Presentation Abstracts
Abstracts are listed alphabetically by the first listed author’s last
name.
Providing Secure Imagery to Clients
Larry Alber, NYS DEC GIS Section, lalber@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Eric Shyer, NYS DEC GIS
Section
DEC’s GIS unit is responsible for
providing imagery to the Agency’s GIS users across both the LAN and
WAN, which includes the Central Office
in Albany and all twenty-seven Regional Offices across New York State. Therefore, development of an efficient method
of web-based delivery of these large amounts of image data is important.
DEC in conjunction with Davis
Associates and the Office for Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure
(CSCIC) have developed a methodology for providing secure imagery using an
Earth Resources Mapping (ERM) Image Web Server v2.0 and Microsoft IIS. The images can be viewed in an HTML
environment and incorporated into an ArcGIS environment.
Providing secure imagery includes
authentication, authorization and encryption in order to make sure that only
the clients authorized to view the images actually do, and that the images can
not be “sniffed”.
To restrict access to an ECW file
(native ERM image format) or directory of ECW files using IIS and NTFS file
permissions two steps need to be accomplished.
First, the ECW file or directory must have anonymous access disabled and
only the basic authentication enabled in IIS.
To safeguard the user password, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption
should always be used whenever Basic authentication is used. Second, the file permissions for the ECW
files must be set so that only the users/groups added have access to the files.
Using the above methods a server can
establish an environment where secure encrypted images can be supplied to
authenticated, authorized clients.
Good Stuff Cheap: Breaking into ArcGIS without Breaking the
Bank
Liz Arabadjis, Highland Geographic,
Liz@HighlandGeographic.com
Many municipalities are hesitant to
migrate their existing data to the geodatabase model because of fiscal concerns. With rising taxes and less
funding from the states, the money to purchase ArcSDE, Oracle or SQL Server, to
hire a database administrator, as well as the cost of migrating the data just
doesn’t exist.
There are, however, many advantages of
the new topology functionality and great editing tools available in
ArcGIS. For relatively small
municipalities, the personal geodatabase option is a perfectly valid
alternative. This option utilizes Microsoft Access as its database engine
(included with a copy of ArcGIS); no need for any other expensive software.
This presentation discusses some of the considerations given to - and lessons
taken from - designing and implementing geodatabases in smaller
organizations. Real-world examples of
how data that exist on mylar and in CAD drawings are migrated to a geodatabase
will be shown.
GIS for 3D Visualization
Dr. Rachel Arulraj, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade &
Douglas, arulraj@pbworld.com
Doug Eberhard and Brandon Young, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas
3D visualization has been in use for a
variety of architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and planning applications
over the last few decades. GIS has also been around in various forms of
evolution during the same period. This paper presents the technologies available
for bringing together major developments in the fields of GIS and 3D
Visualization for real-world 3-dimensional projects. In other words, this paper
demonstrates how GIS supports 3D visualization. The authors will cover a range
of fundamental aspects for GIS to meet 3D visualization requirements, including
- software solutions; hardware considerations; geospatial technologies used –
GIS, CAD, remote sensing, photogrammetry, surveying, laser scanning; 3D
visualization techniques available; animated and interactive modeling avenues,
etc. Further, examples of planning, construction and engineering projects using
these interdisciplinary technologies will be described in this presentation.
Samples of work done for projects above ground or underground will convey the
intricate processes involved in using emerging technologies for current
situations and scenarios.
Asset Management for Financial Reporting
Dr. Rachel Arulraj, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade &
Douglas, arulraj@pbworld.com
John Clemente, Rene Freyman, and Rashmi Mehta, Parsons
Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas
City of New Rochelle has been using GIS
for various city projects, and has an extensive and detailed
GIS database. The Department of Public
Works, City of New Rochelle, maintains several City owned infrastructure
assets. The Finance Department wanted to
develop an accurate reporting mechanism for the preparation of realistic
financial goals for the City. Asset Management became a requirement in the near
past as the City initiated the reporting of assets more realistically and
accurately for the purposes of financial reporting. “Asset Management” no longer was a buzzword
for the City, it was their solution to manage City owned infrastructure with
new equipment, update mechanisms, and reporting methods for the benefit of the
City.
An early realization was that asset
management was not just a technology-driven system. The technology of asset
management (i.e., data collection and data analysis technologies) should never
determine the do-all-end-all of asset management. Logical reasoning is far more
important than just accurate inventory and mathematical formulae. Clearly, the
ability to cost-effectively collect, process, and analyze large amounts of
information enables a comprehensive asset management approach to become viable, but does not enable the
actual implementation of a management strategy.
This paper discusses technical
challenges, management strategies, and realistic achievements with physical,
temporal and financial constraints. This
paper will be useful to those planning to implement an Asset Management system
to enable GASB 34 reporting, as well as for general asset management.
Evaluating Management Scenarios in the Croton Watershed
Amy Atamian, GIS Program Leader, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.,
Kimberlee Kane, New York City Department of Environmental
Protection
Cindy How, P.E. and Lee Wordsman, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
The Croton Watershed is the oldest
portion of New York City’s drinking water supply system, and is already heavily
developed. To achieve water quality
goals, a GIS-based risk assessment methodology was developed to help the NYCDEP
optimize watershed management efforts, and focus limited resources on critical
areas to achieve maximum water quality benefits.
Specific methodologies were developed
for each of several water quality variables, which are dependent upon both the
characteristics of the variable and the data available. In addition, watershed
characteristics that may enhance or mitigate transport from a source, such as
slope or soil type, are considered along with zoning, socio-economic data, and
other indicators of development under “fully-developed” conditions. While the analysis was intended to compare
risks between subbasins, use of the GIS provides sufficient detail to identify
localized areas of concern at the parcel level, and the ability to prioritize
areas based on additional user-defined objectives.
A decision support and project tracking
application was developed to support the NYCDEP’s on-going watershed management
activities. With this tool, NYCDEP will be able to prioritize its watershed
monitoring, protection and restoration efforts and provide local stakeholders
with technical information for their own watershed programs.
Small Town Uses GIS to the Max!
Sandra Avampato, GIS Coordinator, Town of Lloyd,
tlpz@townoflloyd.com
In 1997 we incorporated GIS into our
land use work. The town board allocated $40,000 to digitize our tax parcel maps
in cooperation with Marlborough and Plattekill. This initiative enabled us to
be freestanding, to use GIS maps/data on demand. We demonstrated our ability to
directly service projects where the significance was only relevant on the local
level, an incredible staff enhancer. The town established a line item in the
budget to fund staff training, supplies, program updates, and development.
Planning Board,
ZBA, Building Department, Code
Enforcement, Town Clerk, Water, Sewer, Highway, Assessor are actively engaged
in harnessing GIS potential. In 2002 and 2003 our EDC hosted a well-received
seminar attracting 100 participants, with GIS as a central focus. In 2003,
Lloyd worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society to identify various species
in the town. Our Comprehensive Plan employs GIS to illustrate salient points.
We interface with UC Information Services, Planning Board, and RPS for
information exchanges, equipment sharing: e.g., in Spring 2004 we began mapping
our infrastructure using the county’s Trimble Mobile unit to map fire hydrants,
street lights, catch basins, water and sewer lines.
Using a Spatial Join to Correlate ABGPS Camera Events with
Aerial Photo Numbers
Jeffrey Barth, Mapping Technologist, NYSDOT, Photogrammetry
Section,
jbarth@dot.state.ny.us
This presentation describes a practical
use of a spatial join. The process is
used by the NYSDOT Photogrammetry Section to correlate two types of point
datasets. Once these datasets are
joined, the resulting data can then be used for direct input into the
photogrammetric mapping software employed by NYSDOT.
One of these sets of point data is
generated from the Airborne Global Positioning System (ABGPS), which is now
used on all NYSDOT aerial missions. This
represents the actual XYZ locations of each photo center and is recorded as a
sequential camera event marker number.
The other set of input point data is generated from the photogrammetric
software itself and represents the predicted locations of each photograph
(based on parameters from flight planning).
The numbering of this dataset corresponds to the actual photo numbers
from the aerial photographs. The spatial
join correlates these actual photo locations to the predicted photo locations
and resolves the matching of camera event markers to the actual photo numbers.
This may not seem like a difficult
task, but it can get complicated. The
use of GIS software to perform a spatial join is very helpful. Especially in some complex cases where strips
of aerial photography are flown several times, making manual correlation
attempts difficult and time consuming.
Real - Time Mobile Asset Tracking
Jason Baum, Associate Computer Programmer / Analyst, NYSDOH,
jdb09@health.state.ny.us
The goal of the Mobile Asset Tracking
(MAT) Project is to retain control of critical emergency assets while they are being
transported during a drill or a real emergency.
The assets are delivered by truck from a delivery point to a staging
area. While inventory control programs
are used at the delivery point and staging area, the assets essentially
disappear en route. This project allows
these trucks to be tracked in real time on an internet mapping
application. This project can be applied
to any situation where real-time location is important.
The equipment for this project is
modest: a cell phone. The firmware of
the phone is modified to send its coordinates to a server every minute, where
the locations are received and incorporated into a web mapping application. Support for the IT aspects of the application
should be exceedingly low once it is set up.
We are simply taking advantage of the rapid pace of technological
improvement in cell phones, which are virtually GPS enabled mini-laptops. With the low per-unit cost and easy setup,
there may be many more applications for this technology in the future.
Streamlining the Municipal Office with Custom Applications
Phillip Bellizia, Highland Geographic,
pbellizia@highlandgeographic.com
Highland Geographic developed a suite of
applications to save time, increase efficiency, and improve customer
service. Developed in Visual Basic for
use with ArcGIS, these applications provide powerful tools to perform complex
tasks simply. They are designed to be
used by anyone from GIS novices to experts.
•“Parcel Search” provides a simplified
method of searching a parcel layer by Parcel-ID, Owner, or address.
•“Abutter List” finds the abutting
parcels for a selected set of parcels and creates an address list in either a
text file or standard mailing labels in Microsoft Word.
•“Parcel Flyer” creates a standard
letter-sized information sheet for a selected parcel. The parcel's attribute
information is placed at the top of the page with a map at the bottom. This applet is ideal for offices that need to
share property information with other departments, realtors, developers, and
landowners.
•“Map Book” allows creation of multiple
maps (i.e. tax maps) for management within a single ArcMap document.
•“RPS Version 4 Extract” is a standalone
application that works whether you have a GIS or not. It extracts data from an RPS Version 4
database and writes them to a manageable number of tables in a Microsoft Access
file (.mdb). The RPS Version 4 Extract tool provides quick and easy, up-to-date
access to your RPS data. It allows you
distribute your RPS data to those who need it most, when they need it.
This presentation will demonstrate and
discuss each of these applications in greater detail.
A Technical Look Inside the ALIS Statewide GIS Data Sets
Cheryl Benjamin, Chair, NYS Office of Cyber Security &
Critical Infrastructure
Coordination (CSCIC), cheryl.benjamin@cscic.state.ny.us
New York State recently took delivery
of the NYS Accident Location Information System (ALIS) GIS data, often referred
to as the new Statewide GIS Roads and Addressing Data. This technical presentation will introduce
the NYS GIS user community to the various GIS data sets that were developed as
part of the ALIS project, focusing on their data content and structure. We’ll look at the street name, address, and
route number attributes on the Roads file, including the alternate/alias street
name tables and how they are used for geocoding. The vertical integration of the NYS Civil
Boundaries with the Roads data will also be examined. Census data users will be especially
interested in the new block-level NYS Census Geography data that has been
vertically integrated with the roads, railroads, civil boundaries, and hydrography
ALIS data sets. Finally, key elements of
the documentation that accompanies the data will be highlighted.
Customized ArcObjects Tools for Intelligent Line Tracing and Attribution, and Conflation
Kosta Bidoshi, Applied GIS, Inc.,
Successful implementation of a GIS
often requires the exchange and integration of information across databases.
The process of attribute assignment is usually accomplished during the
digitization of features. However, many
local and government organizations come across the need for assignment or
re-assignment of attribute data in their digital maps. We identify two major
scenarios in which attribute data is assigned during post-processing:
1- Tagging the data with attributes not
available during the time of capturing or assigning new attributes to GIS data
captured for a different purpose
2- Attribute transfer between data of
different sources (data conflation).
In this presentation we will provide a
summary of two semi-automated modules (build in the ArcGIS environment using
ArcObjects) that perform attribute assignment and transfer. We use common
characteristics of features (such as location and topology) to automatically
assign attributes. Visual representation through animation is used to show
progress of the automated procedures. Automation techniques are complemented
with an interactive user interface that facilitates decision-making.
Local Government Web Hosting Pilot
John Borst, NYS Office of Cyber Security & Critical
Infrastructure, john.borst@cscic.state.ny.us
Under the auspices of the NYS GIS
Coordination Program, the NYS Office of Cyber Security & Critical
Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC) is
providing funding for a one year Local Government GIS Web Hosting Pilot. The
pilot includes the development of an online GIS application for Clinton,
Delaware, and Tioga Counties, and the Town of Brunswick as well as web hosting
services for a one-year period. The focus for the application is to support
everyday business uses for people accessing/utilizing parcel (land records)
data. After one year, the pilot will be evaluated for future direction. While
CSCIC is providing many of the NYS basemap layers to be used as references
points for users, each locality is providing parcel data in addition to any
other relevant local datasets they have
developed.
Participants in the pilot project will
demonstrate the online GIS applications that have been developed and share their insights on the progress of
the pilot to date.
GIS as a Key to Intermunicipal Cooperation
Candace Brennan, GIS Specialist, C&S Engineers,
cbrennan@cscos.com
Intermunicipal Cooperation (IMC) is the
sharing or merging of resources, services, and manpower between multiple
governing entities. Municipalities enter
into IMC agreements with each other to save time, money, and raw material
without sacrificing the quality of their services. An internet GIS is the best solution for the
management of an IMC because it can track and manage all municipal infrastructure,
provides a common interface that all involved parties can use, is available
anywhere there is an Internet connection, and can act as a pilot phase to test
the waters for a full blown IMC.
There are many benefits to be reaped through
IMC, and many ways in which IMC can be applied.
It can be as simple as shared responsibility for snow removal in
adjoining towns, or as complex as the full integration of municipal
departments. No matter which method
municipalities choose, GIS can be of assistance, from initial pilot phase to
full implementation. Some of the
benefits of using GIS to manage
IMC are:
· Provides a common application interface,
allowing sharing of manpower with no additional training needed
·
Increased operational efficiency
·
More efficient sharing of equipment and resources
·
Easy evaluation of additional benefits from IMC
·
Enables additional members to join the IMC with little effort
Simultaneously Recording Field Data and Location Coordinates
Automates an Overland Gamma Radiation Survey with Actual 100%
Francine J. Cohen, Senior Geologist, URS Corporation,
URS Corporation (URS) simultaneously
recorded radiological field data and location coordinates obtained using a
global positioning system (GPS) to minimize data acquisition time requirements
for a overland gamma radiation survey at a FUSRAP site located in western
Pennsylvania. A geographic information system (GIS) was then used to map and
interpret the survey results.
Conventional overland gamma surveys are
completed by establishing grids over the survey area and manually collecting
one data point at the center of each grid, with the single data point
considered to be representative of the entire grid area. Survey data are then
manually transcribed and paired with the location data for reduction, mapping,
and interpretation.
URS connected the radiation survey
instruments to GPS units having auxiliary data recording channels that simultaneously
recorded the gamma measurement and associated location. The equipment was
mounted in a large-wheeled baby stroller to complete the field traverses. URS
used three such setups to acquire the field data across the entire 44-acre site
in less than two weeks. The efficiency of the setups allowed the field crews to
obtain a sufficient density of data points equivalent to 100% site coverage.
Data files were downloaded in the field
to a laptop PC for immediate QA/QC. Data gaps were promptly filled in and areas
of poor data quality (for example, malfunctioning radiation survey instruments)
were resurveyed. After field approval, data files were transmitted via email to
a URS office for further QA/QC and processing. In the office, the data files
were directly input to an ArcView GIS for mapping and interpretation. No manual
data transcription was required from field data acquisition to final reporting.
FEMA’s Map Modernization Program
Michael Crino, Baker Engineering NY, Inc,
mcrino@mbakercorp.com
The Federal Emergency Management
Administration (FEMA) is embarking on a challenging project to update each of
the flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) to a digital format (DFIRM). This initiative, known as the Map
Modernization Program, will update over 100,000 flood map panels
nationwide. In New York State, over
1,600 communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
are scheduled to have their flood insurance rate maps updated over the next five years.
Development of a flood map is an
interdisciplinary effort that integrates surveying, hydraulic/hydrologic
engineering and mapping. GIS has long
been a tool used in varying degrees for each of these steps in creating flood
maps. FEMA, with cooperation from its
mapping partners, is further integrating GIS into all phases of the flood
mapping process. This presentation will
introduce some of the key GIS tools, business processes and data standards
developed to improve the overall quality of the flood mapping products and to
meet the ambitious goals of the program.
GIS at a Medium-Sized Water Utility
Elisabeth DeGironimo, Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA),
edegironimo@mvwa.us
The Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA)
is in a multi-year process to update base mapping and provide wireless map and
document access to field personnel. This
presentation addresses the development of an ArcGIS-based water distribution
system basemap, hydraulic model, and ArcIMS site at the MVWA. The MVWA serves more than 125,000 people in
the Greater Utica area. Within a service area covering more than 150 square
miles, the MVWA maintains approximately 700 miles of pipe, 24 storage tanks, 3
reservoirs, and 22 pumping stations.
Location in Motion – A Crash Course on AVL Technology
Austin Fisher, Applied GIS, Inc.,
Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL)
technology is used to track and visualize vehicle positions. These systems
capture geographic coordinates using GPS and often integrate GIS to display and
manage the vehicle location data. AVL is being used in a wide range of
applications from fleet management to E911 dispatching and by organizations
such as public works departments, emergencies services, utility companies, and
many types of private sector businesses.
This presentation will provide an
introduction to AVL including: an overview of its primary components;
configuration options; application examples; implementation considerations; and
system benefits. A demonstration of AVL technology will also be presented and
system hardware will be available for viewing.
Visualizing Statistical Relationships Spatially:
Underutilized ArcGIS Tools
Joe D. Francis, Cornell University, Jdf2@cornell.edu
Antoni Magri,
GIS professionals are very creative and
effective in portraying, displaying and analyzing relationships among
attributes associated with a variety of features in a feature class. An area of neglect has been in the employment
of statistical procedures along with other visualization techniques. This presentation illustrates some usages of
the graph/charting tools and the Geostatistical Analyst to show the power of
spatial modeling over traditional statistical analysis. Traditional statistical analyses have not
taken the spatial dimension into consideration sufficiently; doing so not only
increases the powerfulness of the analysis of relationships, but also adds
pizzazz to a presentation and report.
The Role of the Digital Camera in Emergency Response
Andrew H. Freckmann, EarthData International of Maryland,
The migration of aerial imaging and
mapping into an all-digital environment holds great promise to geospatial data
users through improved image quality, positional accuracy and flexibility in
product offerings.
2003 was the first year when high
resolution digital aerial camera systems were widely used in the geospatial
marketplace and over the course of the year, this technology was repeatedly
tested and proven as a valuable tool to support planners and emergency managers
during natural or man-made disasters.
This presentation will detail the
circumstances, the project plan that was developed and the resulting geospatial
products that were produced in response to 2 major disasters that occurred
during 2003. Both disasters, Hurricane
Isabel and the vast wild fires that struck southern California both involved
the need to map large areas and to produce and deliver the completed map data
very rapidly with both projects exceeding 2,000 square miles and completed
within 30 days.
Digital imaging technology also
produces a variety of ancillary products that have value in emergency response
but are also valuable in disaster preparedness planning and analysis.
The presentation will provide an
overview of the technology, a description of the planning and logistics of a
disaster response mission and examples of the types of imagery and products
that can be produced.
Developing International LULC to Enhance Border Security in
NY
Ed Freeborn, Geographic Information Analyst, National Law
Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center for the Northeast (NLECTC-NE),
The
Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT) sponsored remote
sensing projects for 14 states in the Northeast US. The project sponsored in New York developed
LULC data for NY’s northern border with Canada, including Ontario and
Quebec. This data extends 10 miles (16
km) into Canada and 10 miles into NY, and will be used to enhance border
enforcement. A unique partnership of
agencies was formed to apply for the grant and develop the data.
Asset Logistics Management System for
Jenny Gnanendran, Ecology and Environment, Inc.,
jgnanendran@ene.com
NYC Office of Emergency Management
(OEM) and Ecology & Environment Inc.’s conjunctive goal was to develop an
easily maintained citywide asset and logistics management system (CALMS) with
immediate value to the Citywide EOC Logistics Team prior to, during, and after
an emergency. The online system
incorporated information routinely required by the logistics staff, and reduced
inefficiencies in accessing and mapping critical resource information. The Logistics Task Force and OEM’s Logistics
experts used their experience to identify and determine the main functionality
needed from CALMS. It was decided that
the secure online system would be used to track and map key Facilities, Fleet,
Personnel, and
Supplies/Equipment, as these are the
most frequently requested assets or needs during an emergency.
MapInfo
Doug Gordon, Managing Director, Product Management, MapInfo
N/A
The utilization of Spatial Analysis and 3-D Visualization to
site wind farms in Chautauqua County, New York
Kevin A. Gray, GIS Analyst, Ecology and Environment, Inc.,
kgray@ene.com
Wind power is an underutilized
alternate energy resource that has a high potential to reduce energy
costs. Careful and specialized preplanning
is necessary to locate ideal wind farm locations. This paper describes how GIS spatial analysis
was used to make the Chautauqua County Wind Farm siting process more efficient,
and focuses on using 3D visualization as
an effective decision making tool. The
parameters used to determine suitable locations include: wind speed, land use, slope of terrain, and
distance from existing street and power ROWs.
3-D visualization techniques of the proposed wind farm, which took the
form of a multi-scenario movie, were used for the final review.
GIS Habitat Models for Spruce Grouse in the
Sunita Halasz, Environmental Program Specialist, NYS
Adirondack Park Agency,
sshalasz@gw.dec.state.ny.us
The Adirondack Park Agency developed
two models of potential Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis
canadensis) habitat to aid Dr. Glenn
Johnson of SUNY Potsdam in his ongoing Spruce Grouse research in the Adirondack
Park. Spruce Grouse are classified as and Endangered species in New York State,
with perhaps only 175-315 individuals left in New York State in very specific
lowland boreal habitats in the Adirondacks. The specific habitat type preferred
by this species lends itself well to being modeled using Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) technology, and therefore GIS is an excellent tool for guiding
where the Spruce Grouse research team should conduct additional visits. In
addition to being used for
identifying future monitoring areas, the habitat model can also be used to
measure habitat connectivity and habitat quality which can be used as a basis
for a spruce grouse recovery/management plan and/or to identify areas on the
landscape requiring further protection.
Dynamic Models of Land Use Change in the
Myrna Hall,
Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, SUNY College of Environmental
Science and Forestry, mhhall@esf.edu
R. Neil Sampson
and Mary Tyrrell, Yale Global Institute for Sustainable Forestry, Yale School
of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Contrary to the commonly accepted axiom
that forests in the NE are coming back, we have found that the privately-owned
"working forest" landscape of this region is increasingly under
threat from urban sprawl and other unplanned development. We apply a land use/land cover (LULC) change
model, GEOMOD, to analyze those factors that explain past patterns of forest
fragmentation in the Catskill/Delaware Region of New York State and the Thames
Watershed of Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Systematic changes are identified through accounting for persistence of
large LULC types, and model validation at multiple scales is explored. Using
satellite-derived rates of forest loss we project development in each region to
create the most likely landscape 10 and 20 years hence. Additionally, we are
able to show that parcelized land holdings are 1.5 times more likely to lead to
forest fragmentation than non-parcelized.
Integrating GIS in an Automated
Graham Hayes, GIS Consultant, Red Oak Consulting, A division
of Malcolm
Pirnie, Inc,
Scott A. Mayers, Red Oak Consulting, A division of Malcolm
Pirnie, Inc
World-class customer service is a
strategic goal of most forward-looking water and wastewater Utilities. It is often the lens of public perception of
the entire Utility’s operations. Continuous improvements in customer service
and public relations can pay immeasurable dividends in the value that the
Public places on their water and wastewater utility providers.
Red Oak Consulting, a division of Malcolm
Pirnie, Inc., have combined their experience with GIS as a visualization and
analysis tool, with their IT experience setting up Automated Call Centers, to
leverage the benefits of both technologies for a unique customer service
application.
The primary goals of automating a
customer service call center are to:
· Improve
customer service by reducing wait time
· Provide
self-service options
· Route
emergency calls
· Reduce
processing time for each call
· Track
customer calls by type
· Provide
a system to monitor call center employee performance.
Based on an assessment of the manual
call center performance statistics it was determined that five new customer
self-service applications would be useful:
1. Automated
30-Day Payment Extensions
2. Meter
Re-read requests
3. Centralized
Main Break reporting
4. Water
Quality Complaints
5. Water
Pressure Complaints
Three of these applications, the main
break, water quality, and pressure complaint tools lend themselves to direct
GIS integration. The meter re-reads
request will (in the future) be integrated into an existing GIS-based vehicle
routing package.
To provide the “hook” between the
customer service call records and the GIS, customer service locations were
created by geocoding the customer service address to a series of parcel label
points created just inside the property line or as offset points from
“geocodable” street centerline files. By
creating and maintaining customer service locations in the GIS with customer
service-IDs, related records from work order tracking, water quality (LIMS),
and Leak History can be tied to the customer service location for visualization
and analysis.
The integrated GIS functions include
zooming to the property address of the caller, displaying call history from the
caller and surrounding neighbors. A
future integration will include the location of all recent work orders to help
recognize changes in the system (i.e. flushing programs, leaks, pressure loss
from fire flow, etc.)
The ability to display all active calls
on a map within a given time frame allow dispatchers to assess and recognize
trends or cluster in call patterns related to a single or multiple outage
events. The initial automated message
can be immediately updated to acknowledge known problems to lessen the volume
of calls. An additional future
enhancement includes the use of an automated outbound dialer to proactively
warn customers in a region when a series of calls begin to emanate from a
specific neighborhood.
While the independent use of GIS and Automated
Call Centers offer increased productivity, the combination of both technologies
can offer even greater return on investment.
Using ArcIMS to Study Quality of Traffic Flow at Ramp
Junctions
Eric Herman, GIS Program Manager, NY State Thruway Authority,
eric_herman@thruway.state.ny.us
Interchanges, particularly ramp
junctions, are frequently among the first places to fail on an expressway. The
Level of Service (LOS) at a ramp junction represents the quality of traffic
flow at that junction. With an internal,
browser-based GIS application, the NY State Thruway Authority is using ArcIMS
to harness the power of GIS for analyzing this type of data. Through data
from the Authority’s Ramp Junction LOS Project, information concerning traffic
conditions at each ramp junction is coming to life in all new ways. The application makes it much simpler for
data users to perform valuable analyses about the performance of the highway at
these critical junctions, and to help plan for improvements in service to all
Thruway customers.
South Shore Estuary Reserve Open Space Evaluation
Presentation
Jeffrey L. Herter, Division of Coastal Resources, New York
State Department of
State, jherter@dos.state.ny.us
Peter Lauridsen, NYS Dept of State, Division of Coastal Resources
The New York State Department of State,
Division of Coastal Resources, is responsible for providing data and analysis
to the South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) office for assisting with programs
and decision making. Four years ago the
Division completed an initial analysis identifying all privately owned parcels
greater than 5 acres in size that showed potential open space value in need of
protection in the SSER. That analysis
resulted in identification of nearly 900 parcels throughout the SSER that met
those criteria. Since it is not
practical to protect all identified parcels at one time, a method to prioritize
the open space was needed. Division
staff developed a scoring scheme with a list of variables such as size within a
town, proximity to National Heritage Sites, Historic sites, Significant Coastal
Fish & Wildlife Habitats, wetlands, land cover, Q3 flood zones, distance to
water, etc. Once all variables were
identified and scored, Division GIS staff set up a working session with other
Division staff and developed an equation that incorporates each variable
score. When the equation was agreed
upon, it was applied to each candidate open space parcel to derive an overall
score which resulted in a prioritized list for open space protection, by town,
in the SSER.
Consistency Review Application Presentation
Jeffrey L. Herter, Division of Coastal Resources, New York
State Department of State, jherter@dos.state.ny.us
Nikifor Nikiforov and Bridget Kennedy, Division of Coastal Resources,
New York State Department of State
The New York State Department of State,
Division of Coastal Resources, is responsible for timely review and
decision-making involving federal, state, and local actions in the State’s
coastal area. Currently, the
Division reviews approximately 1,200
actions each year. The purpose of this
project was to provide a more efficient process to review these 1000+
applications. The Division created a
relational database from “flat” spread sheets, converting 8 years of
consistency review project records into an MSAccess database. A graphic user interface (gui) was developed
to facilitate Division staff access and queries of the database. Finally, the GUI and relational database were
tied to a geographic component through a mapping application that provides
connectivity to the master database allowing dynamic query capability, mapping
of queries and records, and updating database.
The project resulted in streamlined application processing procedures
and provides a technical tool to analyze tabular and geographic data. Ultimately the project will assist in
quantifying cumulative effects of coastal area development on natural systems.
Building an LULC Partnership
Colin Homer, USGS
One of
the goals of the partnership formed under the IAGT sponsored grant is to
demonstrate the value of LULC data, and to develop the partnership that will be
required to ensure ongoing, updated coverage of the border region. An essential member of this partnership will
be the USGS and the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) program. We have invited Colin Homer, Program Manager
of the NLCD program to speak about their approach to developing partnerships
with states and other cooperating agencies.
Development of a GIS Template to Assist Forest Stewardship
Planning and Reporting for
Christine Hopkins, Graduate Student, SUNY-ESF,
ChristineHopkins@twcny.rr.com
The USDA Forest Stewardship Program
provides technical assistance, through State forestry agency partners, to non-industrial
private forest owners to encourage and enable active long-term forest
management through the development of comprehensive, multi-resource management
plans. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has
committed itself to this task. The
desire for data standardization within the NYSDEC has led to the development of
the Forest Stewardship Automated Data Entry System (FSADES). SUNY ESF has developed this application to
make recording and reporting Stewardship activities more efficient. The
application is an extension for ArcView 3.x.
The goal is to standardize Forest
Stewardship Plans and manage the associated data in a universal format. This will allow for regional and statewide
summarization of lands in the program and at the same time assist foresters in
the creation of plan reports. The
extension contains a self-explanatory user interface allowing for the creation
of data in a guided format. Extensive
familiarity with ArcView is not required.
NYSDEC field foresters are the target audience for this extension, but
considerations have been made for private consultants that may desire to use
the extension as well. In creating a standard for Forest Stewardship Plans, it
is expected that the development of management plans will become simpler and
more efficient, and that the compilation of valuable statistics will be
completed in a timely and efficient manner.
An Overview of the New Statewide GIS Roads and Addressing
Data Set
William F. Johnson, NYS Office of Cyber Security &
Critical Infrastructure
Coordination (CSCIC), william.johnson@cscic.state.ny.us
More commonly known as the NYS Accident
Location Information System (ALIS) GIS Roads Data, this presentation will
provide an executive overview of the newly available GIS Roads file and the
other associated ALIS GIS data layers, why these data layers are important to
the NYS GIS user community, and how the user community can assist with data
maintenance. It is important that NYS’
investment in this data is not lost. NYS
is committed to continued maintenance of the data as shown by the ongoing data
improvements NYS is performing and the maintenance partnerships being developed
with other data stakeholders. The NYS
GIS user community is invited to learn how they can join us in the continued
improvement of the data by simply sharing their additions, corrections and
noted errors in the data sets.
GIS Land Base Development and Data Integration Mapping the
Essentials
Brent A. Jones, PE, PLS, Vice President, James W. Sewall
Company,
bjones@jws.com
An accurate land base is the geographic
foundation to a successful GIS. Given
this, why do municipalities, counties, and utilities choose different scales,
datums, resolutions, and coordinate systems?
What criteria do they use in determining data accuracy and the accuracy
they need?
To implement GIS, local government and
utilities address questions of accuracy on a daily basis. What is the difference between aerial photography
and satellite imagery? What photo scale and pixel resolution are appropriate
for a given use? What happens when parcels don’t line up with lines of
occupation?
How are these conflicts resolved? Why don’t the coordinates from the GPS
receiver plot on the map correctly? Can
this information be used for engineering? How are water lines on linen
integrated into the GIS? How do we know
if this data is accurate? How accurate should it be?
This session will present
comprehensive, practical information on GIS land base development and data
integration, identifying current challenges and current practices. Part of the discussion will focus on how to
evaluate existing data accuracy and to achieve required accuracies using
current technology.
The Evolution of a Web-Based Winter Traveler Advisory System
Marilyn Lamanna, Technology Support Analyst, NYS Department
of
Transportation, llamanna@dot.state.ny.us
Early in the winter of 2002-03 the
Director of the Transportation Maintenance Division (TMD) of New
York State Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT), Gary McVoy was appalled to discover that there was no system for
providing the traveling public information on winter highway conditions. A team was formed consisting of individuals
from: TMD, GIS Bureau, and the
Information Services Bureau to develop a system to provide a web based
application for the collection and dissemination of winter highway conditions
for both internal and public use.
The presentation will focus on the
process developed to capture winter road and visible ambient weather conditions
for 2400 segments of NYS highways for input by over 700 highway maintenance
workers spread across over 230 physical locations across New York State.
We determined the types of conditions
to report on in three categories: road
status, pavement conditions and ambient weather conditions. The road status condition drives the color
coding on a GIS map that is the primary end user interface. Next, the individual segments of our route
system that would be reported on were joined across counties to create a map
that would provide useful information for key corridors continuous across the
State. Finally, the communications and
updating process from the plow operators to the radio watch person who updates
the system through a simple web form was established.
ArcGIS 8 and ArcIMS were used to create
the real time web based application.
Environmental Remediation and Restoration Information
Network
Byoungjae Lee, Department of Geography, SUNY Buffalo, blee4@buffalo.edu
Douglas M. Flewelling, Department of Geography, SUNY
A. Scott Weber and Shankar Ram, Department of Civil,
Structural, and Environmental Engineering, SUNY
The Center for Integrated Waste
Management (CIWM) housed at State University of New York at Buffalo has
implemented a Web GIS based Environmental Remediation and Restoration
Information Network (ERRIN) with funding from the New York State Department of
EP. ERRIN is being developed to provide information regarding the New York
State Superfund, Voluntary Cleanup, and Brownfield Restoration Programs. ERRIN provides a powerful tool to obtain
information on environmental restoration projects in
New York State and provides an
opportunity to compare and understand the various factors that determine the
remediation objectives at different hazardous waste sites.
ERRIN has been built as a three-tier
architecture. It is composed of a database, application server, and the client.
The database is managed by Oracle 9i database. Oracle 9iAS, Apache-Tomcat, and
ArcSDE are used for the link between the database and ArcIMS 4.0 server. The
client can access the website through an ArcIMS service. The communication
between these tiers is facilitated and enhanced by JavaServlets, JSP, and JDBC.
ERRIN can be accessed through two
easy-to-use interfaces (Web Interface and Map Interface) and a
SQL Gateway for advanced users. A brief
description of the interfaces is given below.
1) Web Interface: The Web Interface is
primarily a form-based GUI. It has a query page that allows the user to search
for sites based on specific criteria.
2) Map Interface: The Map Interface
includes an interactive Map interface that is tightly integrated with a
form-based GUI that allows the user to perform various queries. The map denotes
sites that are in the database and is dynamically updated based on query
criteria. Hence, in addition to the capabilities of the
Web Interface, the Map Interface allows
the user to perform spatial queries and represents the query results on a map.
3) SQL Gateway: This interface is meant
for advanced users who are familiar with the Structured
Query Language (SQL). The SQL Gateway
includes a Query Builder that greatly simplifies the process of constructing
queries.
The importance of this project is to
show the way to provide a tool to obtain consolidated environmental
information. Even previously created documentations can be successfully
integrated with geographic data, and offered through the internet as easily
accessible visual source and research tool.
AgViewer: An Internet Based Geographic Information System
(GIS) to Query and Analyze NYS Agricultural and Environmental Data.
Arthur Lembo, Senior Research Associate and Senior Lecturer,
Cornell
University, ajl53@cornell.edu
This is a USDA funded GIS project to
develop a user-friendly Internet based GIS tool for the query and analysis of
New York State agricultural and environmental data at three distinct scales:
State-level,
District-level, and Local-level; With
regard to applications at variable spatial scales, the State-level component
includes data of relevance to NYS Ag & Markets, The district-level
component allows users to display and analyze information typically associated
with soil and water conservation districts, and the local-level component will
include data normally associated at farm scale applications. The system was developed using Manifold GIS,
and Internet Map Server and illustrates the potential for a low cost, and powerful
GIS tool for organizations focused on agricultural and environmental
applications.
An Interactive GIS for Brownfield Redevelopment - A Work in
Progress
Sumant Mallavaram, Environmental Engineer, Lawler, Matusky
& Skelly
Engineers,
Patricia Parvis, Lawler, Matusky & Skelly Engineers LLP
A developer client of LMS recently
acquired more than 1000 acres of a former industrial site to redevelop one of
the largest privately owned brownfield sites in the United States. Several
economic and community development agencies, state environmental agencies, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and a regional economic development
corporation are involved in a supporting role. In order to facilitate
redevelopment activities, LMS designed and implemented an interactive GIS mapping
application using ESRI’s ArcIMS. The
website permits sharing of available geospatial information among the involved
parties. Data can be queried using a simple tool bar to answer a variety of
questions ranging from basic information gathering to assessing complex
relationships among proposed construction activities, existing infrastructure
and areas of environmental concern. The main goal of this application is to
create and maintain a platform for bringing data from several sources/formats
together into a central repository in one consistent format. Further, it would
be available to the stakeholders and decision makers with limited or no GIS
experience in a simple easy-to-understand interface through the internet. This
not only increases the efficiency of work flow significantly but also saves
time by serving everyone’s mapping needs in a consistent manner. Several
enhancements to the application are planned for the near future and include an
option for the user to view maps at a scale of his choice, printing the map to
a PDF document (reusability), and an interface to perform a host of customized
geospatial analyses (currently not available in the out-of-the-box ArcIMS).
LULC Development Capabilities at the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources (OMNR)
Richard Mussakowski, OMNR,
Spatial Data Imaging Pilot Project
Dorothy M. Nash, OMAP Mapping Support Group, dnash@nypd.org
1. The City of New York has been developing spatially-enabled data
on Critical Infrastructure, most notably the transit system. The attached
document provides an overview of this effort to effectively integrate
geo-referenced critical infrastructure data for both planning and operational
purposes. This office has initiated a spatial imaging pilot project to begin
using advanced mapping tools in managing security during the upcoming
Republican National Convention (RNC).
2. Dell has provided an extended evaluation of hardware for this
"proof of concept" initiative. ER Mapper, MapInfo, AutoCAD Map and
the NYU Center for Advanced Technology are other key partners in an effort to
deploy preliminary Critical Infrastructure Initiative work product at the
earliest possible date prior to the RNC.
3. The project
will require network support to make surface and sub-surface (transit) imagery
resources available to NYPD personnel involved in planning and managing RNC
security. This initiative will also enable the Department to use the most
recent aerial photography of the RNC area compressed and served as a single
image. Pictometry oblique angle imagery will be geo-referenced to
these "mosaiced "digital orthophotos.
How Location-based Technology Impacts Community Policing:
Intranet-based crime analysis and mapping application helps officers analyze
criminal activities in near real-time
Sabby Nayar, Strategic Industry Manager, Government, MapInfo
Corporation/City of Troy Police Dept. Representative,
This session will highlight how the
Troy, NY Community Policing Unit is using an intranet-based mapping application
to police more effectively and better protect the community and its
citizens. Troy’s Community Police Unit
was established in 1995 on the principle that interaction with community
residents can reduce crime and increases the quality of life of Troy’s
citizens. Community police officers patrol the city on bicycles, foot and on
horseback, which provides the officers with the opportunity to interact closely
with community members. The community policing application built with MapInfo
technology and data enables Troy police officers to quickly and easily perform
searches based on various criteria, such as police zone, date range and type of
police incident or city code complaint. Searchable offenses include assault,
prostitution, homicide, cruelty to animals and excessive noise. Using this
data, police officers can generate several types of maps and reports to help
them analyze what types of crimes and violations are happening in certain
neighborhoods, or even at specific street addresses, so that they can more
effectively respond to situations and take steps to reduce crime. Officers analyze the occurrence of crime
incidents and complaints about violations of the city’s codes in near
real-time, this helps them spend less time manually reviewing and analyzing data, and more time patrolling the
neighborhoods, interacting with residents and keeping Troy safe for its
citizens and visitors. During this session, you will learn how mapping
technology is making a valuable difference in keeping communities secure.
ESRI Technology Update
Chris Nickola, NYS Account Manager - State Government and
Private Accounts,
ESRI-Boston, cnickola@esri.com
ESRI has recently released its latest version
of the ArcGIS family of products, version 9.
ArcGIS is an integrated collection of GIS software products for building
a complete GIS for your organization. The
ArcGIS framework enables you to deploy
GIS functionality and business logic wherever it is needed—in desktops, servers
(including the Web), or mobile devices. This architecture, coupled with the
geodatabase, gives you the tools to assemble intelligent geographic information
systems. This presentation will provide
an update on ESRI technology that has been recently released and highlight some
future development efforts.
Status and Future of the New York Statewide Digital
Orthoimagery
Tim Ruhren, NYS CSCIC,
The current Annual Lot of the NYSDOP
marks several key firsts which will be key in shaping the program’s
future. Sixteen counties were re-flown
in April 2004, making these the first counties, originally flown in 2000 and
2001, to be re-visited as part of the NYSDOP.
(The program was created with the goal of updating all areas at least
every 4 or 5 years.) In addition,
several technical changes were introduced in year 4 including the first use of
multi-spectral (4-band) digital cameras.
These cameras could make obtaining multiple image types for a given area
more feasible within the NYSDOP.
Finally, user feedback received over the first 4 years will be discussed
relative to how it will help shape the NYSDOP’s future.
Mobile GIS Implementation for the Enterprise Database
Steven Russell, Jr., Information Technology Engineer, Erie
County Department of Environment & Planning – Division of Sewerage
Management, russells@erie.gov
Erie County Department of Environment
& Planning - Division of Sewerage Management (DSM) initiated a GIS program
in 2002 with the goal of mapping all existing assets and creating a database of
asset information. After two years of
data collection, it was time to give the database information to field staff
for detailed verification and collection of asset information.
Mobile GIS can be thought of as a way
of bringing the information of the enterprise database to all members of an
organization. From the decision makers
in the office to the field staff, all employees have the ability to view and
edit asset information.
Mobile GIS consists of three key
components; GPS technology, GIS software, and Pocket PC devices, as well as
other types of computer hardware such as ruggedized data collectors, digital
cameras, and digital video. Integration
of these components allows field staff to query, add, and change data directly
in the field. The DSM utilizes Trimble
GPS hardware and software, ESRI software, and HP iPAQs.
This presentation will discuss the
good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of Mobile GIS implementation. It will demonstrate how the DSM uses Trimble
GPS products and HP iPAQs to integrate with custom e-forms in ArcPad to edit
and locate sewer asset information for the Enterprise GIS. Problems associated with rolling out the
Mobile GIS project to a technology challenged workforce will also be presented.
Geographic Information Technology for the Assessment and
Management of Storm Water in Rural Settings
Dave Scherf, Ulster County Environmental Management,
dscherf@frostvalley.org
Rick Fritschler and Myra Fedyniak, Ulster County Environmental
Management
This presentation will discuss the
circumstances and challenges involved in the mapping of rural highway storm
water infrastructure.
GIS Leadership – A Closer Look at the “S”
Jim Schoenberg, GIS Business Segment Leader, Bergmann
Associates,
jschoenberg@bergmannpc.com
As GIS technology has become more
prevalent and mainstream, there has been a tremendous amount of press and
coverage regarding topics such as data, maps, websites, databases, software and
applications. Oddly enough, these types of issues can be directly correlated to
“G” and “I” components in the acronym GIS. They are, in fact, geographic and
information based issues. However, the third element in the acronym GIS (the S)
is probably the most difficult to understand and causes a majority of the
derailments relative to GIS lifecycles, sustainability and support. Using
Systems and Leadership Theory a thorough exploration regarding the nature of
systems will be addressed with a goal to help educate GIS users, administrators
and politicians on balancing the funding and support given to the G, the I and
the S in a technology-based environment.
Improving Asset Management: Integrating Hansen Asset
Management Systems with ArcGIS
Jim Schoenberg, GIS Business Segment Leader, Bergmann
Associates,
jschoenberg@bergmannpc.com
Paul Schenkel, Monroe County GIS Services Division
Monroe County, New York has a
tremendous amount of assets to maintain, update and report on. This includes utility infrastructure (fiber,
interconnect ducts, sewer systems), roadways, intersections, Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) infrastructure, etc. Maintaining these assets has been a
two-tiered and cumbersome approach up until this point. That is, Monroe County staff would update and
maintain the GIS data within ArcGIS and then update and maintain the Oracle 9i
tables within Hansen with attribute data and information. This approach involved double entries and
inefficient data management practices.
Monroe County realized the need to become more efficient with asset data
management.
This presentation will cover how Monroe
County synchronized the data flow between the Hansen Asset Management System
and ArcGIS to become a centralized and GIS-based asset management system. Using an ArcSDE-based approach, the County
migrated all of their asset and GIS data to an Oracle-based ArcSDE system. Linkages to the County’s Hansen system was
established through GeoAdministrator, a Hansen Database Connection Product. Through this integration, all asset data
updates are now occurring in ArcGIS (ArcInfo or ArcEditor) and GeoAdministrator
will make the necessary connections to keep the synchronicity in the Oracle 9i
tables. This has allowed County staff
the ability to work with the most updated asset information. Instead of waiting for assets to be updated
in both systems, a synchronized approach has allowed data maintenance to be
more efficient and allow the Hansen tables to be automatically updated within
ArcGIS. This strategy has proven that
the asset data updates are never double-keyed (a.k.a. double-entry) and that
the database tables are not competing.
"AHEC Tools" A User-Friendly Data Resource
Steven Schreiber, New York State Area Health Education
Center System,
schreis@mail.amc.edu
The New York State Area Health
Education Center System (AHEC) is a state and federally funded program that
focuses on improving the supply and quality of the healthcare workforce in
medically underserved communities. The Eastern Regional Office of AHEC, located
at Albany Medical College, serves as a data resource center for the statewide
AHECsystem. “AHEC Tools” is an intranet
website with an easy-to-use GIS application by which users can select, analyze,
and present a wide range of socio-demographic, health, and educational data.
The data support such activities as strategic planning, grants development and
Health Professional Shortage Area designations. The user accesses data by first
selecting on the map, the geographic area of interest, for example a ZIP code.
A census or health variable is then selected, for example, population over age
65 or low birth weight rate. Results are
presented as raw data or percentages and compared to statewide averages and
percentile ranges. Users can also create
new areas by selecting multiple geographic units, for example, three ZIP codes
that make up a particular community. New
totals and rates will be computed for that community, and compared to statewide
figures. Point data showing the location of physician and dentist’s practices;
hospitals; clinics; nursing homes; public and private schools; and higher
educational institutions with health professions training can also be selected
for all geographic areas. Another
feature of the website allows the user to define and analyze service areas
based on actual driving times from hospitals and clinics.
GIS & ArcPad Studio: Managing & investigating Forest
Health
Margaret Shyer, Forest Health and Protection, NYS DEC
Division of Lands and Forests, mlshyer@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Jerry Carlson and Jason Denham, Forest Health and
Protection, NYS DEC Division of Lands and Forests
The Forest Health and Protection
Section of the Division of Lands and Forests within NYS DEC is a cooperative
program between State and Federal Agencies.
New York is a densely populated State with a highly mobile population
and our international ports are among the largest on the Continent. These factors contribute significantly to the
frequency, intensity and dispersal of introduced organisms. The
State’s forests are relatively young
and still recovering from several hundred years of industrial and societal
neglect. One of our largest challenges
in forest health protection is to efficiently understand the susceptibility of
our forests to both introduced and native pests. Our primary goal is to identify areas of the
state that are at high risk to health affecting agents and to increase the
public’s awareness of forest ecosystem health.
A good deal of the first part of our
goal is accomplished through GIS and related technologies. These are important to our unit because
current data on forest health is limited and/or obsolete. We are currently using various ESRI programs
along with mobile mapping to identify and characterize high-risk areas. Our mobile mapping and data entry systems are
used to conduct ground and aerial surveys to annually monitor forest
health. Field data summaries and
analyses help us make key decisions about funding priorities and they allow us
to identify and refine high-risk areas.
Our field data entry forms are
constructed with ArcPad Application Builder and VBA. Our mobile devices are Hp-iPaqs operating
with ArcPad linked to Magellan GPS units.
This presentation will describe our progress in mobile mapping, data
collection and real-time analyses.
Integrating Multi-Resolution Data Sources to Update and
Improve Land Cover and Land Use Classifications for NYC's 2,000 Square Mile
Terry Spies, GIS Coordinator - Watershed Lands and Community
Planning,
Bureau of Water Supply, New York City Department of
Environmental
Protection, tspies@dep.nyc.gov
George Washburn, Geospatial Software and Modeling Division,
PAR Government Systems
The New York City Department of
Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) identified the need for updated and refined
land cover and land use products for its upstate watershed to serve a myriad of
applications at the Bureau of Water Supply, including: City-owned water supply
land management, land acquisition planning, hydrologic runoff modeling,
permitting, and build-out analysis. PAR
Government
Systems Corporation (PAR), in tight
collaboration with NYCDEP remote sensing and GIS staff, developed a suite of
land cover/land use data products to meet this need using semi-automated techniques.
The initial base product was an Anderson level 1-2 land cover derived through
supervised classification of Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery. Next, an impervious
surface feature extraction layer was derived using machine learning
image-processing techniques (pattern recognition) applied to high-resolution (1
ft.) orthoimagery collected by Emerge and NYS.
Finally, a 10-meter resolution Anderson Level 4 land use/land cover
classification was produced, consisting of 50 land use classes derived through
the introduction of ancillary data layers (tax parcels, wetlands, impervious
surfaces and crops) and the employment of semi-automated spatial processing
techniques.
Geospatial Analysis of the Effectiveness of the WTC
Residential Dust Cleanup Program
William Thayer, P.E., Syracuse Research Corporation,
thayer@syrres.com
Following the collapse of the WTC
buildings, EPA and its federal, state and city partners arranged for the
cleanup of residential units, using certified contractors, with follow-up
testing for airborne asbestos. In a subset of residences, data on contaminant
loading in settled dust (mass / sampled surface
area) were also collected prior to and following cleanup. As part of the assessment of the
effectiveness of the cleanup effort, we analyzed the data, using methods from
spatial statistics (e.g., point pattern analysis and spatial autoregression) to
determine if the asbestos data exhibited any spatial pattern that might support the hypothesis that
contamination levels measured after cleanup were attributable to residual
contamination from the collapse of the WTC buildings. We tested the hypothesis using Monte Carlo-type
statistical tests that were appropriate for data that were not collected using
random sampling methods (cleanups and sampling were performed at the request of
residents of Lower Manhattan); the tests considered the geographic location of
the sampled buildings, and the number of samples collected from each building. The point pattern analysis was performed
using GeoSEM: GIS software that was developed by SRC for the application of
spatial statistics in human and ecological risk assessment. The results of our analysis did not support
the hypothesis that exceedance of the health-based benchmarks were related to
the collapse of the WTC buildings.
3D or bust: Lessons Learned Working with 3D data in ArcGIS
John Thomack, GIS Coordinator, jthomack@dot.state.ny.us
At NYSDOT we are finding an increasing
need to use various 3D source data to build terrain surfaces for many
applications from visualization to hydrology.
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate the essential
elements of working with DEMs, DRGs, contours, TINs, and breaklines to create
3D surfaces using the tools available in ArcGIS. Although this presentation is oriented to a
specific software, many of the principles discussed are universal. This presentation will address the following
issues related to 3D source data layers:
1) Resolution/Scale
– 100 m, 30 m, 10 m or better. How much
is too much or what is good enough?
2) Densify or Simplify – resampling
the 3D source data. Why resample and how
resampling affects the resulting surface.
3) Project/reproject 3D data – State
Plane to UTM and back. Some suggestions on
navigating around the vector vs. raster reprojection issues.
4) Merge/mosaic 3D data layers –
building out the AOI. How to pull all
the pieces together into a single surface.
5) Clipping
3D surfaces – 2D and 3D polygon clips. Hard
clip vs. soft clip issues.
6) Multi-resolution 3D surfaces –
deliberately combining different resolution 3D data. Understanding the problems and resolving the
conflicts.
The presentation will also include a
demonstration of rendering 3D surfaces, extruding objects on the 3D surface,
draping images over 3D surfaces, and exaggerating the elevation of a 3D
surface. If time permits, the
presentation will also include fundamentals of navigating around a 3D scene and
creating scene animation.
Implementing GIS Technology within the Gates Fire District
Jeff Volpe, GIS Business Segment Manager, Bergmann
Associates,
Fire districts have a tremendous amount
of responsibility with tracking, analyzing and reporting on fire incidents, calls
for service and fire district analysis.
The use of GIS technology has vastly improved fire district’s analytical
needs as well as help improve pre-planning for emergency response scenarios. This presentation will focus on how fire
districts are implementing GIS technology.
Case studies and examples of fire districts in New York (Gates Fire
District, Spencerport Fire District) and other states
(City of Boulder, Colorado Fire
District) will be discussed. Specific
examples of how GIS is being used within fire districts will be discussed
including GIS applications that were custom built for developing box maps and
pre-plans, index mapping and integrating plume models within ArcGIS software.
NLCD 2001 Tree Canopy Mapping in
Jeff Walton, USDA Forest Service, jeffreywalton@fs.fed.us
As part of the NLCD 2001 mapping
project, the USDA Forest Service research unit in Syracuse is developing the
sub-pixel tree canopy and impervious surface maps for New York State and
southern New England. After a description
of the classification process, the data layers of New York will be presented
along with accuracy assessment results. A brief description of an application
of this data to urban forestry will also be presented.
GIS Implementation for Villages and Towns: Strategies to Get
Started (and keep it going)
Sam Wear, GIS Manager, Westchester County GIS, Department of
Information
Technology,
Even with the increased availability of
GIS data and consulting support, more readily available training courses
(classroom and online), decreased hardware and software costs, more focused
industry third-party software programs, easier integration with CAD and/or
other legacy systems, and overall general acceptance of GIS as a mainstream
government enterprise information management strategy - many small towns and
villages throughout New York continue to struggle with both implementing and
maintaining GIS programs. While the
literature is replete with many generic “checklists” or “procedures” on how to
get programs started, two areas in particular which continue to inhibit GIS
development in smaller New York state government include: (1) lack of direct
funding, and (2) managing the organizational change which is necessary to build
and maintain the GIS program over time.
Since the late 1980’s, Westchester
County GIS has taken a “partnership” approach with municipalities in building
local government GIS programs. Early partnership and outreach efforts included
developing municipal implementation plans, providing GIS software and metadata
training courses, establishing informal GIS data sharing agreements, GPS
demonstrations, and general ad-hoc technical support for desktop GIS
development. Today, the county’s partnership
with local governments is more focused in the program areas of joint data and
application development. If properly
designed, these joint efforts can be implemented to augment the business
functions of both levels of government - with significant cost savings and less
administrative overhead.
This presentation will provide an
overview of the current Westchester County GIS outreach and support program for
local governments. Data sharing, joint
application development (web and desktop) efforts, technical support services
and case studies from villages and towns in the county will be presented.
Audience participation will be
encouraged.
Mapping and Delineating Wetlands of Huntington Wildlife
Forest using Very High Digital Color-Infrared Imagery
Mehmet Yavuz, SUNY College of Environmental Science and
Forestry,
myavuz@syr.edu
Dr. Lee P. Herrington, SUNY College of Environmental Science
and Forestry
There is no question that wetlands are
in a volatile state worldwide and conterminous US. Detecting changes and trends
of the wetlands over the time is another difficult yet challenging job. In this
study, the effectiveness of off-site wetland delineation methods compared to
the traditional on-site wetland delineation methods is investigated using very
high resolution digital color-infrared (CIR) aerial imagery. National Wetland Inventory (NWI) delineation
results are compared to four mapping techniques; heads-up digitizing, hybrid
classification, GIS-ruled base, and unsupervised classification from same image
source. Then each mapping techniques are applied to seasonal images for both
CIR imagery and Landsat7 imagery. Pair-wise significant tests indicated that
heads-up digitizing is significantly better than other classification techniques for very high resolution CIR
imagery, but no significant difference for Landsat7 Satellite imagery.
Combination of GIS-ruled model and hybrid model showed that emergent wetland
and scrub-shrub wetlands can be identifiable without visiting the ground using
very high resolution digital CIR imagery.