1

The VirginiaGeospatial Extension

Program(540) 231-2428

www.cnr.vt.edu/gepgep@vt.edu

For more informationcontact:

Geospatial Extension Program TargetsMarketing Needs of Small, Rural Businesses

(Continued on Page 11)

Showcasing GIS, Remote Sensing and GPS Supported Products and

The Virginia Geospatial Newsletter is a quarterly pub-lication developed through the Virginia Geospatial Ex-tension Program, a partnership between Virginia Co-operative Extension (VCE) and the Virginia SpaceGrant Consortium (VSGC). The newsletter is pub-lished in conjunction with The Virginia GeographicInformation Network (VGIN).

The purpose of the Virginia Geospatial Newsletter isto highlight innovative geospatial products and ser-vices throughout the Commonwealth and to widelydisseminate geospatial knowledge and awarenessthroughout Virginia.

If you have suggestions or comments, or if you wouldlike to contribute to the newsletter, please contact JohnMcGee at the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program(jmcg@vt.edu or [540] 231-2428).

John McGeeVirginia Geospatial Extension Specialist

Virginia Tech

Small, rural businesses (e.g. tourism/agritourism operators, artisans, craftspeople,“mom and pop” restaurants) face manychallenges, especiallywhen it comes tomarketing andadvertising theirproducts and services.

For example, businessowners may bepreoccupied with‘traditional’ forms of advertising, which includesignage, yellow page advertising (‘the book’),and the dissemination of information throughother print media, including magazines andnewsletters.

These approaches can be expensive and donot always target intended audiences.Furthermore, some areas of Virginia, includingregions along the Blue Ridge Parkway, do notpermit some forms of traditional advertising(roadside signage).

Location-based servicesAdvances in technology haveresulted in a revolution inmarketing and advertising.Location and place-basedservices, made possiblethrough the use of globalpositioning system (GPS)devices (including both

portable and in-dash car navigation systems)can be used to geographically connect potentialconsumers with nearby businesses.

Location-based serivces areleveling the playing field. These

applications and services arewell positioned to support both

small and large businesses alike.

Showcasing GIS, Remote Sensing and GPS Supported Products and Services in the Commonwealth

Volume 8, Number 1 Winter 2010

The Virginia Geospatial NewsletterThe Virginia Geospatial NewsletterShowcasing GIS, Remote Sensing and GPS Supported Products and Services in the Commonwealth

The Virginia GeospatialNewsletter is produced

by the VirginiaGeospatial Extension

Program

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep

What's InsideHigher Education

Assessing Priority Conservation Areas: Approach and Local Application ................ 2VirginiaView

Facilitating Geospatial Literacy Throughthe Geospatial Revolution Project ................. 3

VAMLIS - The President's Message ............... 4HRTPO - Bicycle GAP Analysis ..................... 5Nonprofit - What's in Your Runoff? ................ 6Movin' On ......................................................... 7Pre-college - Geospatial Training Webinars Hosted by the VDOE................................... 10Save the Date! ................................................. 14Virginia GIS Conference - Poster Awards .. 15USGS - US Topo Update ................................ 16VGIN - VGIN Update, Dec. 2009 .................... 17VGEP - Geospatial Training

Workshops .................................................. 18

2

Higher Education Assessing Priority ConservationAreas: Approach and Local

ApplicationJennifer CiminelliEnvironmental Specialist

VCU Center for Environmental Studies

(Continued on Page 8)

With an abundance of existingnatural resource geospatial datasets,state agencies, planners, non-profits,and citizens have a variety of datasetsthat can be utilized in their planningefforts dependent on the end objective.While in some instances this providesthe end user with thecapacity to focus on specificprioritization schemes, forsome, the amount ofinformation can make itdifficult to prioritize and timeintensive to synthesize. TheVirginia Department ofGame and Inland Fisheries(VDGIF), Virginia CommonwealthUniversity Center for EnvironmentalStudies (VCU-CES), and the VirginiaDepartment of Conservation andRecreation Division of NaturalHeritage (DCR-DNH), incollaboration with the Virginia CoastalZone Management Program (CZM),undertook a project to create a priorityconservation layer that could be usedto help identify and prioritizeconservation areas.

The Priority Conservation Areas(PCA) are defined as lands andsurface waters identified asimportant for conservation ofVirginia’s wildlife, plants, andnatural communities. Theidentified lands/waters can be usedto prioritize areas for preservation,protection or specific managementaction. The PCA represent areas thatcontain features of conservation

importance (e.g., a rare community orspecies’ habitat) along with a protectivearea around them to insure theircontinued existence and ecosystemfunction. PCAs may contain areas thatare presently developed or otherwisedegraded, but if managed properlywould produce conservation benefits.An example is a stream riparian bufferthat may currently be an asphalt parking

lot, but if reverted to naturalvegetation would provide acritical buffer protectingdownstream habitat.

Each of the inputs used in thedevelopment of the PCAhave application as stand-

alone datasets, and information aboutthese data can be obtained from theagency responsible for thedevelopment and maintenance.Provided here are short descriptionsof the datasets followed by theapplication of the PCA in a pilotCommunity Viz project.

The Virginia Department of Game andInland Fisheries (DGIF) maintainsseveral GIS datasets showing thelocation of important wildlife featuresbut not how these features should beprioritized and conserved. The PriorityWildlife Diversity Conservation Areasor PWDCA was developed to createa new GIS dataset to compile wildlifeconservation areas. The termdiversity was included to reinforce thewildlife diversity or nongame wildlifeconservation focus. The developmentof the PWDCA involved thedetermination of appropriate existingGIS datasets, processing of other

datasets to represent conservationactions outlined in the Wildlife ActionPlan, and input from biologists.

The Virginia Department ofConservation Division of NaturalHeritage (DNH) developed selecteddata to contribute to the PCA analysis.The Virginia Natural LandscapeAssessment (VaNLA) identifiesecological habitat cores andinterconnecting landscape corridorsand ranks them with an EcologicalIntegrity score. The Natural LandNetwork (NLN), a component of theVaNLA, consists of all ecological coresof the two highest ranks, outstandingand very high ecological integrity, thelandscape corridors that connect themand the smaller cores that areintersected by those corridors.Another Natural Heritage Plancomponent of the PCA is theConservation Sites Layer (CSL),which delineates known habitats ofrare plants and animals and exemplarynatural communities. Each site isassigned a biodiversity significance rank(b-rank) based upon the rarity, quality,and number of occurrences

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityCenter for Environmental Studies(VCU-CES) developed an AquaticIntegrity Resource Layer to aid in thecharacterization of stream health in theCommonwealth. The layer is acombination of both a local scaleassessment and a watershed-basedapproach to stream health. The localscale assessment was derived using the

3

Facilitating Geospatial LiteracyThrough The Geospatial Revolution

Project

Readers of the VirginiaGeospatial Newsletter are aware ofthe value of geospatial data inaddressing varied problems of local,state, national, and even internationalscope.

Penn State Public Broadcasting isdeveloping an informational programthat will highlight the synergisticrelationships between remotely sensedimagery, GPS, and GeographicInformation Systems. Geospatial datacan greatly increase the capabilities ofbusinesses and governmentalinstitutions to prepare for emergencyresponse and public safety, to betterunderstand environmental issues, andto plan efficient locations of economicactivities. These capabilities reach oureveryday activities through immediateaccess to geospatial data tailored forour own immediate needs thoughcapabilities built into mobile phones,

PDAs, and personal navigationdevices.

Geospatial information has an impactupon a broad range of issues ofsignificance for the public. Seamlesslayers of satellites, surveillance, andlocation-based technologies create aworldwide geographic knowledgebase vital to solving myriad social andenvironmental problems in theinterconnected global community. Wecount on these technologies to:

• fight climate change;

• map populations acrosscontinents, countries, andcommunities;

• track disease;

• strengthen bonds betweencultures;

• defend the nation;

• assist first responders in protectingsafety;

• enable democracy;

• navigate our personal lives.

The sweeping application of thesetechnologies requires public educationto understand both the application ofthese technologies and the issues ofprivacy and security that they raise.

The Penn State project will feature aweb-based serial release of eight videoepisodes—each telling an intriguinggeospatial story. Overarching themeswoven throughout the episodes will tiethem together, and the episodes willculminate in a 60-minute documentary.The project also will include anoutreach initiative in collaboration withits educational partners, a chapteredprogram DVD, and downloadableoutreach materials.

Readers can view the promotionaltrailer at:http://geospatialrevolution.psu.edu/

Although the trailer was developedprimarily to promote interest in thebroader Geospatial Revolution project,it serves well as an informative vehiclefor citizens who are not aware of thenature and role of geospatial data intoday’s world.

James Campbell, Ph.D.Professor and VirginiaView PI

Virginia Tech

Image Credit: USGS

VirginiaView Update

4

2009 has been a year ofsuccesses for VAMLIS. Oursuccesses include co-hosting the2009 Virginia GIS conference, activeparticipation by VAMLIS membersin GIS education and Virginiageospatial legislative issues, and anoverhaul of the VAMLIS Website(http://www.vamlis.org ) , our currentwork in progress, and a VAMLISGroup on Linked In (http://w w w . l i n k e d i n . c o m /groups?home=&gid=2204699&goback=.hom&trk= NUS_DIG_GENR-ucg_hd). These endeavors haveenabled us to carry out our mission ofpromoting the free exchange ofgeospatial knowledge and informationin the Commonwealth and beyond. Asan all volunteer organization, VAMLISis reliant on our members for the timeand services that enable us to achievethese successes on a limited budget. Iwould like to personally thank all ofthe VAMLIS members that contributedto these successes.

In 2010 VAMLIS is looking forwardto serving and supporting ourmembership in a variety of waysincluding:

• Co-hosting the 2010 Virginia GISConference with the VAPDC.Planning will start in January 2010.

• Providing opportunities for ourmembers to participate in GISeducation through the education

committee and by highlightingopportunities to participate in GISeducation by working through localeducational institutions.

• Completing the overhaul of ourwebsite to provide timelyinformation on geospatial events in

the region and information onopportunities to engage in thegeospatial community.

• Keeping our membershipinformed of the geospatial relatedissues in the 2010 legislativesession. We will be tracking billsand issues that impact thegeospatial community.

The VAMLIS executive committeeencourages you be a part of thegeospatial community throughparticipation in one of the VAMLIScommittees. Remember that VAMLISis a volunteer organization that is onlyas strong as its members. Each ofthese committees provides an essentialrole in the vitality of VAMLIS. Pleaseconsider volunteering.

• The Communications Committeeis responsible for information onthe website, hardcopypublications, and technologyupdates to our membership.

• The Education Committee is acritical resource for developing

educational policies, programsand standards for the geospatialsciences in Virginia.

• The Legislative Committee isresponsible for informing themembership of legislative itemsthat impact mapping and landinformation professions inVirginia.

• The Membership Committee isresponsible for keeping amembership directory anddeveloping programs to obtainand retain membership levels.

• The Nominating Committeeadministers the nominatingprovisions set forth in Article Vof the Constitution of theAssociation.

• The Activities Committeeorganizes events, meetings andsocials for the membership.

While 2010 will be challenging for usas we work through the currenteconomic situation, we have much tobe thankful for this year and to lookforward to next year: our families,building on our work successes, ourCommonwealth, and our great nation.

I speak for the entire VAMLIS boardin wishing you a happy holiday and aprosperous new year.

VAMLIS Update The President's Message

Russell Minich,VAMLIIS President

5

Andy Pickard PE, AICPPrincipal Transportation EngineerHampton Roads Transportation

Planning OrganizationChesapeake, VA

The Hampton RoadsTransportation Planning Organization(HRTPO), the Metropolitan PlanningOrganization (MPO) for the VirginiaBeach-Norfolk-Newport News areain Southeast Virginia, is currentlydeveloping its 2034 Long-RangeTransportation Plan (LRTP) for theregion. As a part of the 2034 LRTPeffort, HRTPO staff is investigating ameans of closing the gaps betweenbicycle facilities in the region.

A two-part approach is being taken:find the user supply and demandcombinations with the highestlikelihood for use and then comparethese travel patterns to the existingbicycle network to define gaps inconnectivity. Closing these gaps willprovide opportunities for increasedbicycle usage.

The region was divided into 80districts, which are large but identifiable

areas of the region. All 6,400 district-to-district combinations (80 origins and80 destinations) were then scored byadding together an Origin Score and a

Destination Score. A literature reviewand availability of data influenced thescoring schemes. The Origin Score isa function of population density, theportion of workers commuting bybicycle or walking, and the portion ofthe population that is non-drivers. TheDestination Score is a function ofemployment density and existingdestinations. The Total Score for eachdistrict-to-district combination canrange from 4 to 50. The original 6,400possible connections were thenreduced in quantity by eliminating thelowest-scoring connections fromfurther analysis.

The remaining highest-scoringconnections, however, will need furtherrefinement due to the complexity of theresulting patterns. The highest-scoringconnections will be compared to theexisting bicycle facility network. Thiswill be accomplished by analyzing theregion in one-mile grids, with each gridbeing placed in one of three categories:a bicycle facility already exists, nobicycle facility exists and there are nohigh-scoring connections, or no bicyclefacility currently exists but there arehigh-scoring connections passingthrough. The product of the gridanalysis will be a hierarchy of locations(grids) according to the quantity ofhigh-scoring patterns passing throughthose locations that don’t currentlyhave bicycle facilities. Some degreeof judgment will be used in connectingthe grids, and the results will be furtherrefined by local technical staff inchecking for reasonableness and

Gap:an empty space or interval;

interruption in continuity; hiatus.(source: www.dictionary.com)

Scoring of connections is driven by geographic data, such as year2034 employment density. Continued on Page 7

HRTPO Bicycle GAP Analysis

6

What’s In Your Runoff?The James River Association wants to

help you find out!

(Continued on Page 9)

Michelle KokolisWatershed Scientist

James River Associationand

Amy WaltersProject ManagerTimmons Group

The James River Association(JRA) is the only non-profitorganization in Virginia working solelyto protect and enhance the JamesRiver and the 15,000 miles of

tributaries that flowthroughout itswatershed. JRAaddresses waterquality issuesthroughout thewatershed bypartnering withcorporations, local

governments, farmers, landowners,individuals, and state and nationalagencies. Through these partnershipsJRA identifies root causes of pollutionin the watershed and implementssolutions to reduce or eliminate theirnegative impacts. JRA carries out itswork through its four core programs:Watershed Restoration, Education andOutreach, River Advocacy, andRiverkeeper program. Through thiswide range of innovative programs,JRA engages the public to becomeaware and actively involved inconserving the James River and itstributaries for future generations toenjoy.

More than 1,500 miles of the river andits tributaries are currently listed on theEPA’s “dirty water” list. To improve

the river’s health we must reduce siltand polluted runoff, especially thelevels of nitrogen and phosphorus.JRA’s Watershed Restorationprograms promote responsible land useinitiatives within the watershed andshowcase solutions throughpartnerships and innovative projectsincluding the Green Homes project andthe “What’s In Your Runoff” calculator.

Today the greatest threat to the healthof the James River is pollutedstormwater runoff associated withurban and suburban development.Due to an abundance of impervioussurfaces such as roofs, pavement andparking lots, rainwater cannotpenetrate into the soil. Instead, it flowsoff hard surfaces, picking up pollution,nitrogen, phosphorus, and chemicalssuch as pesticides and herbicides fromlawns. Polluted runoff from imperioussurfaces enters streams (or rushes intosewers and storm drains) at a greatervelocity, causing erosion and siltbuildup.

Because many people have becomeaware of their carbon footprint, theyare taking action to lessen theirimpacts. However, few people knowthe direct impact they have on thewatershed in which they live, or howthey can change that impact. The goalof the Green Homes program and thedevelopment of the runoff calculator isto bring this same awareness to impactswe have on our watershed.

The technical approach of the websitewas a group effort between Timmons

Group Geospatial staff, TimmonsGroup Stormwater staff, and the JamesRiver Association Watershedscientists. This project leveraged aunique relationship among all groupsand the result was an easy to usewebsite that still provides a tangiblereport with goals for landowners toreduce their runoff.

The first step of the technical processwas to develop simple, accurate runoffcalculations that could be run on thefly with just a few inputs from the user.Timmons Group called on theirstormwater engineers to help with thisprocess. Using the Runoff ReductionMethod spreadsheet provided by theVirginia Department of Conservationand Recreation, the stormwaterengineers helped develop a simplifiedcalculation that could be used with therunoff widget. The calculation requiredsome input from the user as well assome data from JRA and the TimmonsGroup. GIS data including soil andwatershed coverage came from JRA,and default impervious surfacepercentages for various lot types wereprovided by the Timmons Groupstormwater group and JRA. To usethe calculator, the website user enterstheir property address, parcel size, andprovides information about any existingrunoff reduction appliances in use suchas rain barrels or a rain garden.

Once the GIS data and runoffcalculator were gathered, the JRArunoff widget was developed using the

Non-Profit

7

Continued from Page 5

Bicycle GAPAnalysis

Of all the possible district-to-district combinations (in blue), the highest-scoring combinations (in red) were carried forward for further analysis.

What common holiday phrase isrepresented by the illustration

below?

consistency with local plans, in additionto review by the public.

The analysis presented is a work inprogress and is subject to change. Itis largely GIS-driven, and is expectedto continue to rely on GIS for analysisand presentation of results. AnArcView script was used to generate

the district-to-district travel patterns(“desire.avx”, as found on the supportportion of the ESRI website andattributable to Kevin O’Malley, wasused). Creating the demographicmaps and thresholds, populating thedistrict-to-district travel combinationswith the scoring data, performing thegrid analysis, comparing results to theexisting bicycle network, and facilitatingvisualization will all be accomplishedvia GIS in combination withspreadsheets and other datamanipulation software.

For additional information on thisinitiative, please contact Andy at:apickard@hrpdcva.gov

Movin' On...We wish you the best!

Stuart Blankenship, formerly with theVirginia Geographic Information Net-work (VGIN), has started in a newpostion at WorldView Solutions,where he serves as the Geospatial Ap-plications Manager.

The Holiday Puzzler!

(and yes, this is what happens whenthere's a bit of extra space!)

8

Continued from Page 2

(Continued on Page 12)

Interactive Stream AssessmentResource (INSTAR) to assess streamhealth. Stream health was calculatedand placed in four categories:Exceptional, Healthy, RestorationPotential, and Compromised. Thewatershed assessments include abroader range of validated qualitativebiotic data (e.g. species lists) fromvarious sources, including state andfederal agencies. These data were usedto generate watershed health using sixmetrics or variables for the 6th orderwatersheds. Watershed health wascalculated and placed in fourcategories: Exceptional, Healthy,Restoration Potential, andCompromised. The Aquatic ResourceIntegrity Layer was then created by

merging the stream reach assessmentlayer with the watershed assessmentlayer.

The final priority conservation area wasdeveloped using cell statistics to pullout the maximum cell value of all inputdatasets to create the final grid. Anadditional analysis was done with theVCLNA Composite VulnerabilityModel to attribute the PCA with athreat value indicative of potentialgrowth. The threat value was averagedfor each polygon within the PCA tocreate a threat attribute in the PCA.The final PCA dataset and metadataare available from http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/gis/gis-data.asp.

Community Viz ApplicationA pilot project was developed toevaluate the application of use of thePCA at a local level using CommunityViz (CV). Placeways Community Vizis an ArcGIS extension used tointeractively analyze data, visualize andcommunicate different workingscenario results. Community Viz

evaluates working scenarios, runsbuild-out analyses, develops timegrowth analysis, and assesses commonimpacts. The power of the CVextension is extensive and can beexplored online at http://placeways.com/.

The pilot project analyzes current andproposed zoning code impacts onPriority Conservation Areas withinNorthampton County. The applicationincludes the capability to interactivelychange zoning types and to see theresulting impacts to PCA areadepending on the type of zoning code.

The PCA ranks are overlaid on top ofproposed zoning with total area of non-compatible PCA displayed in thecharts.

Zoning types considered high densitymay negatively impact the sustainability

Priority Conservation Areas Northampton County Community Viz Application

PriorityConservation

Areas

9

James RiverWatershed

Continued from Page X

ESRI Flex API and ArcGIS Server9.3.1. Timmons Group leveraged theircustom UI that already had beendeveloped for the WebLoGISticsproduct for the Flex API to streamlinethe User Interface developmentprocess. The end user of the websiteis the general public and not GIS users,so it was important to make thewebsite easy to use.

The widget has several componentsand walks the user through a few stepsto gather the required information torun the calculation. The first step ofthe widget has the user enter theiraddress, which is then geocoded, orthey can simply drop a point on themap to locate their property. This stepof the process is important to capturethe soil type, soil hydro group, andwatershed information for the property.The next step of the widget asks theuser for some information on theirproperty size and type. If the userknows approximate impervious andforest coverage percentages for theirproperty they can enter it here, or theycan use the default percentagesprovided by JRA and the stormwaterengineers.

Once all the property information isprovided, the user goes to the next stepof the process, which is to provideinformation about any existingreduction items already in place. Theuser then just needs to accept the

Continued from Page 6

The first step (above) of the Runoff Calculation Widget asks the user tolocate their property. The second step (below) of the Runoff

Calculation Widget asks the user to enter property specific information.

(Continued on Page 13)

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Geospatial Training WebinarsHosted by the VDOE

The Virginia Department ofEducation and Charlie Fitzpatrick,ESRI K-12 Education Manager, willpresent a series of training webinars toassist teachers and school divisions inunderstanding and using GIS and thestatewide site license for ESRI GISsoftware. Recognizing that manyteachers lack the time and mobility toattend face-to-face training sessions,a series of online training sessions hasbeen planned.

The first session, “Introduction to GIS”includes an explanation of what GISis, who uses it, in what forms it isused,and how GIS integrates GPSvector data and remote sensing(RS) raster data. This session isavailable under the RecordedSessions link found at https://vadoe.webex.com/mw0306l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=vadoe.

The second session will addressbasics of ArcView includinginstallation, the main menu, range ofdata, toolbar, communicating datawith maps, table of attributes,features (the dynamic link betweentable and map), and coordinates andscale.

Additional sessions topics plannedinclude:

• Analysis: Classification andSymbolization

• Analysis: Asking Questions of theData

• Adding and Analyzing Your OwnData

• Analysis: Using Raster Data• Visualization and Analysis: 3D and

Animation• Routing, Network Analysis,

Geocoding

The purpose of these training sessionsis to make professional developmentinformation available to those who mayhave taken training previously but feelthey need a refresher course, and moreadvanced information available to thosewho have reached a level of confidenceand are ready to move on to moreadvanced topics. These sessions will

not provide the detail of data files andsteps of use that a specific trainingmanual usually contains. However, forthe beginner, sufficient data for use isprovided with the software.

Lynn BashamVirginia Department of Education

The updated statewide license forversion 9.3 will be available soon, andefforts are underway to make itavailable through a download optionthat will be hosted and providedthrough Virginia Tech. This method willbe tested with a few divisions inDecember.

For those schools without upgradedcomputers, earlier versions of thesoftware are still available. This willenable all divisions to take advantageof the opportunity to have technology,science, and social studies educatorsuse professional software to teachdetailed lessons. Additional classes thatmay benefit from the software are

agriculture, law enforcement,and other technical courses thatuse GIS as a basic tool.

For further information, contact:Dr. Lynn BashamLynn.Basham@doe.virginia.govor 804-786-4210.

Pre-college

11

When integrated with the Internet viaSmartphone devices, theseapplications provide a technicalbridge, linking potential (and oftenmobile) customers with nearbybusinesses and specific products.Likewise, business owners are alsoable to target and “reach out” topotential customers through the use ofvirtual coupons and other marketingtechniques.

This workshop, provided by theVirginia Geospatial Extension Programat Virginia Tech and VirginiaCooperative Extension, walks businessowners through the process ofregistering their businesses on multiplenational business databases. Thesedatabases are then consumed by avariety of location-based servicedevices and applications (TomTom,Garmin, iPhone/Blackberry / PalmPre/ Droid GPS applications, etc.).Through the workshop participants willalso learn how to leverage free, online

tools to support Internetmarketing efforts.

Workshop Details andRegistrationWorkshops have beenscheduled at the followinglocations | dates:

· Blacksburg, Virginia - VirginiaTech Microcomputer Lab, 220Cheatham Hall - January 8th,2010 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

· Stuart, Virginia - PatrickHenry Community College -January 22nd, 2010 from 12:30pm - 3:30 pm

· Abingdon, Virginia - TheSouthwest Higher EducationCenter - February 11th, from12:30 pm- 3:30 pm

It is anticipated that the VirginiaGeospatial Extension Program will beoffering additional workshopopportunities in the following regionsas well:

• Galax / Hillsville• Danville

The cost of the workshop is $40 /participant. Participants should registerfor the workshop online, or by

contacting theV i r g i n i aG e o s p a t i a lE x t e n s i o nProgram (phoneor email) . Oncepayment hasbeen received,w o r k s h o pregistrants willreceive aconfirmationemail andpayment receipt.

WorkshopCircuit Targets

Small Businesses

Continued from Page 1 Registration is required, and space islimited.

Online registration can be accessedhere: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/VirtualMarketingEnrollment.html.

A printable registration application(adobe pdf) can be accessed here:http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/pdfFiles/Virtual%20World%20Registration%20Form.pdf

If you would like to organize aworkshop in your community, pleasecontact John McGee at the VirginiaGeospatial Extension Program:gep@vt.edu(540) 231-2428

Acknowledgements: This pro-gram is modeled after a work-shop that Adeel Ahmed devel-oped through the University ofMinnesota Cooperative Exten-sion service. Kudos to Adeelfor his initiative and support!

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

12

of a PCA to support wildlife andterrestrial species communities and/oraquatic integrity. High density codeswere determined from NorthamptonCounty’s proposed zoning ordinanceand used to create dynamic formulaswithin the CV application. If a parcelis zoned a non-compatible PCA use,the spatial overlap of the PCA with thatparcel is calculated. That informationis then summarized and displayed incharts as an easy visualization tool forthe end user.

To allow the end user to easily interactwith the data, a land use model wasdeveloped. The end user is then ableto make changes to the data usingeasy-to-use editing tools, called SketchTools. For the Northampton CountyCV application, a land use model wascreated to work with the proposedzoning layer. An end user caninteractively change a zoning type inthe proposed zoning feature class anynumber of times and see the impactsto the PCA based on the change in zonetype.

Another example of use of the PCAand Community Viz at a local level isfor green infrastructure planning. ThePCA can be used with local datasetsto derive a green corridor. For thisexample, the green corridor was usedas part of a local CV application totest for the impact of prohibitingdevelopment in a green corridor. Theobjective was to test the impact tooverall density and plan for the best

placement of the corridor – wherewould the impacts be felt and howmany lots may be impacted? As aninteractive scenario, the end user editsthe data to test for the best placementof the corridor.

The power of Community Viz lies inthe capability to make interactivechanges to the data and be able toimmediately see the results. Thesetypes of applications can be used inworking meetings where ideas can beapplied and results can be visualized.This capacity enables the end user toevaluate existing and proposed

scenarios, as well as other alternativesthat may evolve as part of the effort,providing a more defensible, balancedand holistic analysis.

(above) Northampton County PCA rank 5 (red hatch-ing) overlaid on proposed zoning layer

(above) Using sketch tools to change the parcel circled from zoning type Ato EI. Note the resulting impacts to the area of PCA displayed in the charts

Continued from Page 8

PriorityConservation

Areas

13

disclaimer and then the report can bereviewed.

The report tells homeowners theamount of polluted runoff coming offtheir property, including the amount oftotal nitrogen and total phosphorous inthe runoff. It restates physicalinformation about the user’s propertyand graphically shows its connectionto the James River.

Lastly, the calculator provides practicalways for families to reduce theirimpacts to reach zero-discharge goals,including information on rain gardens,rain barrels and downspoutdisconnections.

Through the Green Homes programand runoff calculator, JRA hopes toexpand people’s awareness of theirconnection to the James River and howresponsible land stewardship practicescan help protect and restore the healthof America’s Founding River.

(above) The report provides information about the location of theproperty and stormwater runoff off estimates.

(below) The report also provides ways that the resident can reduce theirrunoff and goals that they can aim for.

James RiverWatershed

Continued from Page 9

14

Save the Date!Mention or failure to mention any event or workshop does not constitute an endorsement by the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program or its

partners.

Marketing in a Virtual World. January 6th, 2010 | Blacksburg, VA

ESRI Educational Conference July 10-13th, 2010 | San Diego, CAFor additional information and registration: http://www.esri.com/events/educ/index.html

For additional information and registration, go tohttp://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/virtualmarketing.html

Marketing in a Virtual World. January 22nd, 2010 | Stuart, VAFor additional information and registration, go tohttp://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/virtualmarketing.html

Marketing in a Virtual World. February 11th, 2010 | Abingdon, VAFor additional information and registration, go tohttp://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/virtualmarketing.html

2010 ESRI Southeast Regional User Group (SERUG) ConferenceApril 26-28th, 2010 | Charlotte, NC

For additional information, go to http://www.esri.com/events/serug/index.html

Introduction to GIS for High School EducatorsJune 22nd - 25th , 2010 | Roanoke Virginia

Hosted by Virginia Western Community College and OVERspaceFor additional information, contact Chris Carter (cxcarter@odu.edu)

Introduction to GIS for High School EducatorsJune 28-30th , 2010 | Virginia Beach, VA

Hosted by Tidewater Community College and OVERspaceFor additional information, contact Chris Carter (cxcarter@odu.edu)

The Virginia Community College Faculty GIS InstituteJuly 24th-30th , 2010 | Blacksburg, VA

Hosted by the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program (gep@vt.edu)For additional information, go to http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/VCCS/Summer2010Workshop.html

ESRI User Conference July 12-16th, 2010 | San Diego, CAFor additional information and registration: http://www.esri.com/events/uc/about/about.html

The Virginia GIS Events CalendarThe Virginia Association of Mapping and Land Information System (VAMLIS | http://www.vamlis.org) is hosting a new online GIS

Events Calendar for use by VAMLIS membership. VAMLIS will be sending out an email-blast with further infomation about thecalendar in the coming weeks!

For information on other workshops provided by the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program, please visit the VGEPWorkshop Webpage - http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/workshop.html

In addition, the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program is providing a clearinghouse of GIS professionals across thestate through the Virginia Geospatial Yellowpages. Access this resource here:

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/yellowpages_prof.html

Earth Observation Day. March 24th, 2010.Hosted by AmericaView, Inc.

Additional information is forthcoming in the next few weeks. Reference the VirginiaView Webpage

htttp://www.VirginiaView.net

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The Virginia GIS Conference Planning Committee wouldlike to acknowledge the following:

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (for the cashprizes contributions); Katheryn Keranen (for her

continued support and dedication to this effort); and our(anonymous) volunteer judges!

Congratulations to the following individuals and organizations for recognition as being the best of the best at the 2009Virginia GIS Conference in Richmond, Virginia!

Pre-college Category:1. First Place ($250): Colonial Heights

Proposed River WalkBy: Colonial Heights High School

2. Second Place ($150): The Amount ofCarbon Monoxide at Different Locationsin WaynesboroBy: Shenandoah Valley Governor’sSchool

3. Third Place ($100): Eminent Domain inPage CountyBy: Page County High School

Higher Education Category:1. First Place ($250): A Viticultural

Geographic Information System forVirginiaBy: Corienne Reisch, VT

2. Second Place ($150): IntegratingGeospatial Tools to Support Tourism andEconomic Development in the RockyKnob Region, VABy: Moonsun Jeong, et al., VT

3. Third Place ($100): Repeat AerialPhotography Applied to Canopy CoverBy: Julia Bartens, et al., VT

Professional Category:1. Ecological Marine Units and Benthic

Habitat MappingBy: Chris BruceNature Conservancy

2. Utilizing Ancillary Data and Landsat ImageTransformations to Identify Likely Wetlandand Potential Wetland LossBy: Steve Quagliata, VT

3. The Battle of Cold Harbor, June 1-3, 1864By: Todd Swain,Dept. of Planning, Hanover County, VA

Virginia GIS Conference Poster Awards

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On December 3, 2009, theDepartment of Interior announced therelease of the “US Topo” productwhich is the next generation oftopographic maps from the U.S.Geological Survey.

Digital US Topo ( http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo) maps aredesigned to look, feel, and perform likethe traditional paper topographic mapsfor which the USGS (http://www.usgs.gov) is so well known.However, in contrast to paper-basedmaps, US Topo maps provide technicaladvantages that support faster, wider

public distribution and enable basic,on-screen geographic analysis for allusers. The USGS plans to updateall the maps in Virginia to US Topomaps in summer of 2010.

Key features of the new productinclude:

• Built from nationally consistentdata quality assured to highstandards

• Looks and feels like legacy paperUSGS topographic maps but hastechnical advantages

• Can be used on the computer orprinted to scale

US Topo - A New Generationof Maps

• Downloadable free from the on-line USGS Store (http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/%28ctype=areaDetails&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=%24ROOT&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea=2%29/ .do)

• Users can select from variousreference systems, e.g lat-long,UTM (Universal TransverseMercator)

• Direct “mash-up” capabilities withGoogle Maps®

• Continuous evolution andincorporation of additional datalayers.

For further information about how todownload and use USTopo, currently availablecoverage, and thetimetable for productionof US Topo maps, go to:nationalmap.usgs.gov/ustopo.

For more informationabout this and otherUSGS GeospatialPrograms in Virginiacontact Diane Eldridgeat deldridge@usgs.gov.

To see the completepress release for USTopo maps go to http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/1 2 0 3 0 9 . h t m l .

USGS Update

Diane EldrigeUSGS Geospatial Liaison for the

Commonwealth of Virginia

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2009 VBMP OrthophotographyThe Virginia Geographic InformationNetwork (VGIN) has completeddelivery of new imagery to 87jurisdictions in eastern Virginia ( http://www.vita.virginia.gov/uploadedFiles/I S P / V B M P / 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 1 /2009_2011_Flight_Areas.pdf ) fromits 2009-2012 Virginia Base MapProgram Orthophotography Program.The imagery was acquired fromJanuary to April 2009 and has severalnew features.

This is the first time VBMP has useddigital cameras, the Z/I DigitalMapping Camera (DMC), and the firsttime the imagery has come with a fourthnear-infrared spectral band. Theimagery is provided in Virginia stateplane coordinates using the improvedaccuracy of the North American 1983

HARN datum. (The HARN datumtypically differ about 1 foot, and up to3 feet, from the North American 1983Datum.) The standard resolution is 1-foot pixels, except where jurisdictionsordered upgrades of 3-inch or 6-inchresolution. The deliveries includeduncompressed GeoTIFF andcompressed JPEG2000 imageformats, both of which canaccommodate the fourth band. 3-band MrSID compressed images areprovided by request. More informationon the 2009-2012 OrthophotographyProgram can be found on the VGINwebsite.

VGIN’s Five Year GIS Strategic PlanThe Draft Five Year GIS Strategic Planis available for public commentbetween December 9 and December23, 2009. This is the last chance forinput to be considered before the planis brought to the VGIN AdvisoryBoard for formal approval at the

VGIN Update, December 2009

January 6 quarterly meeting. We havehad tremendous participation from theGIS stakeholders in theCommonwealth through the onlinesurveys, stakeholder interviews, townhall meetings and follow up to the townhall meetings. This has truly been astakeholder driven process and VGINwants to thank all those who haveparticipated. See the “Latest News”at http://www.vita.virginia.gov/isp/

GIS Virginia BlogVGIN has started a blog about GISactivities pertaining to Virginia http://gisvirginia.blogspot.com/ This is amoderated blog and we welcomearticles.

Submit articles for posting to:Dan Widner dan.widner@vita.virginia.gov orJohn Scrivani john.scrivani@vita.virginia.gov

VGIN

Dan WidnerVGIN Coordinator

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Introduction to ArcGIS (1 day, 2 day, 3 day, or 5 day workshops are available) - Have you ever wanted to learn moreabout ArcGIS, but just couldn't find the opportunity? Now the opportunity can come to you. Through this workshop, youwill work with exercises that utilize GIS data from Virginia. All exercises are 'hands-on' oriented, with a splash of presen-tations and dialogue inbetween.

Introduction to GPS (4 hours) - This workshop will answer all of your basic questions associated with global positioningsystem (GPS) receivers. Learn how GPS works, what to look for in a GPS receiver, and some of the functionalities ofrecreational handheld / car navigation receivers. Through this workshop, participants will learn about GPS receivers, aswell as free (or almost free) software that can be integrated to enhance your GPS experience.

Introduction to Geocaching (3 hours) - Are you ready to take on the world? Introduction to geocaching will provide youwith an overview of geocaching... from setting up your own geocache, to interacting with local geocaches and searching forgeocaches.

Introduction to ArcPad (4 hours) - This workshop is designed to provide stakeholders with a hands-on experience usingArcPad, a mobile GIS software. Participants will learn how to upload data to their handheld PC, collect data in the fieldusing a handheld device, and transfer the data back onto a desktop computer running ArcGIS. In addition, participants willlearn how to make a customizable interface to support data entry on the handheld.

Marketing in a Virtual World (3 hours) - This workshop was developed with the small business owner in mind. Haveyou ever wanted to list your small business (gallery, agritourism business, bed and breakfast, family restaurant) on a carnavigation system (Garmin, Tom Tom, etc) or make it accessible through a smartphone application? This workshop willtake you through the steps and will will support your efforts to have your business listed on a variety of other nationalbusiness databases that are consumed by an array of applications. This workshop was initially developed by the Universityof Minnesota Extension service. Additional information about this workshop can be access here: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/virtualmarketing.html

GIS on Pennies a Day (1/2 day) - Have you ever wanted to know what types of free GIS software programs wereavailable? This workshop provides an overview of some of the most promising free (and highly discounted) GIS softwareprograms available today. This workshop was initially developed by the New Hampshire Geospatial Extension Program.

Making Maps the Google Way (2 - 3 hours) Learn how to enhance your mapping experience using using GoogleEarthand GoogleMaps. While these server-based applications are not considered to be GIS software applications, you willprobably find that they can support some of your needs. This workshop is based off a similar initiative developed by theNew Hampshire Geospatial Extension Program.

Geospatial Training OpportunitiesOffered by the Virginia Geospatial

Extension Program

All workshops are intended to be held regionally / locally... we bring the expertise to you!

The Virginia Geospatial Extension Program works with an array of partners and stakeholders to provide geospatialprofessional development opportunities ranging from the pre-college to higher educational levels. In addition, the VGEPworks closely with Geospatial Extension Specialists and other GIS professionals in other states to bring the "best of thebest" to support Virginia's geospatial stakeholders. This is a summary of the VGEP's geospatial workforce developmentprogram areas. For a complete list of opportunities and additional information, go to the VGEP's Workshop Webpage:http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/workshop.html

The Virginia GeospatialExtension Program

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The Virginia Geospatial Extension Program319 Cheatham Hall (0324)Blacksburg, VA 24061(540) 231-2428http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gepgep@vt.edu

The Virginia Geospatial Newsletter is published by the Virginia Geospatial ExtensionProgram, a parternship between the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and

Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The newsletter is developed in conjunction with the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN).