IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The site allows government officials at all levels to get quick access to maps and other data that can be used to aid in making on-the-spot emergency response decisions, for example.

The federal government's Geospatial One-Stop portal, slated to be unveiled next month, won't significantly address data-integration problems related to geographic information systems the government has struggled with for more than a decade, a General Accounting Office official told a House subcommittee on Tuesday. The One-Stop portal is unified national network of geospatial data and systems that will available to federal, state, and local governments and the public.

Some of the surveyed users demanded better integration of Global Positioning System measurements with their existing ESRI ArcGIS software.

The public review period will begin in July 2004 and will last 90 days. These standards establish common requirements to facilitate data exchange for seven themes of geospatial data fundamental to many different Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications.

The site currently offers access to an extensive array of national and local mapping data. The new version will perform more like a portal and incorporate a number of new tools and enhancements — including the introduction of Google search technology — to find specialized data more quickly and easily.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior Scott Cameron will unveil a demonstration of the new portal's potential during the plenary session of the ESRI User Conference tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 2:30 p.m. The session is being held on Level 2, hall E of the Washington Convention Center.

GIS technology should benefit public safety and result in more efficient sewer design, according to city officials.

The technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management, and development planning. For example, GIS might allow emergency planners to easily calculate emergency response times in the event of a natural disaster, or it might be used to find wetlands that need protection from pollution.

Interior Department and ESRI officials announced the e-government deal yesterday at the 7th annual federal geographic information system conference in Washington sponsored by the Redlands, Calif., company.

The network uses a Web portal for linking local resources with state and federal agencies in the event of a disaster, ESRI officials said. The GIS-based system will offer a two-way stream of information flow, vital to disaster response, the company said.

State and federal agencies continue to extend the boundaries of geospatial applications and databases, and Virtual Alabama is one of the most recent examples.

Launched in November 2007 by the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, the project uses Google Earth as its visualization engine and delivers data and query tools to more than 1,200 state and local officials, from county sheriffs and assessors to firefighters and health care providers.

Effective this month, the budget for the Massachusetts Geographic Information System (MassGIS) has increased to $3 million annually from $1 million, and will be moved into the Massachusetts Information Technology Division (ITD), which is overseeing an enterprisewide consolidation of the state's IT assets.

One of the real challenges for government health organizations is matching services with the people who need them.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has made that job easier with its Geospatial Data Warehouse. The warehouse’s project team combined data from separate sources to map out the country’s health resources and the populations in need. It delivers that data to other government agencies and makes a subset of the data available to the public via the Web.

The USS Cape St. George, based in Norfolk, Va., is using the Electronic Charting Display and Information System-Navy (ECDIS-N) with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Digital Nautical Chart (DNC) as its primary navigation system, according to an NGA release.

As a shared service, the county has estimated a 40 percent savings for GIS data development, a 67 percent savings for internet GIS application development, and an annual savings of $5,000 for internet GIS web hosting for Vernon.

The county-run database is an expansive program that organizes information based on location, such as parcel information for tax maps, stormwater runoff data and even shade tree programs in some municipalities.

The geographic information system, which would be implemented over five years at a cost of $870,000, would feature every tax parcel and have software to track permits and inspections.

These standards were developed through the Geospatial One-Stop e-Government initiative. They establish common requirements to facilitate data exchange for seven themes of geospatial data fundamental to many different GeographicInformation Systems (GIS) applications. The seven geospatial data themes are: geodetic control, elevation, orthoimagery, hydrography, transportation, cadastral, and governmental unit boundaries.

At first glance, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system wouldn't seem a likely candidate for a GIS makeover. It isn't a government jurisdiction in the usual sense, nor does it have most of the traditional responsibilities that make GIS useful to public officials.