The Southern Appalachian Assessment (SAA), conducted from November, 1994 through January, 1996, relied heavily on geographic information system (GIS) technology and information. The multiagency effort presented a challenge to cooperators on how to effectively work together in achieving the goals and objectives of the assessment within the constraint of a tight timeline. This paper focuses on how the GIS component of the SAA met that challenge, with respect to, organization, development, and implementation of an interagency GIS. In October, 1994, the cooperating partners of the multiagency Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Program (SAMAB) decided to collaborate on an assessment of the status and condition of the ecological resources in the Southern Appalachian Region. In addition, the regional assessment was to identify and prioritize areas in need of additional protection or ecological restoration. SAMAB is a consortium of federal and state agencies working in partnership to promote ecosystem management and sustainable development in Southern Appalachia. The membership includes: the National Biological Service, the US Forest Service, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Geological Survey, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Economic Development Administration, and the States of Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. It was recognized early in the SAA planning stage that GIS technology and information would play a vital role in the assessment and reporting processes. Thus the primary objective of the SAA GIS was to coordinate and provide the SAA cooperators with an appropriate multiagency GIS infrastructure and analytical support in the multiteam organization of the assessment project. The GIS effort included the identification, compilation, integration, and analysis of ecological and supporting data for the assessment activities. The effort also included providing the cooperators, other researchers, and the public with appropriate access to the information. Given that there were no proven designs or true success stories for multiagency regional ecological assessments, the processes and accomplishments of the SAA and its GIS component are important for other potential multiagency efforts to consider.
Budget tightening coupled with the requirement to do more with less has prompted governmental units to explore and develop innovative partnerships among multiple tiers of governmental units and the private sector. Generating Information from Scanning Ohio's Maps (GISOM) is a project that meets these demands. Sponsorship, support and cooperation among the USGS, five Ohio state agencies, the Center for Mapping and the private sector have made this project feasible. GISOM, which is managed by the Center for Mapping, is a four-year analog to digital 7.5 minute topographic map conversion project utilizing state of the art mapping technologies. Approximately one half of the state is complete. Many state agencies, organizations, businesses, and private individuals are already using the data to support spatial analysis and mapping activities. The GISOM project illustrates the benefits to be accrued by all levels of government and the private sector when cooperation and scarce resources are pooled for a common goal. This paper examines the interagency cooperation needed to accomplish a project of this scope.
Esri GIS tools have been investigated for processing "real-time" weather data, including surface and upper air observations, lightning, radar reflectivity, model output gridfields, and satellite imagery. In addition to traditional weather applications, GIS enables new applications which could impact office automation and operations of the modernized National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and River Forecast Centers (RFCs). Emerging design strategies identify COTS GIS as one component of the tools available for weather office management and weather forecasting. Sample applications are demonstrated, including ArcView Version 2.1 as standalone (with AutoCAD), ArcView Version 1 via Internet, and new experience with ArcView Version 3 and high performance weather processing systems.