Esri Federal User Conference 2005

Presentations

Esri Federal User Conference Proceedings 2005

The 2005 Esri Federal User Conference Proceedings is a compilation of professional abstracts and presentations delivered February 1–3, 2005, in Washington, D.C. Esri users contributed a fundamental part to the conference by submitting and presenting their presentations on a diverse collection of GIS applications. The proceedings promote GIS application by stimulating users to share their experiences and knowledge.

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Best Practices (BPR)

Integrating Esri Geodatabases and Oracle RDBMS in The National Map: Author(s): Dwight S. Hughes, USGS
Geodatabases can be started from scratch and developed entirely within the Esri environment. However, others can evolve from an existing Oracle RDBMS with its own applications and data maintenance processes built with Oracle tools. What can be done to optimize the complementary capabilities of both the Esri GIS and the Oracle relational environments? How can the hierarchical structure of the geodatabase be reconciled with an existing complex relational design without unnecessary duplication of data or processes? How can GIS and text-based applications be merged, leveraging both for optimum user access and data maintenance over the Web? The USGS faced these issues when designing the Structures, Boundaries, and Names layers of The National Map and integrating them with the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This presentation will discuss the issues, problems, answers, and proposed answers to optimizing the Esri GIS and Oracle RDBMS paradigms in the same system without constraining either.

Defense Command and Control Systems (DEF)

Increasing Situational Awareness via UAV Video Feeds in GIS Applications: Author(s): Lt. Col. Ricky E. Sward, HQ USAFA/DFCS; Tim R. Beerman, HQ USAFA/CEPD
With the emergence of UAVs and the video payloads available onboard, the integration of sensor data into a common framework referenced in a geodatabase is becoming more desirable.

The USAF Academy’s UAV Research Group, a 25-member multi-disciplinary team, and the Academy’s Geo Integration Office are developing a prototype UAV Situational Awareness Tool that will connect the commander in a command center to the video feed from an operational UAV. The prototype is being built as an Esri ArcObjects extension for ArcGIS 9 that displays a moving UAV on the spatial data from the geodatabase and streams the video data to an embedded video viewer in the map. The result is a fusion of the UAV’s location and video feed into a common frame of reference. Using this tool in a command center during dynamic situations will increase the situational awareness of Air Force Commanders.

GIS for the Intelligence Community (GIC)

IRRIS: Logistics Situational Awareness Worldwide

View presentation[PDF-660 KB] Author(s): Paul Allred, SDDCTEA; and Brendan Wesdock, GeoDecisions
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Transportation Engineering Agency (SDDCTEA) and GeoDecisions have developed IRRIS (www.IRRIS.com) technology. Critical goals of this tool are:

Provide a common interface into a system that provides a “one stop shop” to information.
Provide real-time information.
Integrate all information into one common operating picture.
Be flexible to handle the latest technological advancements.
Be scalable to handle small local issues as well as significant regional and national events.

This presentation will consist of a brief project description and demonstration. IRRIS has proven to be a very effective logistics and decision support tool for the military and emergency response. IRRIS has allowed SDDCTEA (www.tea.army.mil) to streamline military logistics, reducing the time and costs for military training and operations. IRRIS provides the military and Department of Defense (DoD) with greatly improved logistics situational awareness worldwide.

GIS Use in Enabling Decision Making (DEM)

Determining Building Vulnerability by Natural and Man-Made Hazards: Author(s): Sylvia Kendra, Smithsonian Institution; Dr. Michael Chipley, PBS&J
The Smithsonian Institution manages approximately 660 buildings and receives about 17 million visitors per year. This year, the Smithsonian’s Office of Protection Services launched a geospatial project designed to increase safety and security of visitors and staff. By utilizing existing software applications and collecting geospatial data specific to each site, we will have the ability to create scenarios for potential hazards, both natural and man-made, and take corrective action before a crisis exists. The project was initiated in early summer 2004 and holds high promise for success. Data collection is currently underway at the 29 Smithsonian Institution sites and campuses. These sites are located primarily in the Washington, D.C., mall area but also in remote locations such as the Arizona desert, Hawaii highlands, and Panama islands. Primary software used: Esri ArcGIS, ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, and FEMA HAZUS.
GIS and Utilities: Providing Solutions to the Navy: Author(s): Sandrine Bielmann, NAVFAC MidAtlantic
The NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Energy and Information Division has an ongoing effort to develop a rigorous GIS database for the Utility commodities throughout the region. SDS compliant geodatabases have been developed, geometric network created and applications are now being built to support day-to-day maintenance and use of the data. This talk will discuss several of the ongoing efforts to include the ArcIMS redline tool for tracking and making changes to the data, development of new meter reading routes using ArcLogistics, use of ArcGIS Schematics to develop Outage Reports and Utilities Consumption Analysis to drive utilities costs down.
GIS Usage at USAID/WBG as Management/Reporting Tool: Author(s): Tayseer Edeas, USAID
USAID West Bank and Gaza Mission has developed an Internet based GIS system to help in managing and tracking its programs of support and to help in measuring output and responding to clients’ and stakeholders’ requests. The system is built on ArcIMS and MS SQL. USAID partners open it over the Internet to feed their projects, and USAID staff use it to track and evaluate progress and reporting. So far, more than 50 partners are using the system and added projects worth $500 million.
Improvement of EMS Service Delivery Using GIS: Author(s): Lt. Erik Johnson and Capt. Chris Zervas, DC Fire & EMS Dept.
We have used GIS to analyze and report on the response to emergencies for several years and would like to share how we have accomplished some improvements. We plan to include information on the closing of DC General (and why you should care). Neither the responses nor the hospital locations are evenly distributed spatially. DC General was closed for 36 hours during the New Year’s 2000–01 holiday. The destinations for transports that occurred during this time were compared to other Monday holiday weekends. Mean transports during the hours of closure were compared to mean transports on the comparable holidays using Student’s t-test (p<0.05). The closure of the public hospital to EMS units resulted in statistically significant increases (p<0.0001) in transports to other hospitals. The closing of a hospital results in the redistribution of patients. Hospitals will experience more serious problems with emergency department overcrowding and this may impair their capability to respond to large-scale incidents (i.e., WMD attacks).
Using ArcIMS to Manage Daily Operations at the SRS: Author(s): Brad Pond, David M. Isiminger, Jr., and Gerald L. Philpot, WSRC; Roger K. Cottrell, BSRI
The Savannah River Site Operations Center (SRSOC) is responsible for monitoring personnel, property, emergency operations, and other day-to-day operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS), a 310 square mile Department of Energy complex. SRSOC officials asked the Environmental and Geographic Information Systems (EGIS) group at the SRS to create a functional Web site that contained a map interface for showing SRS employees the status of forestry-controlled burns, road closures, and other critical site information. EGIS responded with a highly-functional, easy-to-use ArcIMS Web site capable of quickly reflecting new site events. This Web site can be viewed by any SRS employee with access to a standard Internet Web browser. The Web site was created using Esri’s ArcIMS 4.0.1 software with a customized HTML Viewer.
Using ArcIMS to Prioritize EQIP Applications for USDA NRCS Wyoming (DEM): Author(s): Jeri Sue Ponder, CSC-USDA NCGC; Randy Wiggins and Cheryl Grapes, Wyoming NRCS State Office; Michele May, USDA NRCS NCGC
A customized ArcIMS tool was designed to assist with evaluating and prioritizing applications for funding for the EQIP program for the USDA NRCS in Wyoming. The ArcIMS HTML viewer was simplified to include only the necessary tools. A user is given the choice of entering a new EQIP application or working with existing applications. To enter an application, the user zooms to an area of interest, using DRGs or DOQQs as a reference layer, to place a point representing the location of a producer’s livestock waste facility. In the background, overlays are done on aquifer sensitivity, distance to water, and impaired watersheds. The user then submits nonspatial data about the facility via a JSP page. Each application is then scored and ranked against existing applications. All the information gathered is stored in an Oracle database. Significant time is saved, and more objective and reliable results are achieved.

Homeland Security (HOM)

A Spatial Based First Responder Incident Management Solution: Author(s): Christopher Couper, IBM
This paper describes a full featured, at scene, emergency responder incident management system utilizing wireless networking, portable and handheld computers and geospatial context based applications to help manage and control emergency responder based incidents.

An extensive spatially based mobile computing platform using Esri MapObjects and a relational database system has been developed. The application is NIMS compliant and uses a touch/select paradigm. A handheld application utilizing ArcPad has been prototyped to test various user scenarios and interaction paradigms. Numerous networking technologies such as WiFi, WiMax and Ad Hoc (Mesh) have been integrated along with the applications into a cohesive end to end infrastructure.

This solution will begin pilot phase in Winter of 2004 by the USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Fire & Aviation unit. The pilot will test the various components of the solution as to its feasibility in helping fight wildland fires and other types of incidents.
Homeland Infrastructure Foundation Level Database: Author(s): Justin Sherin, BAH; Jeff Dodd, U.S. Navy
The Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Database (HIFLD) Working Group is a coalition of federal, state, and local government organizations; Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC); and supporting private industry partners that are involved with geospatial issues related to homeland security (HLS), homeland defense (HLD), civil support, or emergency preparedness and response. The HIFLD Working Group is sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense (OASD-HD) and works closely with key entities, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to promote geospatial information sharing and knowledge management among its members. Bimonthly meetings are held focusing on domestic critical infrastructure sectors. This presentation will address various HLS/HLD collaboration successes achieved over the last year and highlight geospatial initiatives to be undertaken by HIFLD over the next year.

Installations and Environment Management (IEM)

Architectures for a Defense Installation Spatial Data Infrastructure: Author(s): Daniel Feinberg, DUSD/I&E
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Installation Spatial Data Infrastructure (DISDI) aims to synchronize existing GIS investments across the military department's installation and environment domains to concurrently satisfy DoD, Federal, and other stakeholder installation visualization requirements. The DISDI will leverage Federal geospatial data and metadata standards as well as Federal architecture and interoperability guidelines (including NSDI) to meet installation visualization needs. The DoD is currently establishing architectures (operational, system, and technical) to achieve this objective in coordination with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and key Federal agencies. This presentation will summarize DISDI architectural goals and efforts to date.
GEOFidelis—The USMC Installation GIS Program: Author(s): Andy Hanes, TAIC
GEOFidelis (GEOFi) is the USMC Installation GIS Program. GEOFi supports the GIS operations at USMC Installations by following the USMC goal to increase organizational effectiveness by providing improved information accuracy and reliability through the use of uniform programs, tools, data standards, and processes. GEOFi provides the USMC with a Common Operational Picture of each USMC Installation, an enterprise approach to GIS, and a uniform approach to serve USMC business applications. The presentation will include an overview of the GEOFi Program and detail the integration of GIS into the USMC-wide facilities maintenance application, USMCmax.
Mapping Drains From the Inside Out: Author(s): Mary Gainer, NASA Langley Research Center
Facility engineers at NASA Langley have maintained data on the center's drainage system for many years in hard-copy and CADD drawings. However, each building and the exterior drainage systems were maintained in their own space and lacked geographic references to allow an overview of the entire exterior systems and the interconnectivity with interior drains. Although converting exterior features is commonplace in GIS, maintaining interior features is a fairly new concept. In addition, the requirement to continue to maintain orthographic floor plans drove the development of the process to capture all spatial features at the center. This paper will focus on three main areas: (1) developing orthographic floor plans that map to geographic space, (2) data schema development and implementation across the entire system, and (3) Web application for emergency response.
Remote Field Worker Tool for ArcGIS: Author(s): Brad Pond and David M. Isiminger, Jr., WSRC
The Savannah River Site Operations Center (SRSOC) is responsible for monitoring operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS), a Department of Energy facility. SRSOC asked the Environmental and Geographic Information Systems (EGIS) group to create an ArcGIS tool to track workers at remote locations within 310 square miles. A simple tool was needed (SRS 911 Operators are not GIS analysts). Centralized data storage was required. Check in/out capability from multiple networked workstations was required so that routine data management could be decentralized. Automatic monitoring of estimated return times and notification for overdue workers were also requirements. The tool displays worker locations as an event theme that is automatically refreshed as data is updated. EGIS accomplished the assignment using VB to create a custom extension for ArcMap. Deployed 3 months ago, the extension has been so well received that other companies and government agencies at SRS will implement it.

International Development and Diplomacy (IDD)

Challenges: Adopting GIS for Diplomacy and Foreign Policy: Author(s): Carol Christian, STScI
Foreign policy and diplomacy are, by definition, location specific. GIS-related tools can be useful to decision makers and problem solvers to merge diverse data that impinges on policy issues. While to a degree, such technologies have been adopted for natural disaster response, security, and environmental studies, widespread adoption of GIS into policy tasks has been slow. Decision makers and nonexperts are reluctant to assimilate new tools into old cultures because of a number of hurdles. Yet clearly, information sharing would be advantageous and allow visualization of information and situations in a more productive environment. This presentation will touch upon some of the challenges and stimulate discussion.
Municipal GIS in the Developing World: A Final Frontier?: Author(s): Dr. David Rickter Rain, George Washington University
Clear needs for data at the urban level of analysis have brought new challenges to both planners and data creators. Urbanization is running rampant throughout the third world. In Africa alone, a staggering 345 million people will face extreme poverty by 2015. And yet the information society with all that it can potentially contribute to solutions has not diffused to many poor countries. Realities such as the need for land reform, air and water quality monitoring, licensing of public transport, and improvement of slum housing all depend on decent subnational baseline information in digital form. This presentation will review recent efforts by UN-Habitat to diffuse GIS know-how and remote sensing technology among municipal planners and provide some recommendations for moving the effort forward.
Participatory Mapping of Areas of Operation for Environmental Organizations: Author(s): Lars Bromley, AAAS
The 'EditNotes' functions of the ArcIMS Java Custom Viewer is being used to map the self-described operational areas of hundreds of governmental, non-governmental, and academic organizations active in the Plata River Basin (PRB) of South America. Data collected via this process is then formatted and made available to the public via a more traditional ArcIMS software-based Web site, allowing users to determine who is doing what and where in regard to environment and sustainable development activities in the PRB. This tool was developed in direct response to requests from scientists, policymakers, and activists working in the PRB with funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development with a software grant provided by Esri. Following these prototype activities, we will seek to promote this activity to international organizations active worldwide.

Managing Software License Agreements (MSL)

EPA’s Experience in Acquiring and Managing an Enterprise License Agreement: Author(s): Gregory Gwaltney, U.S. EPA
As one of the smaller federal users of GIS software in the Federal Government, EPA faced many challenges in acquiring an agency-wide agreement to obtain a reasonably priced, functional suite of GIS tools for its core users as well as promote the use of GIS within the agency. Like other agencies facing budgetary constraints, EPA had a need to obtain the best possible costs and terms. We also performed a lengthy in-house data call to validate historical Esri figures for software usage and maintenance payments. One of the most daunting tasks of the ELA was taking over the required management of software licences, which included software distribution, and providing first level support to our customers. With the help of USGS and our internal GIS Workgroup Steering Committee, we were able to come up with reasonable options that were acceptable in making the Esri ELA become a reality.
Implementing Esri in USDA Field Service Center Agencies: Author(s): Steve Webber, USDA/NRCS
USDA and Esri signed an Enterprise Agreement in August 2001. To manage this Departmental deployment USDA agencies were grouped together based on size, mission area, and physical locations. The three (3) county based agencies, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development, known as the Field Service Center Agencies, began their deployment in October 2001 with release of ArcGIS 8.1 and ArcView 3x. Since this initial release the FSC Agencies are now managing various custom GIS applications from Web Based ArcIMS to desktop and server based ArcGIS and ArcSDE at nearly 3,000 county based offices serving over 45,000 users and the general public. User assistance is provided through 50 state IT and GIS Teams with a coordinated national Help Desk system managed at three separate locations.
IT Strategies at the Department of Interior: Author(s): Samantha Goldstein, U.S. Department of Interior
Department of Interior's e-gov goal focuses on improving customer access to key information, reducing information technology (IT) program costs, and improving the overall productivity in delivering IT products and services. To achieve this goal, DOI is aggressively streamlining its IT programs and processes to improve the way IT resources are selected, managed, and procured while promoting technical standardization and achieving significant cost efficiencies. Specifically, the department has implemented the Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) program to coordinate and consolidate the acquisition and management of commonly used IT hardware and software products and services across the organization that best support DOI's key missions and programs. One of the key goals of the ERM program is to align DOI's major IT investments with its enterprise architecture (EA) initiatives by establishing contracts that are directly linked to DOI's Technical Reference Model (TRM) and are in concert with OMB's requirements to better manage IT resources.
Managing GIS as an Enterprise: the BLM Experience: Author(s): George Heine, BLM
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approximately 3,000 users of Esri products, located in 180 offices in the western United States. We describe how we track license issuance and license usage for this scattered community. We also describe how new products are tested and released to our user community.

BLM is involved in a multiyear project to migrate corporate data out of scattered field offices and into a small number of regional data centers. This project is being accomplished state by state with the cooperation and assistance of the end users. We explain the approach, report on progress so far, and discuss our challenges and lessons learned.
The DOI/Esri Enterprise License Agreement: Author(s): Mark Negri, USGS
Over the last three years the Department of the Interior (DOI) has successfully implemented an Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) with Esri. Originally awarded with limiting terms in December 2002, the SmartBUY Addendum in February 2004 essentially gave DOI an unlimited license on all Esri nonroyalty GIS software. This evolution in the Esri ELA has resulted in a migration from more traditional usage of ArcView ArcGIS to greater usage of ArcInfo ArcGIS for all user types. To a lesser extent, due to limitations to DOI IT security policies, increased usage of server-based software, such as ArcIMS and ArcSDE, has also occurred. The result has made DOI users much more productive and efficient in the use of GIS software. In addition, the Esri ELA has resulted in a licensing vehicle that requires less administration each year and remains the only major ELA that is used throughout all eight bureaus in DOI.

Realization of Data Sharing and Distribution (DSD)

A Net-centric Framework for Efficient Data Access: Author(s): Denise Martin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; James Stinson, Engineer Research and Development Center

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) relies on interactive computer-based systems to identify and assess alternatives, make decisions, and solve problems. Data is the principle component that drives the decision making process. Much of the data needed to support USACE are available from other federal agencies. Acquisition and use of this data are often inefficient and inconsistent. Moreover, data is provided in a myriad of disparate formats and structures while the applications that consume this data require differing formats as well. The goal of the USACE DataNet is to streamline the acquisition and dissemination of data across all USACE business areas. This presentation describes (1) the development and implementation of a common net-centric framework that provides a consistent interface to data sources internal and external to USACE, and (2) client applications that use the DataNet for data acquisition and delivery including ArcGIS extensions.
Creating A-16 Compliant National Data Theme for Cultural Resource Data: Author(s): Dr. John Knoerl, Deidre McCarthy, National Park Service
OMB Circular A-16 defines a set of requirements for federal agencies to follow when they create, manage, or distribute spatial data. A-16 also identified the National Park Service as the lead agency for developing the cultural resources national data theme; within the National Park Service, the Cultural Resources Geographic Information Services (CRGIS) office has assumed this responsibility. The task of developing the cultural resources national data theme includes setting data content standards and metadata standards; monitoring the progress toward converting paper historic inventories into digital files; coordinating the development of cultural resources databases that have spatial data; eliminating duplication of spatial information; and identifying best practices and disseminating this information to other federal, state, and local agencies as well as historic preservationists and universities. CRGIS is working toward the development of standards that will be both A-16 compliant and user friendly through meetings and workshops.
Creating a National Dataset for BLM's National Landscape Conservation System: Author(s): Holly Hampton, Bureau of Land Management
Created by the Secretary of the Interior in 2000, BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) offers some of the most remarkable landscapes found on the public lands in the American west including BLM's national monuments, national conservation areas, wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, wild and scenic rivers, and national scenic and historic trails. By putting these lands into an organized system, BLM hopes to better protect these areas and increase public awareness of their scientific, cultural, educational, ecological, and other values. As the NLCS nears the fifth anniversary, we examine work that has been done to date toward the creation of data standards and a national BLM geospatial database of these areas and look toward the future in celebrating its diverse and remarkable landscapes through GIS.
Geospatial Data Warehouse Design and Deployment: Author(s): Art Ullman, Paul Fukuhara, NCGC
USDA has created a geospatial data warehouse for managing and serving geospatial data to USDA agencies in support of government programs and research. The GDW is a multi-site, multi-server warehouse, consisting of data that is managed by ArcSDE 9 in SQL Server 2000 databases running Windows 2003. EMC SAN technology is used to provide the data storage. All warehouse data is replicated to a fail-over site using a combination of EMC SRDF and SQL Server Log shipping. Data is pushed out to specialized data marts for direct access by users, while other data is served through ArcIMS Web Services. GDW currently manages approximately 17 TB of raster and vector data at two sites—NCGC in Fort Worth, Texas, and APFO in Salt Lake City, Utah. This paper will describe the design and implementation of the USDA Geospatial Data Warehouse.
How to use Load Balancing and VMWare with ArcIMS: Author(s): Art Ullman, NCGC; Paul Fukuhara, USDA NRCS NCGC
NCGC has implemented VMWare and Microsoft Network Load Balancing to support scalability and fail-over for ArcIMS Web Services. The current configuration includes 6 virtual servers on two VMWare servers with Network Load Balancing to balance traffic across two front-end ArcIMS Web services. This architecture can scale up to 32 Web servers. The paper will describe how to implement ArcIMS in this configuration, and the benefits of the architecture.
NASA's Global Change Master Directory Prototype MapServer and GIS Portal: Author(s): Tyler Stevens, NASA Global Change Master Directory
A prototype mapserver was created using the ArcIMS software through NASA's Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). The mapserver allows users to access, visualize, and analyze selected vector and raster GIS data sets. Data set access is made through a portal, which holds only the GIS data sets as a designated subset of the directory holdings. The implementation, functionality, and future of the prototype mapserver will be discussed in this presentation. We plan to explore the potential usefulness of the GIS portal through feedback received at this conference.
Obstruction Evaluation Airport Airspace Analysis Program for FAA: Author(s): Glyn Owen, CGH Technologies, Inc.; Barry Davis and Kevin Haggerty, Federal Aviation Administration
The iOEAAA System is an Internet mapping system that was deployed to all nine regions nationwide through their Obstruction Evaluation Airport Airspace Analysis (iOEAAA) program process. The system was designed to assist the FAA decision makers in determining whether proposed land structures (cell phone towers, power lines, etc.) should be approved or disapproved because of potential interference (environmental or otherwise) with FAA operations. In addition to providing interactive dynamic mapping and GIS capabilities, there is now plotmap modeling, satellite imagery, simulation and automation capabilities and services available to system servers as the holder of all site status information. Instead of having each FAA region develop its own applications and databases and storing these locally, the FAA tasked the headquarters Air Traffic Division to create a national iOEAAA database and develop a mapping application that the regions can access through their Internet browsers.
SAMHSA Reports and Map Portal: Author(s): Charles Reynolds, SAMHSA
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services to reduce illness, death, disability and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illness. To assist SAMHSA in its mission critical activities, Esri BIS, a division of Esri, developed an easy-to-use, interactive ArcWeb Services demographic reports and mapping system called the SAMHSA Reports and Maps Portal. Esri BIS customized its e-commerce site, Business Analyst Online (www.Esribis.com) to provide SAMHSA with immediate access to specific maps and reports for all of its more than 2,000 grant sites, providing an overview of the demographic characteristics found in each current program neighborhood. These demographic profiles allow SAMHSA to find underserved areas that are most at risk. The customized Web site enables SAMHSA to maximize its distribution of grant monies and to successfully administer its current grants.
Sharing Global Agriculture and Farming Information with Metadata Services: Author(s): Bob Baldwin, USDA-FAS
The USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service uses the ArcIMS Metadata Server to share global crop condition indicators with its customers. These data are an important analytical tool used in a convergence-of-evidence methodology by FAS crop analysts. There are currently thirteen ArcIMS Image Services running on the USDA-FAS metadata server. Each service is devoted to a single attribute about global temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, snow cover, land cover, lakes and reservoirs. The most recent 10 days of data for each attribute are online. The live data and maps are linked through the Geography Network and Geo-Spatial One-Stop portals under the Agriculture and Farming theme. U.S. producers, traders, researchers, and the public can use these Image Services to monitor the impact of weather events on crop condition from remote sensing data processed and modeled by FAS. FGDC metadata is associated with each service for details about the data.
SoilView—Accessibility of Soils Information: Author(s): Henry Ferguson, Natural Resources Conservation Services; Sharon W. Waltman, NGDC NRCS USDA
National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) has published more than 130 soil survey geographic (SSURGO) datasets using ArcView Data Publisher technology during the past 10 years. Each SoilView CD-ROM provides county-level digital soil survey maps, attribute tables, supporting text, and predefined interpretive maps. The ArcView Data Publisher products can be readily updated and reissued with newer soil survey information as needed at relatively low cost. SoilView products are readily accessible by the general public and government users via computers running MS Windows 95 or newer operating systems. The many popular features in SoilView also enhance soil science educational programs. These same features are being considered for future development of a 2.5 dimension interactive digital soil survey.

Responding to Federal Initiatives (RFI)

Fine-Scale Remote Sensing Aids USGS in Benthic Mapping

View presentation[PDF-1.64 MB] Author(s): Carol Snyder, Red Hen Systems, Inc.
By presidential order, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF) was established with the responsibility of developing and implementing efforts to map and monitor U.S. reefs, research causes and solutions to reef degradation, reduce and mitigate reef destruction and implement strategies to promote conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs internationally. As a member of the CRTF, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is spearheading an effort to better understand the processes that affect the health and sustainability of coral reefs. GIS plays a critical role in this work. Benthic (underwater) habitat maps are being developed with the objectives of determining the best methods for characterizing coral reef systems, establishing baseline thematic maps and providing a GIS-referenced database for future scientific studies. Remotely sensed data from several different sources are being analyzed to determine their capacity for mapping the reefs. Geospatial video, a fine-scale remote sensing technology, is yielding favorable results.

Partnerships under USGS's National Geospatial Program Office

View presentation[PDF-471 KB] Author(s): Hank Garie, National Geospatial Program Office
The realignment of USGS' National Geospatial Program Office is aimed at better serving the geospatial community through more effective partnerships. These partners will include the public and private sectors and all levels of government. This panel will highlight some of those partnerships including other federal agencies partnering to build the National Map, partnerships with state and local governments through the National Map and Geospatial One-Stop and FGDC's Future Direction activity that has sought the participation of the geospatial community in determining its governance structure and future activities.

Update on USGS New Geospatial Program Office

View presentation[PDF-159 KB] Author(s): Hank Garie, National Geospatial Program Office
Last summer, U.S. Geological Survey announced a reorganization of national Geospatial programs housed within the USGS to better align these programs, meet the needs of their partners and constituents and accelerate the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. These programs include: The National Map, Federal Geographic Data Committee, Geospatial One-Stop and The National Atlas. USGS has spent months listening to constituents, accessing their internal operations and planning for this transition. This panel will provide an update on the new National Geospatial Program Office at USGS and how USGS and its individual programs hope to better serve the geospatial community.

Workforce Development Challenges of the Emerging Geospatial Technology Industry

View presentation[PDF- MB] Author(s): Chuck Chaitovitz, U.S. Dept. of Labor
This breakout session focuses on the High Job Growth Training Initiative challenges related to building the workforce in an emerging, high technology field. A presentation, followed by a time for Q&A, will give participants a chance to learn about:

The ETA demand driven workforce development approach
The resources available through the public workforce investment system
Emerging career opportunities in the geospatial technology industry
Replicable solutions for geospatial technology workforce development

Messages:

The HGJTI is facilitating the development of model education and training solutions that can be replicated.
Community college and technician level approaches will provide one of the most effective strategies to meet industry demands in the near term.
There are tools and resources available to help the Federal government and industry in finding the right individuals and training approaches to fill their needs.

Tech Applications (TAP)

Business Objects/ArcIMS Integration for USDA: Author(s): Anthony Krinsky, Business Objects
The Food Safety Inspection Service of the USDA successfully maps the location of diseased cattle. However, in order to obtain data on all phases of the livestock's history 30 different Sybase tables needed to be linked to an individual animal.

The operation was time-consuming and complex but was necessary to determine the farms, feedlots, and processing plants having contact with a particular diseased animal.

FSIS enlisted Esri alliance partner Business Objects to both simplify and standardize the process of accessing all life cycle data of subject cattle.
Challenges at the EDGE: Enabling Dynamic Geo-referenced Enterprises: Author(s): R. David Henze-Gongola and Fred E. Bonner, IBM Corporation
The challenges of the 21st Century are driving Government and industry requirements for ubiquitous delivery of services and operationally essential information. The consequences of deficiencies grow. Major shifts in organizations, technologies, data management and business models must be accommodated.

The emergence of innovative sensor technology and platforms, enhanced accuracy in geospatial referencing to meet dynamically emerging needs and threats can fundamentally impact the survival of civilized, democratic societies and the rule of law.

The approach to exploit new capabilities will derive from novel distributed frameworks for data ingest, management, processing, analysis, correlation of observables, temporal and—most notably as the global interdependence grows—geospatial elements.

Large-scale integration of disparate and distributed components demands approaches that consider end-to-end, system-of-systems issues, especially geospatial referents. An unparalleled level of commitment to open systems architectures and the adherence to widely accepted industry standards is fundamental to enabling dynamic geo-referenced enterprises.
Overview of GPS Analyst: Author(s): Michael Garrett, Trimble
Improving and documenting accuracy of GPS-collected data has been an ongoing issue within the GIS environment. A great deal of data arrives at the GeoDatabase with little or no metadata about data quality. This session introduces attendees to the GPS Analyst extension. GPS Analyst not only permits postprocessing of GPS data directly with ArcGIS to improve accuracy but also enables users to directly edit, reconstruct and validate GPS-collected features from raw GPS data, while also providing key documentation of GPS quality. Another key feature of the extension is its ability to collect features using GPS directly into a GPS-enabled GeoDatabase. Since it is built on top of ArcObjects, it can be customized to support a wide variety of GPS receivers and workflows.
Serving Global 15-Meter Orthorectified Imagery Within The Esri Environment: Author(s): Dr. Jon Dykstra, Earth Satellite Corporation
Earth Satellite Corporation (EarthSat) has created a global Landsat ETM-based mosaic of 15-meter resolution natural color orthorectified imagery. The data set consists of more than 3,600 GeoTIFF images each over 1.1 GB in size. The full GeoTIFF data set is just over 4.0 TB without overviews, and just over 5.3 TB with full pyramids. Using ArcSDE 9 and Oracle9i, EarthSat ingested the entire GeoTIFF data set. The resultant Oracle-based data files comprised less than 1.0 TB of tablespace. Using ArcIMS, the NaturalVue product is being served over the Internet as virtual globe at 0.5 arcsecond (15-meter) resolution. EarthSat has used the ArcGlobe precaching functionality to create a global cache of the entire NaturalVue data set. The entire data cache is less than 250 MB in size and fits neatly on a 300 MB firewire drive.