Cartography (CARTO)

Basic Cartography with GIS
Jeff Nugent and Steve Schild

This 1.5-hour technical presentation will consist of three independent but related workshops. Participants can attend one or all sessions.

Basic Cartographic Design Principals will serve as an introduction to basic cartography. GIS professionals create maps regularly, but many have never been introduced to cartographic principals. This session will present some of the basics of map design, labeling, typography, use of color, and other important topics.

Map Design and Cartographic Tips and Tricks Using ArcView will be a live computer demonstration and discussion that shows attendees how to use ArcView to create attractive and useful maps.

Map Discussion and Critique will involve a review of maps created partially or wholly with ESRI software. Participants are encouraged to bring their own maps for a "gentle critique", and/or maps from the Map Gallery will be used. We will discuss the good points about these maps and suggest other possible design approaches.

Economic Development (ECON)

THIRTY MINUTE PRESENTATIONS

Rural Parcel Mapping in Vermont: A Town Official Centered Approach for Overworked GIS Professionals
Pete Fellows, Lamoille County Planning Commission

In Vermont and throughout New England, effective planning for rapid growth begins with digital parcel data, but unfortunately many communities do not have parcel data. In smaller communities, it can be difficult to find an official interested in GIS or the time to provide appropriate technical support. This presentation outlines simple methods that a GIS Planner is using to encourage adoption of digital parcel mapping programs.

The presentation outlines a town-official centered approach that focuses on officials who will use parcel data on a daily basis or may be receptive to GIS technology. The presenter will give examples of typical small-town office tasks that were automated by a GIS that local officials found to be particularly useful. The presenter will also outline ways to approach with town officials who are hostile to technology as well as methods to explain parcel mapping that do not rely too heavily on standards and technical information.

The presentation will also offer hints for dealing with surveyors and parcel mapping contractors as well as discuss methods for parcel mapping using new parcel-based tools in CAD/GIS software. Handouts and resources will be provided.

THREE DIMENSIONAL CARTOGRAPHIC AND GIS METHODS FOR URBAN ANALYSIS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

John W. Frazier, Eugene Tettey-Fio, Lucius Willis

While traditional choroplethic mapping methods allow the analyst to identify areas of concentration of a variable they do not show variations within a classification of the variable nor do they clearly show the relative magnitude of each concentration. In this presentation the authors will demonstrate their use of prism maps and grid-surface maps to better illustrate the structural differences within and between areas of minority concentration, the central city and the urban county on the basis of demographic, housing, socio-economic well-being and service variables. These methods are being developed as tools for urban and regional planning and analysis and as tools for economic development. Case studies of several U.S. cities will be illustrated.

Bennington County Regional Commission Commercial and Industrial Database Project
Lissa Luke

This database is a statewide collaborative effort that involves Regional Planning Commissions (RPC) and Regional Development Corporations (RDC) in all twelve regions of Vermont. The RPCs are the lead organizations, and are responsible for actual development of the databases and the related Geographic Information System (GIS) components.

The database includes commercial and industrial buildings in Vermont that are 2,000 square feet or greater in area. The BCRC database also includes parcels of vacant land greater than one-quarter acre, that are zoned commercial or industrial. These databases contain only information that is already publicly available-obtained primarily from municipal listers' data-or that is readily "viewable" from the public way.

The following is a list of the basic information used in each region's database:

Site Name Total Sq. Ft. Primary Use Parking

Parcel ID # Primary Use Sq. Ft. Secondary Use Site Photo

Owner Name Building Height Bldg Condition Water Info

Contact Info Number of Floors Ceiling Height Sewer Info

Year Built Construction Type Assessed Value Heat Info

Acreage Electric Info Site Notes Use Notes

Zoning District Roof Material

The information obtained in this project will be useful to towns and other local groups, but one of the principle aims is to support the RDCs in their work to develop and market Vermont's commercial and industrial resources.

Products developed by individual regions may differ depending on intended use, but may include large format maps, books of all sites in each town, information compiled according to industrial or commercial sector, and/or web-based productions. BCRC compiles data by town, and includes parcel maps of the sites. Select information will be available via a proposed Internet application in the near future.

Stephen M. McGee, Connecticut Economic Resource Center, 805 Brook Street, Bldg. #4, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Internet: smcgee@cerc.com. User Paper. GIS Tools in the Connecticut Inner City Business Strategy.

The Connecticut Inner City Business Strategy Initiative is a bold effort to tackle the state’s most pressing challenge – to extending today’s economic prosperity to citizens who have been left behind. Since January 1999, state leaders have mobilized teams of over 200 business, civic, and community leaders across Connecticut to create strategies for inner-city revitalization in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, and Waterbury. These leaders have rallied behind the recognition that on-going prosperity in the state will depend on the revitalization of its distressed urban areas. The leadership teams have identified market-based opportunities for inner-city business growth that can create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents. In one year, this initiative has created unprecedented consensus and momentum behind inner-city revitalization at both the city and state levels. By resolving to support this effort and stimulate ongoing commitment from the private sector, Connecticut can go farther than any other state has gone to advance the prosperity of its inner-city residents.

Utilizing GIS for an Industrial Lands Inventory
Peter Ryner

The Peterborough Office of Community Development was assigned the task
of identifying potential future sites for industrial development, in
addition to evaluating the appropriateness of existing commercial and
industrial zoned lots.

Using ArcView and a base map and digital ortho-photography prepared by
James Sewall Company and Fuss & O'Neill, OCD prepared an atlas of
existing commercial and industrial parcels with build-out analysis, and
then prepared a search of the town using various parameters that had
been established by the Economic Development Authority.

The presentation will show the steps taken in preparing the inventory
and the end results.

Internet Mapping (IMS)

Thirty Minute Papers

Web-Enabling Rural Towns: A Community Planning Application
Daryl Benoit, Vermont Center for Geographic Information; Pete Fellows, Lamoille County Planning Commission

As the fastest growing county in Vermont, Lamoille County’s leaders in agriculture, forestry, and planning recognize that efforts to coordinate development and minimize excessive residential, commercial, and industrial land consumption are needed if Lamoille County wants to preserve the natural resources which makes it unique. Web-based community planning through interactive databases and forums offers an important tool for community leaders.

This presentation outlines a web-based community planning application which includes three components: a data viewer, an interactive planning decision-support tool, and an electronic community dialog forum. With the data viewer, town officials can view and manipulate thematic spatial databases that include social, economic, and environmental data into a reporting schema, whilst displaying infrastructure data (roads, hydrography, etc.) utilizing GIS functions for analog build-out analyses. The interactive planning tool helps officials solve planning issues by querying thematic and custom designed policy databases. Comprehensive GIS analyses are available through the community forum as well as policy postings and recommendations relating to zoning and subdivision regulations.

The presenters will explain the development of the web application through a visual mapping interface as well as the integration of community issues in the interactive planning tool and community forum components.

Building a public interface to environmental data: the Gulf of Maine e-Atlas
Chris Brehme, Andrew Boyce, Paul Schroeder

In developing the Gulf of Maine e-Atlas, we’ve drawn on our experience with traditional publications, GIS, research collaboratives, as well as the energy and resources of institutions throughout this cross-border region. In 1995, the Island Institute and MIT Press published From Cape Cod to the Bay of Fundy: An Environmental Atlas of the Gulf of Maine. When asked to produce a second edition, we decided instead to capitalize on our existing investment in GIS and explore internet mapping applications. What evolved has come to be called the Gulf of Maine e-Atlas, an interactive publication that remains close to its printed roots.

Divided into thematic chapters, the e-Atlas will use existing data to describe the ecology and environment of the Gulf of Maine region. By featuring the people and projects behind the data, the e-Atlas will also allow participants in the project to literally put themselves ‘on the map.’ In combination, these objectives of the e-Atlas—to utilize data and highlight institutions—will result in map applications supported with text, images, and numerous links to supporting websites. We feel this distributed approach sets the e-Atlas apart from earlier efforts aimed at data and information sharing in the Gulf of Maine.

Scaling Web-enabled Mapping Applications – Where Do We Go From Here?
Mark Haberle

With the advent of more user-friendly tools developing and deploying a web-enabled mapping application has come within reach for many organizations. However as the tools become "user-friendly" their inherent complexities (and limitations) become more deeply hidden from the user. Developers need to take care to keep an eye to the future to ensure the applications and their deployment platforms will scale as demand on them increases. The Vermont Center for Geographic Information, Inc. (VCGI) has developed several map-enabled applications and has begun to closely evaluate deployment and development strategies. This presentation will explore lessons learned and the questions we face through two examples; the OIKOS Sustainable Development application and the Trav2000/Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project.

Developing an FGDC Clearinghouse Node for the NH GRANIT System
Fay Rubin, Allan Wright

The GRANIT System at Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, recently completed the design and development of the New Hampshire Node of the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse.

This presentation will describe the process of developing and installing the node (www.granit.sr.unh.edu), and will include a discussion of the metadata tool selection process, metadata records development, Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) software acquisition and installation, and the design and construction of a set of tools (web pages and associated scripts) to interface to the FGDC-compliant metadata records. Particular focus will be on the internally-developed tools, which allow us to customize the search and retrieval processes while preserving our internal data storage structure. The core functionality of the site is now in place), although much work remains to fully populate the metadata database.

GIS Project Management on the Web
Cynthia Saine

In keeping with technology trends, the World Wide Web has enabled GIS companies to provide their clients with faster results and more flexibility. ArcView’s export function allows the production of digital map images to take the place of hard copy intermediate deliverables. Posting these images on a Web site allows multiple parties to view the maps simultaneously from different locations. This approach is especially efficient when using the Web as a visual aid during conference calls. The maps are discussed, changes are made, revised map images are posted immediately, and the client verifies changes. The quick turn around keeps information fresh in the client’s mind and allows the client to take a more active part in the creation of the final product. The client is more likely to be satisfied with the final product if they can see immediate results from their input. Other relevant information, such as metadata, can also be posted on the site to assist the client in making informed decisions on the criteria used to produce the maps. A simple example from an EPA project will be used for demonstration.

Outsourcing Web-based GIS services for Municipalities
Raj Singh

Web-based GIS systems are extremely expensive to develop, deploy and maintain. Often only the largest cities can afford the in-house expertise, or the consulting time required to build a Web-based application. After an application is developed, it needs to be hosted and administrated. Is a city or state webmaster willing and/or able to administer your exotic GIS application that sucks up a tremendous amount of CPU cycles?

Syncline has embarked on an effort to solve this problem by developing a service for municipalities called "mapciti.com." The service is a Web-based GIS application that allows users to browse maps as well as perform a number of town-specific functionality, like generating abutter’s notices. In this session I will talk about the successes, failures and lessons from our beta period during the summer of 2000 and describe how the system is constructed from a technical standpoint.

Developing Internet Applications using ArcIMS
Larry Spraker, Applied GIS

Methods and techniques for developing web based applications using ArcIMS will be presented. The ArcIMS architecture will be discussed, including an overview of the primary components, as well as the Arc XML (AXL) language. The difference between developing applications based on image services versus feature services will also be discussed. Finally, the pros and cons of each of the primary development options will be discussed, including client-side Javascript, Active Server Pages (ASP), Cold Fusion, Java Applets, etc.

Customizing RouteMap IMS
Larry Spraker, Applied GIS

RouteMap IMS is a relatively new internet product from ESRI that allows the development of high volume mapping applications including basic map display, find the nearest and full routing and directions for the Continental US. This presentation will cover methods for developing custom RouteMap IMS applications using Active Server Pages (ASP). The RouteMAP IMS architecture will be presented, as well as techniques for customizing the interface and including more "GIS like" functionality.

The role of Internet/Intranet based mapping in a municipality and a survey of current municipal web-GIS initiatives
Michael G. Terner

Web-GIS technologies have matured rapidly, and the introduction of ArcIMS marks the consolidation and maturation of ESRI’s web-GIS product line. Municipal GIS installations have a huge amount to gain with the adoption of this technology, and the past year has seen many municipalities begin to move forward in implementing them. This talk will describe the multiple niches that web-GIS fills within municipal government while also describing how this technology can changes the basic underlying architecture of a municipal GIS installation. The talk will also focus on several real-world examples of the successful development of web-GIS applications in municipal government, including the towns of Newton, MA and West Hartford, CT.

Miscellaneous (MISC)

Thirty Minute Papers

MeDOT Data Warehouse
Mike Biddle

MeDOT has implemented a GIS enabled data warehouse that provides not only traditional data warehouse capabilities, but spatial analysis and mapping abilities as well.  Using ArcView, Hummingbird's BI-Query, and Oracle, this unique system provides the ability to query transportation data attributes, and display the results spatially.  MeDOT's Transportation Information for Decision Enhancement (TIDE), provides staff and managers with an ideal platform to deliver integrated transportation information from the current legacy systems. The data involved includes: infrastructure, accident, traffic, pavement, as well as project locations and cost.  TIDE provides planners and engineers the tools to perform advanced data analysis with both current and historical data.

Using Spatial Data Standards for Facilities, Infrastructure, and the Environment at a U.S. Navy Installation in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Andrew J. Dickholtz

This presentation will document the success of a sanitary sewer, stormwater, and water distribution GIS project recently completed for a U.S. Naval facility in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. As part of the contractual obligation, a requirement was made to submit all data following those spatial data and facility management standards set forth by the Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD)/Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology Center for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment (SDS) in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Formerly known as Tri-Service Spatial Data Standards (TSSDS) and Tri-Service Facility Management and Standards (TSFMS), the SDS have focused on the development of graphic and non-graphic standards for GIS implementations at Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps installations, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works activities.

This presentation will detail the project from data acquisition to project completion, including those successes and pitfalls encountered during the project’s lifespan. It will discuss those measures taken to rectify data and its format following its acquisition by our field crew into databases of their own design. It will discuss those obstacles encountered while trying to "scrub" and retrofit the data into its prescribed format. In addition, recommended methods, procedures, and software solutions to facilitate the collection and processing of this detailed standardized data set will be discussed and demonstrated.

GIS in Health Care: An overview of 3 projects
Joan N. Gardner, President, Applied Geographics, Inc.

Applied Geographics, Inc. has been working on three health care projects.
Breast cancer on Cape Cod, Brain cancer in Massachusetts and Social
marketing mapping for the Health Care Financing Administration. This paper
will present an overview of these 3 projects and some of the challenges
involved. Each project has presented unique GIS technology challenges. While
professionals in the health care field may recognize the value of GIS, they
may not have worked with it and need to understand the technology, just as
the GIS professional has to learn some aspects of the health care field to
carry out the requirements of the particular projects. The HCFA project is
with a large federal agency, the Cape Cod breast cancer is with a non-profit
group and the brain cancer project was with another consulting firm.

Employing Secondary Education and ArcView to Meet Federally Mandated HAZMAT Requirements at the Municipal Level
William L. Hamilton, Ph.D.

The Federal Government now requires annual reporting of all known location and type of hazardous material on an annual basis at the municipal government level. Additionally, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that planning for, evacuation of, and response to hazardous material (HAZMAT) events will use GIS technologies. This presentation will demonstrate a national education model that enables secondary schools to use GIS to help aid their municipality in complying with the Federal HAZMAT reporting requirements. The model employs federally developed GIS software, ArcView, and right-to-know legislation to enable the integration of school wide GIS curricula. The integration is currently being deployed at several high schools within Massachusetts and encompasses all of the technology and most of the educational frameworks currently required by State law under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act.

Recreational Water Quality in Vermont: a Threat to Human Health?
Deborah Sargent and Leslie Morrissey, School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont.

Fecal contamination of surface water is a growing concern in Vermont and other regions of the U.S. Runoff from residential and agricultural lands carrying microorganisms from fecal sources pose a potentially serious risk to human health, particularly as demands on water supplies, recreational waters, and adjacent lands are increasing. To increase public awareness and assist in an evaluation of the state water quality standards by the Water Resources Board, a database of E. coli measurements (an EPA fecal contamination indicator) for Vermont state beaches and rivers and streams monitored by volunteer citizen groups was compiled and analyzed. Of the 31 state beaches monitored, only 8 beaches had no water quality violations during 1996-1999. Violations of the state water quality standard (77 cfu/100ml) for recreational waters in rivers and streams monitored by RiverWatch volunteers were high in 1995, a dry year, and low in 1998, a wet year. The spatial and temporal distribution of E. coli in selected tributaries of the Mad River watershed were also monitored to assess the contribution of residential and agricultural sources of contamination. Agricultural areas were the largest contributor of fecal contaminants to streams and rivers, although residential and "pristine" forested watersheds also proved to be important but inconsistent sources. This effort is the first step towards developing an improved understanding of fecal contamination in Vermont surface waters.

Students and GIS: Sources of Community Vision
Ned Swanberg, Andrew Toepfer, Nicole Conte 

This Land: Mapping Our Communities www.communitymap.org is an Orton Institute project supporting middle and high school teams in utilizing GIS data and other technologies to support local connection to place. We will introduce the project, technologies, and open discussion on case studies regarding interdisciplinary team training and planning, levels of GIS utilization, integration with educational standards in Vermont, and value to the local community vision. This community mapping project inserts the best available visualization technologies into place-based discovery and dialogue about how to promote local economic well-being, social vitality and ecological integrity. Nicole Conte will introduce the project through an interactive exercise and review the overall project criteria and pilot year projects in Vermont and Colorado. Andrew Toepfer will review three instructional models to introduce GIS to middle school students. Ned Swanberg will review the pilot year projects against project and national educational standards to identify needs and opportunities for GIS in education for sustainability

Centerline Data Management: The Vermont Experience
Steve Sharp, Senior Project Manager, Johnathan Croft, GIS Database Administrator, Bruce Westcott, SMMS Product Manager

Vermont's GIS community has invested considerable energy developing, maintaining, and enhancing a "master" road centerline data layer for many years now. VCGI has historically been the "steward" of the RDS data layer, responsible for updates and/or QA/QC of updates performed by Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs). However, the environment under which maintenance has occurred has changed significantly.

In February 1996 the Vermont E-911 program (E911) engaged MicroData GIS Inc. (St. Johnsbury, VT) to provide towns with GIS assistance in implementing standard addressing. The contractor performed coordinate and attribute updates to the ðAmasterð@ road centerline data layer, including the addition of road names and address range information. The resulting data layer is now called E911\RDS (in the VGIS Data Catalog).

In 1997 the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VAOT) engaged IVS (Burlington, VT) to develop a Town Highway Mapping System. The system is complete, and is being used to update the road centerline data layer (called RDSnn in the VGIS Data Catalog) as well as for production of official highway map.

The current data management environment is characterized by three primary versions of Vermont’s road centerline data layer: 1) VAOT’s, 2) E911's, 3) and those maintained by RPCs. This kind of environment meets the individual application requirements of the each organization, while avoiding some of the organizational and technical challenges associated with coordination and cooperation. However, the current maintenance environment does not facilitate data sharing, often resulting in duplication of effort.

The NSDI Transportation Identification Standard (sponsored by the FGDC Ground Transportation Subcommittee) provides a framework for sharing, establishing the protocols by which data exchange can occur. The Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI)--with the support of the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VAOT), Winham County Regional Commission (WRC), and the Enhanced 911 Board (E911) — has completed the second phase (Phase II) of a pilot which will test the potential of this standard

Municipal (MUNI)
Thirty Minute Papers

Integrating remote sensing with GIS for local and regional applications
Michael Blair

As the line between raster and vector based GIS has gotten more gray, the applications using both of these data types at the regional and local level has grown dramatically. Satellite imagery is no longer limited to very expensive, low-resolution data. With the release of the IKONOS 1-meter satellite and the ERDAS OrthoBase product we are seeing municipalities using high-resolution imagery, in addition to traditional aerial photography for creating and maintaining their municipal GIS information.

The Commission is working on a number of projects integrating raster and vector data on both a regional and local level. Some of these projects are:

• Time change analysis of the Route 12 Corridor using 1976 and 1992 aerial photography
• Integrating 1-meter satellite imagery and aerial photography for the creation and maintenance of municipal tax parcel boundary maps
• Creation of land-cover from high resolution color-infrared aerial photography for open space / development analysis

GIS Electric Utility Emergency Reporting System
Linda Demers

As an outcome of the 1998 ice storm, New York developed a GIS-based power outage reporting system that quickly identifies which communities have lost electric service. Under a cooperative agreement, all eight utilities in the state provide outage information that can then be quickly displayed for emergency response managers.

Nor’easters and GIS: Using GIS to Reduce Risks from Natural Hazards in Rhode Island
Roland Duhaime

The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency is working in partnership with many communities in Rhode Island to develop a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Strategy. This presentation details the GIS component of the project. Specifically, I will discuss how I have leveraged the power of ArcView to create maps for each Rhode Island community. I will discuss how the maps have evolved and the future direction of the project.

Mapping Local Knowledge in the Mad River Watershed: Data Integration, Uncertainty and Currency
Karyl Fuller

The Mad River watershed in Vermont has been the subject of local NRCS pilot study, which has been trying to encourage farmers to create, improve and maintain vegetation buffers between their fields and the river. As part of this effort, I have begun to collect data on highly erodible soils, existing buffers, rip-rap areas, historical gravel removal areas, other stabilization efforts, and unstable streambanks. These data were collected from NRCS, state agencies including ANR, local groups and other interested parties. Much of data were hand drawn on 1:5,000 orthophotographs and then digitized into Arcview. Combining this data directly with existing GIS layers would give a false sense of spatial and attribute accuracy.

There exists an enormous amount of geographic knowledge that does not exist in computer systems, databases or even, on paper maps. It largely resides in people’s heads. This knowledge could enhance our analyses, if we can somehow combine it with existing GIS knowledge. There are difficulties in this data creation. GIS and computers tend to be perceived as precise and accurate. Local knowledge often cannot be mapped precisely. There are also issues of data currency, and integration of different sources. In this presentation, I will discuss various methods to help illustrate data uncertainty, and describe data integration and currency.

Why are We Mapping Culverts?
Jon Giles

As one of FEMA’s Project Impact cities, Portland, Maine has embarked upon a program to make itself more disaster resistant. Initial efforts include a mapping survey of culverts, which are very prone to flooding during intense coastal storms. This first-ever survey is the centerpiece of a regular culvert maintenance program being developed by the city.

GIS in Law Enforcement
Doug Heivly

Over the past few years, GIS tools have been used for traffic accident analysis, auto theft and recovery, and enhanced drug prosecutions. In one case, they were used to link multiple crimes to single suspect for a more efficient prosecution effort. GIS also plays a key role in the city’s 9-1-1 system by creating and maintaining critical address information.

Agricultural Land Survey in a Multi-Jurisdictional Suburban/Urban Area Using GIS
George Hilton

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

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

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

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

• Instead of a paper map with generalized boundaries, the agricultural district contains accurate parcel based boundaries with data unique to each site.

• Data can be used to assist in local government planning and zoning decisions.

• Identifying Agricultural lands assists in Open Space preservation and Natural Resource protection in a densely populated area.

• Allow the public to locate Agricultural lands and areas of rural character. Assist in County Agrotourism opportunities

Developing Parcel GIS for Killington, VT
Bryon K. Kenne, Jon Hall

The Town of Killington, VT had obsolete, manually drafted parcel maps that required a major revision to bring them up to date. Cartographic Associates converted the original maps using a combination of raster-to-vector software and on screen digitizing in an AutoCad drafting environment. Eight years of deeds and survey plans were read, and the changes were compiled and drafted on the maps. Parcel polygon label points were added, and the maps were edgematched to create a composite map of the Town. The parcel polygons were checked for node and label errors preliminarily using ArcCad. The data were exported from AutoCad as a 16-decimal (double-precision) DXF file, and converted to ArcINFO point, line, polygon, and/or annotation coverages using AMLs. The ArcINFO coverages were checked for node and label errors, and a plot of the final composite map was created using ArcView. Future plans include linking the Town’s CAMA database to the parcel polygon coverage.

Crime Mapping and Analysis
Marc Levesque

ArcView-based products for crime mapping and analysis can tap directly into public safety and law enforcement databases to harness a wealth of existing information. The result is a dynamic set of analysis, mapping, and reporting tools for crime analysts and other law enforcement personnel to more effectively combat crime and deal with public safety issues.

REPAIR / REHABILITATION / REPLACEMENT OF WATER MAINS: A GIS DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM
Ewe Leng Lim, PE, Nick Bodnar, PE

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) water engineers and managers have seized upon the advantages of accessing water main characteristic information through Seattle’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and have significantly reduced the time spent identifying and prioritizing water mains for preventive maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement. This paper describes how SPU developed and now utilizes GIS-based information in day-to-day decision making and capital improvement program preparation.

A custom-developed decision-support application now leverages GIS water main characteristic data with statistically based decision models to improve the maintenance decision process. Correlation of water main characteristics with time-to-failure factors identified statistically significant failure prediction indicators. Based on the identified indicators, decision models were developed for evaluating deterioration, vulnerability, and service criticality factors. Then, based on evaluation results, main segments are prioritized on the probability of their failure during a given time period. Ratings may be output to tabular or map reports for further use.

To make replace-versus-repair decisions, SPU staff may apply standard costing data to compare, for each main segment, the present worth of probable future repair costs against current rehabilitation or replacement costs.

Also, the object-oriented techniques and iterative, incremental software development life cycle used to develop this application will be reviewed.

West Side’s Story: The Development and Implementation of Municipal GIS for West Springfield, Massachusetts
Michael Olkin

The town of West Springfield is a suburban community in western Massachusetts with a population of 28,000 and a vision of efficient local government. This paper describes the cooperative process of implementing a multidepartmental GIS that was originally designed in 1994. The Town is currently beginning to integrate GIS into daily operations, after spending the last two years working with a contractor to complete a cadastral, topographic and planimetric basemapping project. This presentation will describe several facets of the project including the educational process for new users, community outreach initiatives, and plans for data maintenance in our rapidly changing community.

The "Enterprise" of GIS
John Pavek

There are many ways to establish GIS. Which method you use depends on many factors. Some of these include the amount of data that is to be used, the size of the agency or company, the type of applications and if GIS is a long-range data management goal or a temporary fix. The best way for most GIS implementation is to use an enterprise-wide GIS (Enterprise GIS) model. This model is designed to give the maximum use of GIS and the most positive cost-benefit analysis ratio. Enterprise GIS basically is the idea of centrally distributed data that addresses many application concerns and needs. It is often a multi-user, multi-departmental environment with a central hub with GIS personnel, applications and data. Most activities are not project oriented in an Enterprise GIS. Enterprise GIS builds a foundation for GIS not a temporary platform for the use of the technology.

Natural Hazards Mitigation using GIS
Peter Ryner

Peterborough, a community of approximately 5,900, has been developing an
ArcView-based GIS system since 1997.  The first phase of that work was
completed in April 2000.  Peterborough is New Hampshire's first Project
Impact community and has utilized a grant from FEMA to enhance its GIS
system and utilize it to prepare a natural hazards mitigation plan.

The presentation will show how this system is being used for Hillside
Protection, for Open Space Planning, and for the preparation of a Flood
Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The presentation will utilize Freelance Graphics slides and will
include.

1. Creating the base map.
2. The Cost of Accuracy.
3. The use of consultants.
4. Equipment.
5. Flood Hazard Planning.
6. Next Step:  All Hazards Planning.

GIS for Public Safety
Robert T. White

The rules are changing when it comes to dispatching emergency personnel. The Federal Communications Commission’s mandate that wireless service providers provide the originating location of a call placed from a wireless device is upon us. Automated Crash Notification technology is beginning to become available and the US government is discussing turning off Selective availability for the GPS system. These and other advances in technology are forcing Public Safety Answer Point’s (PSAP) into using GIS.

As more and more jurisdictions implement Enhanced 9-1-1, the need for reliable map products is being realized.

This presentation will look at what spatial data sets PSAP’s are going to require. Should there be a centralized GIS that Public Safety can draw from? Are there any standards or guidelines for using GIS in the Public Safety field? How often does the data need to be updated? What are other agencies doing today? These and other related topics will be covered during this presentation.

Planning and Implementing GIS in New London, Connecticut
Peter Gillespie, Shane White

The road toward GIS implementation in New London is long and winding. This presentation will show the past, present and future plans of the City to inject GIS and the spatial way of thinking into its daily processes. Peter Gillespie will discuss how the City purchased consulting services to create three GIS Implementation Plans (1990, 1993, 1998), the third of which was performed by Fuss & O’Neill. This final detailed plan is being used as a step-by-step guide to implement GIS in the City over a three-year period. Peter and Shane will discuss how the actual implementation differs from the plan. Determining factors of a successful GIS implementation will be listed and discussed. Communication lines of the multiple participants will be diagramed. Driving forces and critical paths changed over the course of this project, and each one will be explained. Future project phases will be laid out and compared to the Implementation Plan. The key to success in New London is good communication. This means making sure that consulting services match municipal expectations. A flexible scope of work has lead to products that exceed what was originally perceived by both parties.

Workshop: "Don’t Fall Behind: Strategies for Maintaining and Updating Your GIS Data"
Nick Wilkoff

It’s typical for municipalities to spend the majority of their initial GIS implementation money on data development, building the database of spatial data and related attributes that will serve as the backbone to their systems. In most cases this involves conducting pricey flyover and parcel automation projects, as well as developing infrastructure (e.g. water and sewer) and various overlay features (e.g. zoning, fire/police districts, etc.). This initial data development phase can be lengthy, and before it is even complete it’s time to start thinking about how this valuable data is going be maintained and updated. As it is commonly known, your GIS is only as good as your data. This presentation will focus on a variety of data update options that can be utilized to help you keep your data up to date. These strategies and techniques include; defining protocols and responsibilities for updating the data, developing requirements and standards for digital submission of plans, determining an appropriate frequency of flyover updates, developing/integrating user-friendly data editing tools, utilizing GPS technology, and developing automated routines for attribute updates.

Building An Integrated Gis-Based Municipal Permitting, Licensing and Complaint Tracking System
Feng Yang

This presentation will discuss the selection, implementation and integration process of a GIS-based permitting, licensing and complaint tracking system in the Town of Brookline, Massachusetts. It will demonstrate the software product, and discuss what we have learned in this on-going process.

Wellesley’s Intranet-Based Permitting System, Its Design and Implementation
Mike Doyle

Wellesley reviewed different packages, but based on our different departments’ computer knowledge we decided the most effective package would be one created in house with the input of all relevant people, and the expectation that as users became more accustomed to the program and its uses, the program will be built upon.

Integrating Local Government Permitting and Planning with Map Maintenance
Bill Campbell, NovaLIS' Business Partner Manager bcampbell@novalistech.com

Featured ESRI Products: ArcView & ArcInfo 8.0.Local governments can improve their response to customer needs through access to integrated digital base map and property record data. An integrated set of data enables staff to immediately view updated map and attribute information such as allowable land use, environmental restrictions, and other information necessary to process applications or respond to inquiries. This session will cover complete integration of local government land records processes, including parcel map maintenance, subdivision, permit tracking and approval, and property assessment (CAMA) in a common workflow environment, tailorable to a jurisdiction's needs.

Use of GIS for Water and Sewer System Management
Jayson Brennen, Camp Dresser and McGee

This discussion and demonstration will focus on the development and use of GIS for water and sewer utility systems. Specific topics of

discussion will include options for developing utility data; integrationof utility GIS data with modeling, maintenance, and billing software; and developing applications to provide easy access to GIS data, scanned connection card images, and modeling information.

Technical Session (90 minutes)

Strategic Metadata Management
Bruce Westcott

For digital Geospatial data, metadata can be used to provide background information about a data set's origin, content, quality, condition, and availability. Metadata is not unique to digital Geospatial data; legends on paper maps also contain metadata. In this form, metadata is readily apparent and easily transferred between map producers and map users. When geographic data is in a digital form, metadata is even more important: efficient development, use, re-use, discovery, and sharing of information are major potential benefits of using digital Geospatial data. Without readily-available and standardized metadata, users cannot hope to obtain them.

This presentation will review the basics of metadata: standardized contents, tools for metadata creation, and discovery of metadata through an FGDC clearinghouse. We’ll take a look at the November 1999 committee draft of the ISO/TC211 standard for "Geographic information - Metadata," and what it might imply. We’ll also discuss how you should figure out the right answer (for you!) to the question "Why should I be doing this metadata stuff, anyway, and how can I explain it to management?" This will focus on more advanced topics, such as integrating metadata development with your data maintenance operations, and developing the business case for metadata.

GeoData Alliance Organizational Initiative: Overview and Progress Report
GDA is an effort spearheaded by the Federal Geographic Data Committee with
representation from local, state, tribal and private interests.  The intent is to extend the NSDI by creating a self-organizing entity that will foster the flow of geospatial data.  As of spring 2000, the central purpose of the GDA was worded as follows:

An institution to provide all individuals, communities, and organizations with access to geographic information, services, and resources necessary to achieve economic growth, environmental quality and stability, and social progress.

The GDA Initiative has been underway for a year with significant participation from the GIS community.  An overview of the goals, objectives and progress to date will be presented by drafting team member, Timothy Case.

Advanced Tools for Rural Planning
Pete Fellows, LCPC; Helen Whyte, Orton Family Foundation; Steve Schild, RRPC; Judy Colby-George, Geo Systems

To assist community leaders in the municipal and regional planning process, The Orton Family Foundation is developing a software suite called CommunityViz. CommunityViz is on the leading edge of a new generation of software described as "decision support" tools and is being developed as extensions to ArcView.

Municipal Panel Discussions

PANEL SESSION

Effective Integration and Use of Multispectral Imagery with ArcView GIS
Panelists Sandy Prisloe, Associate GIS Educator, UConn CES, Co-PI, NAUTILUS Project, Dan Civco, Associate Professor, Director of LERIS, Co-PI, NAUTILUS Project, James Hurd, Research Associate, NAUTILUS project

The NAUTILUS Project¹, started in 1999 at the University of Connecticut, is a NASA funded Regional Earth Science Applications Center. The Center’s general charge is to bring together the research, service and user communities to apply NASA's research results to practical, societal problems. The project’s specific mission is to make remote sensing technology accessible and useable to local land use decision makers concerned with suburban/urban sprawl and its impacts on natural resources (e.g. forest fragmentation). Project researchers have investigated NASA’s Landsat remotely sensed multispectral data sets (MSS, TM and ETM+), NASA’s EO-1 hyperspectral data (HYPERION) and several commercial products (IKONOS, ADAR and SPOT) to develop methods to extract categorically rich and spatially accurate land cover data for the Salmon River Watershed in Connecticut. ERDAS Imagine, ArcView GIS and the Image Analysis Extension are being used to support the research. The panel presentation will discuss the goals of this research, the characteristics of each multispectral data set, typical applications of the data and how these data and interpreted products can be used in an ArcView GIS environment.

Use of 3-D GIS as a Visualization Tool for Watershed Management
Amol Daxikar, Jennifer Angell, Jim Smullen

Watershed-wide management approaches to meeting water quality and quantity goals are evolving across the US. Involving the people as stakeholders who live in a watershed significantly helps in identifying, preventing, and controlling sources of beneficial use impairment. A 3-D GIS can be used to create real world models of a watershed. The features that are used in traditional 2-D GIS can be effectively presented in three dimensions using the ESRI’s 3-D and Spatial Analyst extensions to its ArcView software. A 3-D display simulates spatial reality that allows the viewer to more quickly recognize and understand the topography.

The following paper will present a 3-D model of a watershed. Features including buildings, streets, and streams were represented on the 3-D terrain. After the 3-D model was developed, fly-by-animations were created. The 3-D model and fly-by-animations are very effective for public presentations and useful for understanding the topography.

The paper also outlines the computer-related technical issues encountered and overcome during the course of development of the model. Creation of the 3-D model and animation was a time-consuming process hampered by limited on-line help. Variables such as processor speed, available memory, image resolution, number of features, and terrain complexity were all important factors to be considered.

ArcView is for the Birds, an Overview of the Christmas Bird Count Map Generator
Daniel L. Erickson

This presentation provides an overview of the design, development and use of the Christmas Bird Count Map Generator (CBC-MG). Annually, since 1900, the National Audubon Society has conducted bird surveys on Christmas Day. The results of these censuses, known as Christmas Bird Counts (CBC), represent 100 years of uninterrupted data on population trends for several hundred bird species distributed across North America. The CBC-MG, an ArcView application coded solely in Avenue, was developed to give users the ability to automatically generate point and surface maps for selected bird species based on the historical results of the annual counts. In addition, to presenting an overview of the application, we will also discuss the technical aspects of developing the graphical user interface and running the application across the Internet.

The Use of GIS for Agricultural Environmental Management - A Case Study in Franklin County, NY
Michael R. Martin and Robert Brower s

The Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program is an effort at the county level to obtain information on individual farm practices and use that information to develop individual and regional environmental management strategies. In Franklin County NY, we used GIS as part of our AEM program to store and make sense of the large amount of data gathered under the Tier II phase. After working with the farmers to complete their Tier II assessments, we created a data entry sheet of the important attributes that we wanted to store and analyze using GIS. The data entry sheet contained around 65 different entries for each farm, organized by the various sections in the Tier II assessment (ie., Manure Management, Milkhouse Center Wash Water, Petroleum Storage Facilities, etc.) Entries included an average assessment score as well as text entries to indicate such things as future plans (sell, retire) or farm needs (manure storage, nutrient management plan, etc.). In order to keep the database anonymous, each farm was assigned a number, its location was marked on a topographic map, and those maps were used to create a point layer in the GIS to indicate farm location. This location layer was then tied to the farm database. As additional GIS layer was created that contained the subwatersheds within the county.

By using GIS, we are now able to examine what is happening on our 200+ farms individually, collectively, and by subwatershed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the steps taken to accomplish this and demonstrate some of the powerful uses of this technology in this type of application.

OrthoH2O: Toward a Statewide High-Resolution Hydrography Dataset
Eric Pyle

Many parties are working toward a common goal in Vermont: The development of a seamless statewide hydrography layer based on the state’s 1:5000 digital orthophotos. This paper will discuss current work toward that goal and issues involved.

Surface water features have been digitized from orthophotos for much of the state, by regional planning commissions (RPCs) and others. Because these datasets were developed independently, under limited budgets, attribute coding schemes are varied, and in most cases there are no artificial flow paths through lakes or polygonal rivers. Many practical studies require reconciling attributes from several sources, or abandoning attributes altogether.

We are now seeing significant progress toward a consistent statewide hydrography dataset. Many RPCs have updated their data, improving interpretation using newer digital orthophotos, and checking attribute coding. VCGI has completed work to upgrade the Missisquoi watershed to USGS National Hydrography Dataset standards, through a grant from the Federal Geographic Data Committee. VCGI is seeking funding from several sources to support review , centerlining, and attribute checking by the RPCs and VCGI.

Creating and Distributing a Seamless Digital Raster Graphic Database for New York
Wayne Richter, Sara Frankenfeld, James G. Daley, Peter Gradoni

Digital Raster Graphics (DRG’s) of U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps provide a valuable image base to vector GIS data. Their usefulness is, however, impaired because the map collar information from one image can cover the map portion of an adjacent image. We created a seamless image database for New York State by re-registering the images to improve registration quality, converting the images from NAD27 to NAD83, converting the images to a single UTM zone to cover all of New York State, removing the map collars, creating individual image files of an appropriate size, and making image catalogs of the files. We describe the procedures used to accomplish these tasks including methods of automating the process, ensuring quality, and managing large data volumes. We developed a mechanism for distributing individual image files to the public by creating an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file for each image. A Visual Basic application was used to automate creation of these files. The PDF files can now be found and downloaded using a MapObjects Internet Map Server application.

Using GIS and Community Volunteers to Map Wildlife Corridors
Andrew Toepfer and Ned Swanberg

The Wildlife Corridor Mapping Project is a Vermont Institute of Natural Science project that collects information on movement patterns of five forest interior mammals; black bear, moose, gray fox, fisher and bobcat. Community volunteers, often students involved in high school or college environmental studies programs, use a variety of methods to determine where the five mammals cross highways throughout the Taconic region in Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. We will introduce the project and the challenges we face working with GIS data from three states and mammal sighting data collected in a variety of formats. Ned Swanberg will provide and overview of the project and describe methodology for data collection that relies primarily on community volunteers and school programs. Andrew Toepfer will describe the GIS databases used to integrate the sighting data and the use of Spatial Analyst and 3-D Analyst to develop models that show impacts and concerns for animal movement via corridors.

This panel presentation will discuss issues such as liability, privacy, GIS data as evidence, and copyrights in the context of Northeastern states’ data and infrastructure. Panel participants will include data managers and legal experts.

GIS Data Access in the Northeast
This panel presentation will explore how each state answers the following questions: is public geospatial data free (why or why not), is data centrally located, are there value-added costs, are there distribution costs, and are there limits on who has access? Panel participants will include data managers from local and statewide organizations.

GIS Training Roundtable
Training in GIS is available from a variety of different sources throughout the Northeast. Some novices take advantage of the services of training consultants, some participate in state-sponsored programs, and some attend trainings offered by Cooperative Extension. The trainers, however, face similar tasks and challenges; it is likely that they have not had much opportunity to interact with other trainers or receive formal instruction in how to train! It is hoped that this roundtable discussion will allow trainers to share experiences, materials, and tips, as well as to spur investigation of regional professional development options.

Related Technologies (RT)
Technical Presentations:

Field Data Collection - Various Case Studies
Lawrence E. Baril P.E.,  Scott E Roberts

Presentation Description:  We will present computerized field data collection applications developed for various agencies and purposes.  Our presentation will discuss all aspects of the process of problem definition and resolution.  We will discuss the client objectives, program definition, software that was used, hardware/technology employed, personnel and their roles, training program, integration with existing standards and technology, and final output.  We will demonstrate each of the solutions fully and field any questions from development through field use. 

Bridging the Gap: Integrating GIS and Geographic Imaging
Sara Johnson

Traditionally the technologies of GIS, remote sensing and photogrammetry have been partitioned from one another. However, recent advances in geospatial analysis indicate that the integration of these technologies yields powerful, robust products. Many GIS users are not aware of the availability of remotely sensed data and the potential benefits of incorporating these data into their GIS analyses. Additionally, geographic imaging (i.e. remote sensing and photogrammetry) tools suffer from the perception that they are difficult to use, and often incompatible with existing GIS data. Geographic imaging tools are now readily available to the "average" GIS user and compatible with most existing GIS data. GIS users now have the capability to perform orthorectification, three dimensional feature extraction and even three dimensional terrain visualization on a desktop computer. These tools enhance both GIS database quality and GIS analyses through imagery integration.

GIS-based analyses greatly benefit from imagery integration. Environmental features and occurrences are accurately and easily identified using imagery. Today, numerous analyses are being carried out using a GIS with geographic imaging capability. Examples can be found in such disciplines as forestry, wetlands delineation, soil management, coastal management, hazardous waste monitoring, regional planning, transportation and telecommunications. The techniques and tools to perform such analyses are easily learned and can be carried out on a desktop computer.

Recent Advances in Field Data Collection
Ishu Wadwani

Since the advent of GPS/GIS data collection, various methods are being used
to store GPS and attribute data.  These include paper and pen, storing data
on board the GPS receiver and using external data loggers.  While these
methods are widely used, the introduction of small hand held PDA's (Personal
Digital Assistants) has opened up new  easy to use methods for field data
collection.

The presentation will discuss the advantages of using the new PDA's along
with the software features.  Various brands of PDA's including Palm Pilots
and CE devices available in the market place will be covered. Many different
GPS/GIS data collection softwares will also be discussed.

Thirty Minute Papers

Taking ArcView Outside - A Useful Tool or an Exercise in Frustration
Caroline Alves

We have experimented with using ArcView for onsite mapping of soils and
surface water features. A ruggedized PC is connected to a military PLGR
GPS unit and for software we used ArcView with Blue Marble's Geotracker
.

Soil mapping is an incredibly lengthy process that involves field work,
use of stereo-photography, aerial photograph interpretive work,
compilation to orthophotography, and automation of polygon, line, as
well as point data. Additionally, surface water features need to be
accurately placed to ensure correct positioning of soil delineations.

By building GIS tools in to the field work process, many steps can be
condensed and accuracy can be improved. Often 20 years elapse between
the initial soil mapping for a county to when published map products are
made available to the public. Any reduction in turnaround time would
help allow for greater use of soils data in planning and more timely
data delivery. The discussion will focus on the practicalities and
pitfalls of using ArcView in a field setting to develop a complex
polygon layer.

GIS and the New Hampshire Statewide Rockcut Inventory
Marc Fish

To track its rockcut data the NHDOT has developed a relational database composed of 12 tables, linked by a unique identification number, and has implemented ArcView to create a GIS.  This system allows easy access to current and historical data so the 375 major rockcuts within the state can routinely be assessed and maintained as well as remediated when necessary.  The database tables contain information on a rockcut’s current and past condition, hazard assessment and proposed remediation.  By acquiring geographical coordinates with a GPS, rockcut positional files can be added to ArcView as a theme.  Through a SQL connect, the unique identification number, and several joins, ArcView connects the contents of the relational database to the rockcut attribute table.  Additional themes such as town boundaries, roads and maintenance districts have also been added to provide a visual display of rockcut locations.  With an activated hotlink slideshow extension multiple photographs, laser profiles and structural data can be accessed as jpeg images by clicking on the rockcut’s point feature.  Layouts composed of maps, photographs and attribute data can be printed for use in reports or for use in locating specific rockcuts or problem sections of a rockcut in the field.

Precipitation and Topography in GIS—Key Factors in Predicting and Mitigating Damaging Floods to Farmland by Watersheds in Vermont
Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux and John Hanning

Vermont has experienced damaging floods in 3 of the last 5 years. Due to the nature of Vermont’s complex topography, weather events can develop and intensify on a fairly localized scale, with damage potentials that cannot always be anticipated. High intensity precipitation events can lead to devastating flash floods, whose impact on localized areas is often enhanced by the nature of the topography. These orographically-enhanced storm effects do not appear when similar precipitation amounts are received on flatter, less restricted topographic landforms.

Using a variety of data including: PRISM monthly precipitation GRID data from the NOAA National Weather Service; DEMs derived from Vermont digital orthophotos; 1:5000 digital orthos and surface waters; agricultural land extracted from land use/land cover imagery, and GPS point locations of farm barnyards the authors have ranked farmland vulnerability within selected 14 digit USDA-NRCS watersheds to flash floods caused by orographically-enhanced precipitation.

By identifying the watersheds for which the PRISM data indicate heavier precipitation, and the presence of rain shadows caused by higher….

Lessons Learned Building & Tuning SDE8-Oracle Databases
Glenn Hazelton

Over the past few months I have installed and populated SDE8 with a wide variety of data layers and related tables. Other members of the Mass. Water Resources Authority (MWRA) GIS team have built Geometric Networks using Visio2000. I will explain what we did it. We have discovered that the manuals and tutorials are short on details. I will explain the problems we encountered and the tools and methods employed to solve them.

Exercise and GIS: What a combination!
John Pavek 

The use of GIS and its associated tools has branched into many areas.  Many tonships and other forms of local government have made effective use of GIS resources.  Within Burlington County, NJ, the Moorestown (township) Environmental Advisory Committee (MEAC) has begun to collect the location of all fire hydrants and drainage basins within the township using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) equipment. Cephas Green, a member of the MEAC, has placed the GPS unit on a multi-speed bicycle.  He will ride to a certain location and place the antenna at the side or center of the feature to be collected.  As each feature is recorded, information is entered into a database that was loaded into the GPS unit.  The MEAC is using ArcView and  PC ArcInfo for viewing the collected information and other associated GIS/GPS information.  The GPS field unit is a Trimble Pro XR.  The GPS software is Pathfinder Office.

The presentation will show the way the project was designed including the mounting of equipment on the bicycle.  The immediate benefits of the collection of this data will be shown along with the benefit of this information to future GIS/GPS concerns at the township.

Shoreline Change at Cape Cod National Seashore
J.R. Allen, C.L. LaBash, and P.V. August

Cape Cod National Seashore is the prototype coastal park responsible for
developing protocols to define natural resource data for the National Park
Service's Inventory & Monitoring Program.  One of the highest priorities is
that of measuring shoreline change trends and variability because of its
controlling impact on cultural and natural resources, especially habitats of
species of special concern.           

We are assembling a geo-rectified database describing Mean High Water
shoreline positions from historical maps and aerial photography, which is
being augmented since 1994 by differentially-corrected GPS surveys at
annual, seasonal, and storm event-driven changes and subsequent recovery.
All data are archived and analyzed within Arc/Info 7.2.1.  Seventy-seven
kilometers of shoreline change data for Cape Cod N.S. are calculated at 50m
intervals using the Arc NEAR routine from a 300m offshore buffer reference
line.  This buffer offset is required because of drastic retreat from the
century-old position compared to the 1972 USGS shore used as the baseline.
The analytical procedure refines our earlier methodology by incorporating
severe angular changes in the shoreline orientation as well as both
migrating and reforming inlet locations.

Landscape versus Parcel Identification of Critical Lands for Conservation
Peter August, Gregory Bonynge, Duane Chapman, Susan Baxter, Alyson McCann, and Aimee Mandeville

We have developed a simple model to identify critical lands for conservation. It is based on the premise that land that serves multiple conservation goals (e.g., protection of groundwater, biodiversity, surface water, historical resources) has more conservation value than land that provides only one, or a few conservation services. Our initial application of the model was done using a raster GIS and database (see www.edc.uri.edu/criticallands). The final result is a map showing regions that have exceptionally large numbers of co-occurring resources. The final map provided a fine landscape-scale view of critical regions for conservation, but the spatial definition of resources (30 m cell size) was lost relative to individual parcel boundaries. In this study, we replicated the analysis but used a vector-based GIS and constituent data. The final result is measurement of the area of every parcel (n=12,011) within 14 natural and cultural resources in the Town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. From each of the final datasets (landscape and parcel) we identified the highest ranking properties for conservation based on parcel size and the number of resources contained within it. In our presentation we will summarize the results of this comparison and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Using Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar to Map Geology in Puerto Rico
Peter R. Briere¹, Kathryn M. Scanlon^2
1Environmental Careers Organization, 179 South Street, Boston, MA 02111*
²U.S. Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, MA 02543               

The interaction of airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with Puerto Rico results in a unique perspective of this tectonically active island. Backscatter tones and texture variations of specific geologic features are investigated. SAR images of Puerto Rico were captured in May 1997. Interpretation of the images focused on identifying and mapping lineaments and lithologic boundaries. These maps were compared to geologic maps produced by onsite field mapping to determine SAR utility as a method for geologic mapping in this area.

SAR is found to enhance some features not easily apparent from the ground, such as lineaments and fluvial patterns. 636 lineaments were identified from the SAR, the most striking the long northwest-trending ones representing the surface expression of the Great Southern Puerto Rico Fault Zone. These lineaments could play an important role in better understanding past or present-day drainage patterns on the island. Also, 14 lithologic units were identified and mapped. Some units clearly visible on the SAR were omitted from many published geologic maps, suggesting that SAR has a place in any study of structure or lithology in Puerto Rico.

LOGSPOT Being Developed for U.S. Army
Mark Cammarere

Technology Service Corporation (TSC) is pleased to announce the development of a Logistics Site Planning and Operations Tool (LOGSPOT) for the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. The LOGSPOT is being designed as an extension for the ArcView GIS (also requires the Spatial Analyst) to assist tactical-level logistics commanders with their day-to-day planning. The prototype LOGSPOT provides the following capabilities:

• Import of digital map data in support of site selection, layout and administration.
• On-screen digitizing of map features in areas for which no vector databases exist.
• Operator-assisted site selection that accounts for terrain features, friendly units and other installations.
• Operator-assisted layout of various site areas that account for surface conditions and safety factors
• Operator-assisted site administration including routing shipments and managing site capacity.

LOGSPOT is currently being expanded to solve a wide set of Army logistics needs.

Using GIS to Map The Planet of Venus
Lynn Carlson and Emily Stewart

Evaluating Aesthetic Impacts of the Meadowdance Project: Three Visualization Techniques
Karyl Fuller

The Plainfield Planning Commission requested a map that would allow them to better evaluate the visual impact of the Meadowdance Project. This project consisted of a building that would be 3 ½ stories high, 170 feet long and 50 feet wide, on a 50-acre parcel. Neighbors and other local residents were concerned about how visible the project would be from their properties and from other local scenic sites.

The map showed potential visual impacts of the project utilizing three different visualization techniques, an orthophoto map, a viewshed analysis, and four (4) 3-D visualizations. The orthophoto map provided the user with the correct geographical relationships between the project, the nearby properties and the three chosen scenic sites. The viewshed analysis answered if the project would be visible or not. The 3-D visualizations were used to illustrate the actual visibility of the project from selected points, taking in topography and distance.

The map was created in Arcview. The TIN model was created using Spatial Analyst, and was then converted to a GRID. Again, using Spatial Analyst, the viewshed analysis was performed and finally, 3-D Analyst was used to create the four 3-D visualizations.

Map Title: Composite Map of Killington, VT
Jon Hall

The Composite Map of Killington, Vermont was created from ArcINFO GIS data using ArcView, on an HP650C color plotter.

Using GIS as a wilderness campsite monitoring tool in Yosemite National Park
Steve Lawson, University of Vermont, Peter Newman, University of Vermont

Lyell Canyon is located on the eastern side of Yosemite National Park, running north to south at an elevation of approximately 9000 feet. Lyell Canyon is the home to a popular and famous section of the John Muir Trail. The John Muir Trail runs contiguously with a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and is considered a highlight along the route from Mexico to Canada.

During the summer of 1999, Yosemite National Park staff collected GPS data to inventory the number and distribution of wilderness campsites in Lyell Canyon. The data were collected after one month of campsite restoration work had been conducted by a student work crew.

The objectives of this study were to:

1. Integrate the GPS campsite inventory data with Digital Raster Graphics data to create a Geographic Information System (GIS).
2. Use the GIS to identify the number and spatial distribution of campsites in Lyell Canyon that are in compliance and out of compliance with Yosemite National Park wilderness regulations.
3. Create a mapping system to be utilized by Yosemite National Park rangers to monitor backcountry resource degradation from season to season.

The monitoring system developed in this study, based on GPS Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, gives resource managers the ability to record the history of specific campsites from season to season. This monitoring system allows managers to track changes in visitor use patterns and identify potential problem areas. Further, this monitoring system provides managers with insight into the success and potential failures of management efforts. The poster presentation will review the methodologies used and the lessons learned in developing this monitoring tool.

Landscape Assessment of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Leslie A. Morrissey (UVM), James Morrissey (UVM), and Nora Mitchell (NPS)

The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (MBRNHP) was established in 1993 to preserve an important aspect of the history and evolution of the conservation movement in America. This 550-acre forest on the slopes of Mount Tom in southern Vermont is one of the oldest planned and managed woodlands in the U.S. With over 200 years of land stewardship by George Perkins Marsh, Frederick Billings, and Mary and Laurance Rockefeller, this land exemplifies "modern" forest conservation practices. Natural forest stands dominate the landscape although forest plantations, hay fields, open water, pastures, and mansion grounds and gardens are present. As part of a project to inventory and manage the resources of MBRNHP, a GIS database of historical and current environmental and cultural features was developed. Thirty-nine data layers were generated based on historic surveys, aerial photography, GPS, maps, and field data. The development of this database provides an initial step in the management of cultural and natural resources within the park.

A GIS-based Parcel Mapping Success Story in a Small Vermont Town
Jeff Nugent, Windham Regional Commission

Until three years ago, the town of Londonderry Vermont (pop. 1506) had no town-wide parcel maps. Using GIS, the Windham Regional Commission assisted town staff in compiling parcel maps, and the town now accesses these digital parcel data via ArcExplorer on virtually a daily basis. This poster will outline the process used to develop the parcel data. It will also include suggestions and tips on how to provide digital data in a usable format to users who have no GIS expertise.

DELINEATION OF ROADLESS AREAS IN THE NORTHERN FOREST OF NEW ENGLAND
Publicover, David A.

The 26-million-acre Northern Forest of New York and New England is the largest expanse of relatively undeveloped forest in the eastern United States. The great majority of the region is privately owned by large paper companies and numerous individuals. Despite over a century of timber harvesting and other uses, until recent decades the region remained quite remote. However, since the end of river drives in the mid 20^th century, road access to the region has increased dramatically. It is estimated that the 10 million acres of unincorporated land in Maine contain over 20,000 miles of roads, primarily private logging roads, with an estimated construction of 500 additional miles each year. Maintaining or restoring large blocks of remote late-successional forest habitat in the face of increasing human access and intensity of forest management is one of the major ecological challenges facing the region.

This project identifies remaining roadless areas across northern Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The primary sources of information include 1996-98 satellite imagery (Landsat TM and Indian Remote Sensing LISS-3), 1973-91 Landsat MSS imagery, and published road atlases. Areas of at least 5,000 acres were designated as "roadless" if they met the following conditions: 1) no roads visible on recent satellite imagery, 2) no roads shown in road atlases, and 3) no evidence of timber harvesting evident on earlier satellite imagery.

These areas cannot be considered pristine; all have been harvested in the past and may contain abandoned roads or jeep trails that receive limited use. However, they are as close to roadless as exists in the region. Because of the limited extent of roadless areas in this landscape, they are features of high ecological interest. Identification of these areas may allow them to receive further study as potential ecological reserves if landowners express an interest in this option. However, they may also allow landowners to develop management strategies that maintain many of the characteristics of these areas while still deriving income from timber management. These strategies could include long-rotation management systems, limited new road construction, or targeted road closure programs.

Pittsford Vermont Municipal Trail System
Steve Schild

Resource Mapping Project for the Town of Washington, Connecticut
Kirk Sinclair

The Conservation Commission from the Town of Washington worked with the GIS Mapping Department of the Housatonic Valley Association to map various resources within the town. Thematic maps included Archaeological and Cultural Resources, Critical Habitat and Listed Species, Slopes, Geology, Soils, Soils-Based Zoning, Open Space: Protected Properties, Open Space: Unprotected Properties, Recreation, Scenic Vistas, Peaks and Prominences, Scenic Roads, and Water Resources. ArcView was the platform used for all the GIS mapping.

One unique aspect of the project was training a volunteer from Washington to help with the GIS mapping, thus providing cost savings to the town as well as allowing them to be more connected to how the GIS works.

Representatives from both HVA and Washington propose to provide a poster presentation displaying report size copies of the maps and explaining the collaborative process to interested conferees.

Raritan Basin Watershed Management Project Characterization & Assessment
Tom J. Stanuikynas and Douglas M. Schleifer

The Raritan Basin Watershed Management Project Team has been developing a series of Technical Reports to characterize and assess the current conditions of the Raritan River Basin. These reports will provide a basis for the next step, the development of a Raritan Basin Watershed Management Plan. The plan will be used to help maintain a high quality of life while still protecting natural resources within the Basin. Many of the issues involved in the watershed management process were addressed utilizing a GIS.

The purpose of this poster is to highlight a selection of GIS outputs that were generated during the course of the characterization and assessment phase. The data sets (percentage of impervious surface, sewer service areas, riparian corridors, land use/land cover change analysis, and one other map) are displayed on a series of maps, focusing on a single sub-watershed.

Brookline GIS Map Catalog
Feng Yang

To better provide the general public with geographic information about the town, Brookline GIS is in the process of preparing a map catalog. It will be displayed at the counters of various departments such as engineering, planning, town clerks, assessing, information technologies, selectmen’s office and library. Most of the maps will be made available in Adobe PDF format on the town’s web site (www.town.brookline.ma.us/gis) for free download.

Brookline Water and Sewer Facilities Maps
Parvaneh Kossari