Over the last few decades, government, commercial, and universities within the region have amassed an enormous amount of digital information. However, these archives are insignificant in comparison to the vast quantity of future spatial data spurred by developments by business activities, local government, and new commercial remote sensing systems. This massive amount of data will likely overwhelm current management approaches and, moreover, can be only effectively used with the application of locally valid geoprocessing techniques and a suitable contextual knowledge of place. This project demonstrates a solution to these problems and extends Digital Earth's vision of an integrated, highly distributed, easily accessed resource of georeferenced data, locally valid processes, and knowledge.

Use of LIDAR Technology to Support Base Mapping in Westchester County, NY
James Cannistra, Sr. Vice President Strategic Accounts, Analytical Surveys, Inc., Suite 306, 2 Pidgeon Hill Drive, Sterling, VA 20165 [Email: Jcannistra@anlt.com]

Westchester County, NY is in the process of developing a large scale, high accuracy photogrammetric base map. This base map will consist of digital orthophotography, planimetric, and topographic data. This presentation will provide an overview of the County’s overall project. It will specifically address how LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology is being used to support orthorectification and contour generation. The presentation will provide an overview of LIDAR technology, focusing on uses and applications for County government, with Westchester County used as an initial case study.

GIS and the GLOBE Project
Patsy Cicala, GLOBE Trainer/Teacher of Environmental Studies, Poughkeepsie High School [Phone: (914) 451-4850 Email: pcicala@pcsd.k12.ny.us]

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is a hands-on-international environmental science and education program. GLOBE links students, teachers, and the scientific research community in an effort to learn more about our environment through student data collection and observation.

In schools throughout the world, students from the ages of approximately five through eighteen years conduct a continuing program of scientifically meaningful environmental measurements. GLOBE students transmit their data to a central data processing facility via the Internet, and receive vivid images composed of their data and data from other GLOBE schools around the world in return. Through the program, students acquire information from a variety of sources, and collaborate with scientists and other GLOBE students and communities worldwide. After such a data collection, these scientists use this data for educational and research purposes.

Near and around their schools and homes, students are asked to gather land cover / usage information. This data is used by scientists to verify and therefore ground truth Satellite images collected by the National Mapping Division of EROS and other governmental agencies. The students learn about remote sensing and are shown the importance of scientific data verification through this project.

The first part of the project involves the learning and manipulation of a GIS Mapping programs. Students are then able to get coordinates and locate landmarks that will be used to verify specific areas of land usage. The second phase of the project tests the ability of the students to analyze and cluster areas of interest from a 15Km X 15Km Satellite Image provided by the GLOBE Program. To do this, they use Multispec, an Imaging analysis program. Different bands of light are reflected off of surfaces of the earth, resulting in images captured by the different satellites that revolve around the earth. Students cluster these multi spectral reflections, and try to locate specific areas using the computer.

For the next phase of the project, students compare data collected in the first two stages. This results in the choice of a field site for classification. Students then visit the site, using the computer and G.P.S.unit to verify the location, take pictures in the four cardinal directions from the middle of their site, and assign a 4 level identification code (defined by GLOBE) to the site by identifying usage and biological land cover (species ID). Registry of the satellite images is an integral part of the project.

The final stage utilizes the GLOBE REPORT DATA ENTRY SCREENS via the Internet in order to report ground-truthing data. Analysis and presentation to the class is the final phase. This includes demonstration and analysis of maps, pictures, and findings for their site.

GIS in the Community College: Finding a Balance Between Academic Understanding and Hands-On Learning
Michael R Courneen, TrueNorth Company and Erdman Anthony/ Erie Community College GIS Certificate Program, 169 Century Road, Buffalo, NY 14215-1309 [Phone: (716) 838-5146 Fax: (716) 838-5205 Email: courneen@pcom.net]

With the renewed awareness of the value of geography and, specifically, geographic information systems (GIS), there is also growing interest regarding the appropriate level and type of education that an individual must obtain in order to understand GIS and how it can be applied in business, government and education. This concern is also very relevant to the K-16 curriculum. The community college environment provides a unique opportunity to expose a diverse student body to the exciting field of GIS. Many students find GIS fascinating, but they have not had previous course work in the spatial sciences. Teaching GIS in this setting requires a balance of GIS concepts coupled with extensive hands-on experience. This session will examine issues that deal with balancing the acquisition of core GIS knowledge in a K-16 setting. Information from ECC's National Science Foundation GIS curriculum grant and the July 2000 ESRI K-12 teacher training session will be provided. M. Courneen is an ESRI Authorized Instructor for ArcView and K-12 GIS. Keywords: GIS Education, Community College GIS, K-16 GIS Education.

The GeoData Alliance: What's in it for New York?
Kathy Covert, Federal Geographic Data Cooperative [Email: klcovert@USGS.GOV]

Serving the Citizens of States and Localities
Paul Culligan, Public Sector Account Manager for NYS, MapInfo

Using GIS to Assess Community-level Risk for Youth Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Kathy Dixon, Research Scientist, New York State OASAS, 1450 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203 [Phone: (518) 485-0262 Fax: (518) 457-1790]

The NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) has developed a social indicator methodology to assess the need for youth alcohol and substance abuse prevention services by linking community indicator data with GIS technology. The PRISMS (Prevention Risk Indicators Services Monitoring System) Profiles geographically display relative risk for youth alcohol and substance abuse, as well as direct consequences of abuse for 161 zip code communities in New York City.

Methodology: The PRISMS Profiles combine forty-three community indicators representing known correlates of alcohol and substance abuse into eight risk constructs through factor analysis. These risk constructs are then included in one of two risk indices based on the theoretical framework: the Community Risk Index or the Youth Risk Index. Three indicators measuring direct consequences of youth alcohol and substance abuse are factor analyzed, resulting in the Youth Alcohol and Drug Consequences Index. The standardized construct and index scores for each zip code area are divided into five risk categories (lowest risk, below average risk, average risk, above average risk, and highest risk) based on standard deviation cut points.

Application: Data maps that visually depict risk for youth alcohol and substance abuse by each zip code are created for each of the eight risk constructs and the three indices. These data maps allow policy makers and prevention program planners to easily identify areas of greatest risk for youth alcohol and substance abuse by risk construct and index, allowing for the targeting of specific prevention strategies. The PRISMS NYC Profiles also provide overlay maps of school district, police precinct and community district boundaries, locations of high schools, and OASAS funded treatment and prevention providers, as well as maps displaying major roadways and landmarks. These overlay maps allow for comparison of high-risk areas to existing ASA services, enabling policy makers and program planners to identify areas in need of expanded youth alcohol and substance abuse prevention services.

A Non-Technical Overview of Satellite Imagery and Remote Sensing Data for GIS
Robert J. Farrell, Erdman Anthony and
Michael R. Courneen, Erdman Anthony and TrueNorth Company

The availability of geospatial imagery captured from space is growing rapidly. This non-technical presentation is intended for GIS/mapping professionals who are largely unfamiliar with satellite imagery and remote sensing. The presentation will briefly cover the electromagnetic spectrum and introduce its most common features. Characteristic reflectance of common materials (pavement, roof tops, soil, forest cover, etc.) will be illustrated. Traditional photographic processes versus digital sensor technology will be compared. Tradeoffs between image resolution and electromagnetic bands captured will also be discussed. The major imagery providers such as Landsat, Spot, and Orbimage will be covered. Availability and ballpark pricing for imagery will be addressed. The kinds of processing tasks required of end users in business and government include cropping, reformatting, resampling, mosaicing, georeferencing, orthorectification, and radiometric correcting. These tasks will be introduced. Examples of image classification will be provided with ARC/INFO and ArcView Image Analysis.

Communities as Classrooms
Rick Fritsler, Ulster County [Email: RFRITS@aol.com]

We will present the Communities as Classrooms program as an effective framework to link schools, local government, colleges and non-profit organizations in a collaborative approach to GIS development and education. Our focus will be on how CAC 2 provides education and training which prepares citizens for the practical application of GIS to resolve local issues. We'll demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach by presenting the resources and products the collaboration has developed.

GIS Cost/Benefit
Stephen R. Gillespie, Economist, United States Geological Survey, Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis, Reston, VA.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a model to predict the benefits of using GIS technology. Benefits can be expressed as reduced costs or as improved quality of applications. The key to measuring benefits is to identify what has changed because of the GIS. The USGS model focuses on the complexity of a GIS application as the key factor influencing the level of benefits.

Teaching Creative Thinking Using GIS
Eric Greenfield and Lee Herrington, SUNY ESF, 320 Bray Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210 [Phone: 470-6674 Email: lpherrin@syr.edu]

A series of examples of how creative thinking can be taught or reinforced using geographic problems. Examples are described for both raster and vector GIS. An example of using nominal group techniques to get students involved in problem solution definition is also described.

An ArcView Interface for Small Libraries
Lee Herrington, SUNY ESF, 320 Bray Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210 [Phone: 470-6674 Email: lpherrin@syr.edu]

Small libraries do not have the expertise necessary to support the viewing of geographic data efficiently. This paper describes the development of a simple interface for these libraries and it installation and testing in the Indian Lake, NY town library. The interface allows the user to go through a simplified selection process to display the desired map information. The system always uses the same symbolization for each type of data. That is, roads, hydrology, etc. always have the same appearance regardless of which counties are selected. The interface also sorts the layers so that point and line data is on top of polygon data.

Use of GIS in the Creation of an Agricultural District in Westchester County
George Hilton, GIS Planner, Westchester County Planning Department [Email: ggh2@westchestergov.com]

Project Goals and Objectives: To identify, map and develop attribute data for agricultural properties in Westchester County to be included in a countywide Agricultural District. Mapping agricultural properties is an important step in preserving agricultural lands in areas such as Westchester County where increased development pressures threaten the existence of such operations and the role they play in providing valuable open space in a county with a population of nearly 1 million.

Methodology: Development began by using a database (developed by the Westchester County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board) containing ownership, address and parcel identification numbers for all properties to be included in the Agricultural land coverage. The database was joined to parcel data for municipalities having digital tax maps. Agricultural properties were selected and merged into a single Agricultural land coverage.

For areas where parcels were unavailable, we were able to locate parcels on hard copy maps. Scanned images of each map were then georeferenced to the county’s coordinate system. The images were used as a backdrop for digitizing parcel boundaries. Using images to digitize from allowed for accurate parcel creation, an important feature of an agricultural district. Once the parcel boundaries were created, attribute data was entered for each parcel.

Finally, a complete Agricultural land GIS coverage was available and submitted to the County Board of Legislators for adoption. A complete desktop application has been created allowing for extensive query and analysis of agricultural properties by size, ownership, municipal location, land area, land use and zoning, and type of agricultural use.

Benefits:

• Instead of a paper map with generalized boundaries, the agricultural district contains accurate parcel based boundaries with data unique to each site.
• Data can be used to assist in local government planning and zoning decisions.
• Identifying Agricultural lands assists in Open Space preservation and Natural Resource protection in a densely populated area.
• Allow the public to locate Agricultural lands and areas of rural character. Assist in County Agrotourism opportunities

 

A Conversion Experience with Agricultural District Maps
Susan B. Hoskins, Diane A. Ayers and Eugenia M. Barnaba, Cornell Institute for Resource Information Systems, 302 Rice Hall, Cornell University, lthaca, NY 14853 [Phone: (607) 255-6529 Fax: (607) 255-4662 Email: sbhl@cornell.edu]

Conversion of large analog data sets to digital format using scanning methods is a complex process and requires careful consideration of many issues. The Cornell Institute for Resource Information Systems and N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation, collaborated on a project to scan Agricultural District Maps for the N.Y.S. Department of Agriculture and Markets. The data set, 500 sheets representing 400 districts, ranges in map size from 2 square feet to 16 square feet (8 million acres of land in 52 counties) While maps meet a minimum cartographic standard, they vary greatly in sheet size, quality of original print, line weights and map projections. In addition, time and funding constraints precluded the proper development of protocols.  As a result of these multiple issues, a major post-scanning editing effort was required.

Digital Preservation and GIS Data: What Have We Got to Lose?
Nan Hyland, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

In 1998, Cornell University's Mann Library created CUGIR (Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository), a Web-based repository providing searching, browsing and download access to geospatial data and metadata for New York State. As more data are collected and updated, we are faced with the challenge of storing and archiving these data. Media degradation, hardware obsolescence, software dependence, and data migration have resulted in the loss of other large and important digital data sets. Careful planning is needed in order to ensure that GIS data sets are accessible and usable for as long as they are needed. This session will focus on the organizational and technical issues that need to be addressed within the GIS community to preserve important data.

Using Intranet/ Internet Technology to Replace Sneaker Net in Regional/ Enterprise GIS
Joseph T. Jones, CDP, GIS Coordinator, Nassau County Geographic Information System, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501 [Phone: (516) 571-4096 Email: jjones@nysnet.net]

The Nassau County GIS has recently completed the implementation of regional data sharing using an intranet connecting three towns, two cities, and three villages to the County's network. These governments encompass a 300 square mile area, with a population of 1.3 million. The system was facilitated by a Technology grant from the New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA). The Pilot Electronic Government Initiative (PEGI) grants are designed to develop model approaches for counties or other regional governments to provide their constituent towns and villages with the capability to engage in electronic commerce with citizens and other government agencies over the Internet and NYT, a state-operated telecommunications network for government use. The PEGI grant is providing Nassau County with a secure FTP site for electronic distribution of data. The implementation will include appropriate firewalls and additional security features. Training will be provided to educate all participants in the use of the system. The system also makes it possible for the participants to access the County's GIS Help Desk and its services which include: a Calendar of Upcoming Events, Documentation (User Guide, Data Dictionary, and Metadata); Directory (key contact individuals); and Support (problem reporting for hardware, software, and data including the ability to attach images of problem areas). The Support Section also includes a Query Log enabling users to review previously logged problems, System News, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), a script library, and a comments area. Later phases of the project will allow multi-participant partners to maintain data that is their area of responsibility, through the intranet. This will be implemented in phases as data maintenance standards are implemented, training is accomplished, and the ability of the multi-participant to maintain the data has been demonstrated. The e-commerce phase will also provide access to Civil Service Forms and allow their submission via the internet.

Using GIS to Identify Potential Open Space Parcels for Acquisition within the South Shore Estuary Reserve
Peter E. Lauridsen, Jeffrey L. Herter GIS Unit, Division of Coastal Resources, New York State Department of State and Thomas Hart Jr., New York State Department of Health [Email: tfh01@health.stat.ny.us]

The Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) was designated by an act of the State legislature in 1993. The SSER encompasses the estuary waters and the landward watershed that drains into the estuary bays and tributaries, extending for 80 miles from Rockaway Inlet and the western boundary of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, to Shinnecock Bay and the village of Southampton in Suffolk County. The South Shore Estuary Reserve Council is directing the completion of a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for the SSER. The CMP is a major effort to protect and preserve the natural, economic and social features of the SSER.

The GIS unit within New York State Department of State’s Division of Coastal Resources is assisting the CMP analysis by identifying open space parcels within the six towns of the SSER. Open space is defined as areas that do not exhibit man-made structures or "improvements". The analysis performed is a "Gap" analysis, that is, it identifies those open space areas not already protected. Protected areas include parks, schools, cemeteries, landfills, public and not-for-profit lands and Wild, forested, conservation land and parks. The South Shore Estuary Reserve study area has a mix of land cover types, from forests to highly developed. A 16 class Land cover vectorized polygon table (coverage), derived from satellite imagery captured in 1994, was used to produce an open space coverage based on land cover classification. Twelve of the 16 land cover classes were used in the analysis. Developed areas, impervious surfaces and water classes were dropped, leaving forests, bare ground, cultivated and various palustrine and estuarine vegetative classes as the basis for an open space land cover type . The resultant coverage was further narrowed by land use/ownership type, that is, areas already protected were classified (schools, parks, etc.). This coverage in conjunction with town parcel data, was used to identify parcels, greater than five acres that exhibit open space character. Open space parcels were verified using color infra-red orthoimagery, Office of Real Property Services parcel data and Department of Transportation’s planimetric quadrangles.

The resultant maps of open space parcels are being used in the CMP for various planning initiatives, such as identifying gaps in non-point source pollution controls, linking open space and centers of recreation and identifying important waterfront properties for protection.

The Long Island Rail Road: Expanding GIS Tools to User Departments Phase II
Arthur J. Lembo, Jr.; Ph.D., Senior GIS Analyst, Bowne Management Systems, Inc., 235 E. Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, New York 11501 [Phone: (516) 746-2350 Email: alembo@bownemgmt.com],
Christopher Powers, Manager GIS/GPS, The Long Island Rail Road, Strategic Investments Department, 90-27 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435 [Phone: (718) 558-3830 Fax: (718) 558-3745 Email: cpowers@lirr.org] and
Brian George, Staff Manager, The Long Island Rail Road, Strategic Investments Department, 90-27 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435 [Phone: (718) 558 3804]

This presentation builds upon last year’s presentation, as the Long Island Rail Road has added a number of enterprise-wide tools to their GIS. Some of the tools to be demonstrated include the use of the Intranet for GIS, in-house field measurement, the integration of safety records with FileNet and GIS, field data collection, Marketing’s use of GIS to improve the customer experience, and the integration of GIS with rail measurement devices to detect rail flaws.

The presentation will be a combination of discussion of the technologies used, as well as a demonstration of a number of applications.

The Removal of Selective Availability: New Opportunities for Field Data Collection
Arthur J. Lembo, Jr.; Ph.D., Senior GIS Analyst, Bowne Management Systems, Inc., 235 E. Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, New York 11501 [Phone: (516) 746-2350 Email: alembo@bownemgmt.com] and
Steven DeGloria, Chair, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Cornell University, 315 Rice Hall, Ithaca, New York [Email: sdd4@cornell.edu]

Until recently, the limited accuracy of low cost code based receivers for field data collection prevented many users from adopting the technology. Typically, users were required to perform post processing of the data, or utilize more expensive GPS units to achieve the necessary accuracies. The United States government’s removal of selective availability presents many new opportunities for performing real-time field data collection, with better accuracy, using lower priced code based receivers.

This presentation will illustrate the accuracy results of using code based receivers both with and without selective availability, and demonstrate the some of the recent uses of field data collection using GPS and PalmPilot technology. The discussion will also include an outline of the appropriate uses for this technology, given the accuracy limitations.

NASA Commercial Remote Sensing Program’s Workforce Development National Implementation Plan
Margaret Leonard, NASA Education and University Affairs, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS

Since the end of the cold war, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has initiated a geospatial information revolution. NASA’s Commercial Remote Sensing Program (CRSP) at Stennis Space Center, managed by David Brannon, is taking the lead in the commercialization of remote sensing. The mandate for this effort is for the United States to become the recognized world leader in the geospatial technology industry. As growth and development occurs, a qualified workforce is required.

NASA’s Dr. David Powe, Chief, Education and University Affairs at Stennis saw the need to put in place a comprehensive program to produce a trained workforce to populate the developing remote sensing industry. To satisfy this need, the National Workforce Development Education and Training program was born.

Based on the successful Mississippi Model, NASA’s efforts to support the growth and development of the geospatial technology industry builds on a three-part strategy. The Plan is customer driven, utilizes existing infrastructures and is designed to create systemic change.

The strategy is simple, but at the same time crucial to the success of the workforce development concept. The Plan must be customer driven because the primary purpose is to provide trained workers the geospatial industry customer requires and will hire. Rapid economic change, increasing technology and calls for greater efficiency are the benchmarks for the utilization of existing resources within infrastructures. Being customer driven and utilizing existing infrastructures promises to produce long term systemic change.

The NASA partnerships in the National Workforce Development Education and Training program are critical to its success. Federal agency partners include the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation and Defense. Industry partners involve market leaders and key decision-makers in remote sensing, GIS and GPS. The growing public education and outreach partners include the Smithsonian Institution and its Natural Partners Program, National Geographic Society, Public Broadcasting, the Global Learning to Benefit the Environment Program, and CRSP Affiliated Research Centers.

Mississippi’s statewide Workforce Development Education and Training (WDET) initiative (The Mississippi Model) was launched in 1997 by CRSP and the Stennis Education and University Affairs Office. The objective of WDET is to establish world-class spatial information education in Mississippi that will address the critical shortage of trained personnel.

The success of the Mississippi Model capitalizes on the following partnerships.

K-12 Programs The Mississippi Department of Education and WDET initiated a pilot program to introduce spatial information science in Mississippi schools. When fully implemented in 2002, spatial information training will reach all Mississippi students.

Community Colleges The State Board of Community and Junior Colleges is providing degree and certificate programs. Application Centers through the Skill Tech Program will provide citizens, industry and government agencies access to spatial information.

Centers of Excellence Stennis Space Center, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the University of Southern Mississippi will serve as Centers of Excellence for Geospatial Studies.

The Mississippi Authority for Educational Television provides WDET with informational and promotional programs to increase public awareness. The ETV Interactive Video Network, a 150-site video teleconferencing system, is being used to disseminate information and training modules statewide.

Engaging the successful strategies developed and tested in the Mississippi Model provides a secure foundation for the launch of the National Implementation Plan to establish the U.S. as the world leader in the geospatial technology industry.

Mapping Hawaii by Airborne Direct Digital Imaging
Don Light, PAR Government Systems, 6 Tawney Pointe, Rochester, New York 14626 [Phone: (716) 368-9867] and
Joan Zelinski, PAR Government Systems, 59 Main Street, Suite 313, Potsdam, New York 13676 [Phone: (315) 268-1608]

The US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency have contracted the team of Emerge, Landcare Aviation, and PAR Government Systems to produce color infrared digital orthorectified quadrangles for the eight major Islands of Hawaii. Data Acquisition is being accomplished via Airborne Direct Digital Imaging – an all-digital technology now finding its place in the remote sensing market. The twin engine Piper Aztec now flying in Hawaii is equipped with a state-of-the-art digital camera, dual channel Global Positioning System (GPS), and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). This integrated trio of sensors collects imagery with position and attitude data that permits geopositioning of each frame without the use of aerotriangulation and ground surveyed control. Landcare Aviation flies the missions using Emerge’s sensor package to collect the data. Emerge performs orthorectification, mosaicing and geo-positioning of the data to meet National Map Accuracy Standards. PAR adds Datum ticks and formats the image data on to a CD-ROM according to the standards set by the government’s National Digital Ortho Photo (NDOP) Committee. Applications for the 496 DOQs (6,447 sq miles) that cover the State are in agriculture, forestry, geology, water resources, disaster assessment, and pollution detection as well as orthorectified image maps for a variety of land use planning activities. The collection system and its technology are highlighted and several CIR images taken during the Hawaiian Mapping Project are shown.

How the Web Has Revolutionized GIS Data Deployment
Bob McIntyre, Intergraph Corporation, 675 Bering Drive, Suite 200, Houston, TX. 77057 [Phone: (713) 954-8010 Fax: (713)978-7429]

The lack of access to maps within the GIS has inhibited the use of these maps by people outside the GIS department. This wall has been completely broken through with the use of the web as a window or portal into the GIS database. This portal now offers all State, County and Municipal departments direct access to the precious GIS maps, no matter the format, exploding the benefits of GIS to the enterprise. Learn how an Enterprise Spatial Information Portal (eSIP) can offer all internet users a data clearinghouse full of maps and engineering drawings through a standard internet browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape).

Fine-Tuning Alignment of Reprojected Coverages on USGS Digital Ortho Quarter Quads and Draping on 3D Digital Elevation Models with ArcView GIS: What You Need to Know
David Miller, GIS Lab Director, Department of Geography, SUNY College at Cortland, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045 [Phone: (607) 753-2996 Email: millerd@cortland.edu]

Attempting to align scanned or digitized images from different sources, and of different projection datum is a problem that has bedeviled many GIS users. Although ArcView's new projection utility has somewhat simplified the process, the reprojected coverages will typically line up only reasonably well with features on the digital orthophotos. In order to achieve a more precise alignment it is frequently necessary to "tweak" coverages. This presentation will illustrate how to reproject NAD27-based tax parcel and soil coverages onto NAD83-based Digital Ortho Quarter Quad images and how to fine-tune feature theme alignment upon the image base. Also illustrated will be the steps necessary to successfully drape the "fine tuned" coverages and the DOQQ upon a DEM (3D) model. Accuracy issues related to datum will be discussed.

NASA’s Space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Program
Richard Monson, NASA, Steven Bard and Richard Key, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA 91109 [Phone: (818)354-4487 Fax: (818) 393-3343 Email: Steven.Bard@jpl.nasa.gov]

NASA has been at the forefront of space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) science, technology, and practical applications, as demonstrated by Seasat in 1978, the Shuttle Imaging Radar missions (SIR-A, -B, and -C) in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and the recent Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in February 2000. These and various international SAR missions in the 1990’s have firmly established the vast potential of SAR to provide unique information about our planet’s surface characteristics, biodiversity, natural hazards, and resources. Using SAR interferometric techniques, these missions have provided unique measurements of surface deformation, glacier flows, and ice sheet velocities, and with SRTM data will provide the best near-global, high-resolution, topographic data set of the Earth.

This presentation focuses on future SAR mission concepts that build on NASA’s past technology developments and achievements, and on lessons-learned from the recent LightSAR studies, to help fulfill NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise strategic goals. The emphasis is on a globally preeminent SAR mission concept based on a dual frequency, polarimetric, interferometric SAR that has broad scientific, environmental preservation, operational, and commercial utility. This long-duration (> 5 year) mission will routinely provide valuable information about the dynamic processes that are changing the global Earth system. Alternate mission concepts, and the need to provide long-term continuity of SAR data for the diverse user community are also discussed.

The research described was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Data through the Library: What can I get for FREE?
John A. Olson, Maps/GIS Librarian, Syracuse University, 333B Bird Library, Syracuse, NY 13210 [Phone: (315) 443-4671 Email: jaolson@library.syr.edu]

Topics to be covered will include data choices available to patrons through the library. The "How and where" of locating data and what to watch out for. CD-ROM and Web data sources and interactive mapping Websites will also be discussed.

High Resolution Satellite Imagery - Demystifying the Technology --Are you Ready?
Sheldon K. Piepenburg, Executive Consultant, PlanGraphics Inc., 1300 Spring Street Suite 306, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3616 [Phone: (301) 588-8535 Fax : (301) 588-5979 Email: spiepenburg@plangraphics.com]

Satellite imagery, especially high-resolution satellite imagery is a topic of great interest. It has been cloaked in intelligence disguise, written about in numerous spy articles, and it has been mystifying to the general public. The first successful launch of a HI Resolution commercial satellite occurred late last summer, end speculation. Commercially available satellite imagery is here, presenting us with new opportunities and challenges. This presentation explores the impact of using satellite imagery, providing the definitive answers in non-technical terms by independent consultants.

The satellite imagery has sparked much debate, is the imagery appropriate as a data layer in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Land Information Systems (LIS) or for Automated Mapping and Facilities Management (AM/FM) projects? This presentation will explain, in layman's terms, the technical aspects of satellite imagery, and the new products it delivers, the advantages and disadvantages of it's use including an elusive topic, it's cost. Presentation topics will include

• Satellite Imagery, its here, what is it?
• The Products, definitive answers to satellite imagery questions:

  • Resolution
  • Accuracy
  • DTM
  • Orthophotographs
  • Planimetric and Topographic Mapping

• Applications and new opportunities
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Availability and Cost
• Open Discussions

This presentation will cover important considerations when planning and implementing satellite applications by exploring new opportunities for satellite imagery in several conventional settings. The attendees will receive valuable insight to reasons for satellite imagery, how to get started, and how to avoid problems.  Finally definitive answers, presented in a non-biased and non-marketing atmosphere.

Combining GIS and Remote Sensing for Forestry Applications
Lindi J. Quackenbush, Trevis J. Gigliotti and Lee P. Herrington, Department of Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 312 Bray Hall, 1 Forestry Dr, Syracuse NY 13210 [Phone: (315) 470-4727 Fax: (315) 470-6958 Email: ljquack@esf.edu]

The Affiliated Research Center at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) recently completed a project with International Hardwood Consulting, a small consulting firm from Doylestown, PA. The project explored the possibility of integrating remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques to identify regions in the Allegheny National Forest that had high potential for containing valuable timber. The project was divided into several phases. The first phase used image processing techniques to identify desirable forest types. The second phase involved defining the factors that would contribute to limited logging access in a location and then using GIS techniques to delineate regions that satisfied these limiting factors. The final phase of the project involved combining the results of the GIS analysis and remote sensing processing to identify areas that were more likely to contain valuable lumber. While the spatial processing will not remove the need for fieldwork, the project showed a method to highlight candidate areas for further consideration. Thus reducing the time and cost involved in the highly field-intensive traditional method of searching for valuable timber.

The Affiliated Research Center at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry was established in 1998. The ARC program is sponsored by NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program (CRSP). The mission of CRSP is to enhance and improve the commercial use of remote sensing and spatial information. The ARC at ESF provides companies with a unique opportunity to participate in research projects that explore commercially viable uses of geo-spatial data.

The NYS DPS Electric Outage Reporting System
Richard P. Slutzah, P.E., Senior Vice President, Bowne Management Systems, Inc., 235 East Jericho Turnpike Mineola NY 11501 [Phone: (516) 746-2350 Fax: (516) 747-1396 Email: rslutzah@bownemgmt.com]

When the northern portion of New York State was devastated by a major ice storm in the winter of 1998 thousands of citizens were left without power for weeks. The State's Department of Public Service (DPS) and the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) encountered many problems tracking the outages, allocating personnel and resources, and coordinating the restoration effort. Attempts to gather data from the various utility companies and map outage information was a painstaking task that consumed hours each time an updated map had to be produced. The goal of this project was to develop an integrated tool to allow DPS to receive, process, analyze, and report outage data quickly and in a uniform format. As the project began in July 1999, the requirements were modified to require a fully functional system in time to monitor any electric power outages resulting from Y2K computer problems. The presentation will describe the six month effort to create a standard digital basemap of the entire state and its electric distribution information, and a series of custom applications for transferring data from each of the utilities to DPS and SEMO FTP sites where the information was validated, normalized and loaded into an Oracle database. Once the data was properly indexed and stored in the database, custom applications were used to prepare maps, reports, and graphs for DPS use and for dissemination to other State agencies.

School Navigator- A GIS-based System for Computer-Aided Facilities Management
Michael Stoogenke, Sear Brown [Email: Mstoo@searbrown.com]

The New York State Education Department (SED) is requiring all school districts to prepare two documents. One is a buildings conditions report; the other is a five year facilities plan for capital projects.

The School Navigator system was developed to help school districts comply with these SED requirements. School Navigator is an ArcView-based application for computer-aided facilities management (CAFM). It provides school districts with easy retrieval, query and reporting or facilities-related data. School Navigator links building plans with photographs, scanned documents, and data tables for the 43 different site/building systems required by SED. School Navigator generates building condition reports through live DDE links to Microsoft Word. These capabilities significantly reduce the time needed to produce a submittal package for SED.

The Special Emphasis of NASA's Office of Earth Science on State and Local Government Needs
Mike Thomas, Director of NASA's Applications, Commercialization and Education Division

Earth Science Applications: NASA's Office of Earth Science places special emphasis on the needs of state and local governments.

Implementing GIS in Your Organization
Sam Wear, GIS Manager, Westchester County GIS [Phone: (914) 285-3047 Email: stw1@westchestergov.com]

This 3-session track is designed for individuals with little or no GIS experience, as well as those individuals responsible for starting up GIS programs. The course will be segmented to provide a basic overview of important GIS program components including, but not limited to, hardware and software, applications, data, organizational structure, and general GIS technology trends.

Using case examples, discussion will focus on building GIS programs & projects incrementally which are consistent with the fiscal and technical resources available to the organization. Items such as funding, when and how to use consultants, building administrative support, state and federal GIS resources/programs, and the very important element of organizational change, will be reviewed. The expanding use of the internet for GIS development and how to avoid common GIS pitfalls will also be highlighted.

Individuals attending all three sessions will receive a "Certificate of Completion" which will be sent out after the conference. Hardcopy lecture notes will be provided upon request; however, because the entire course will be presented as a PowerPoint presentation, individuals will be able to download the course from the Westchester County GIS web site.

Combing and Intersecting Linear Data
Frank Winters, NYSDOT [Phone: (518).485-7487]

This presentation will take you through New York State DOT's past, present and future techniques of intersecting and combining linear highway data. NYSDOT uses two principle linear referencing methods. The first is a field-posted reference marker system used for any department activities requiring a field reference. This included most highway maintenance activities and traffic accident analysis. The second linear measurement system is called milepoint. Milepoint measures are based on a precision odometer reading form a county or city line. The Milepoint system forms the foundation of the pavement inventory systems, and consequently, NYSDOT's highway improvement plans. No tabular relationship, or lookup table, exists to equate reference marker measures with milepoint values. GIS has provided the most efficient way to combine data keyed to these discrete measuring systems. While both measuring systems are maintained independently in a GIS highway network, both are built on the same set of line work. This presentation will provide a brief description of the methods used for combining and intersecting reference marker and milepoint data that were in-place at the stat of our department-wide GIS roll-out in 1995. Next, a demonstration of a new ArcView extension developed to allow users to more easily perform line-on-line intersections will follow. This new method does not process measure values to perform the intersection, but rather, produces a direct spatial overlay. Finally, some future direction for this functionality including a few minor enhancements to underlying GIS software, and the resulting end-user benefits will be proposed.