USDA Forest Service Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC) April 28, 2009 Healthy Forests ~ Healthy...

USDA Forest ServiceGeospatial Advisory

Committee (GAC)

USDA Forest ServiceGeospatial Advisory

Committee (GAC)

April 28, 2009

Healthy Forests ~ Healthy Lands ~ Healthy Earth

April 28, 2009


US Forest ServiceGeospatial Advisory

Committee (GAC)


Committee (GAC) Activities Update -

Introduction

Presented by: Rick Ullrich


US Forest Service A New Century of

Caring for the Land and Serving People

“..Healthy forests …multiple sustainable

use…”

http://www.fs.fed.us

1905: 60 Forest Reserves covering 56 million acres

2009: 155 National Forests and Grasslands covering 193 million acres

“To provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.” – Gifford Pinchot, 1st Chief

Gail Kimbell

16th Chief

Healthy Geospatial Foundations: 1999 Geometronics & GIS Workshop

in Baltimore...

Resulted in the establishment of the

Geospatial Executive Board (GEB) and Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC)


In 2008, the Information Management Council (IMC) was chartered, replacing the GEB...

The US Forest Service (USFS)Information Management Council (IMC) and

Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC)

• IMC is a key participant in developing and articulating a corporate vision for an enterprise information environment

• IMC draws on advisory committees (such as the GAC) representing a broad spectrum of FS business needs and administrative levels

• GAC provides critical support to the IMC on geospatial programs and activities


The US Forest ServiceGeospatial Advisory Committee

• Required to develop, maintain and articulate a FS-wide Geospatial Strategy and Vision

• GAC members are responsible for supporting the GAC and IMC Charters and representing their Regions and Staffs

• GAC working groups, called Focus Areas, are established to address specific issues and develop recommendations


Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC)Focus Areas

• Emerging Issues Team (new)

• Geospatial Strategy

• Geospatial Training and Awareness

• Technology and Architecture Coordination

• Standard Forest Service Data

• Coordinate and Share Geospatial Data

• Forest Service Application Coordination

• Cartography



Committee (GAC)


Committee (GAC) Activities Update –

Emerging Issues Team

Presented by: Sue Preece


EIT Purpose• EIT = Emerging Issues Team• Provide support to the GAC on collecting,

evaluating, and addressing emerging geospatial issues that may impact the FS business.

• Develop a Strategy That Will Provide: Recommendations on which issues should be

addressed by GAC Timely response on very short term (moth or

less) issues Recommendations on dissemination of

issues to GAC Suggest the creation of new focus

areas or task teams

EIT Purpose Cont…

• EIT is not a GAC Focus Area Provides guidance to all focus areas on

intake, evaluation, priority, and assignment of issues

EIT Scope

• Provides recommendations on broad geospatial issues

• Not a substitute for functional management groups Focus Areas, Task Teams, etc.

• Develop criteria that limit the number and type of issues to be addressed

EIT Responsibilities

• In Support of the GAC the EIT Will: Implement a means for issues to be brought

to the GAC Generate criteria to rapidly evaluate the

relevance of geospatial issues Do they require further action by the GAC?

Organize a rapid response team when needed

Quick turn around issues Provide feedback to the originators of issues

on resolutions

EIT Structure

• Team Structure 5-7 members Requires focused effort, short rotation of

members

EIT Accomplishments/Status

• Team is now fully functional• Developed a Process for Capturing

Issues: Anyone can submit issues to GAC members

Some basic level of filtering by GAC members GAC members submit issues to the EIT EIT meets and reviews issues EIT works with GAC to assign issues

Focus areas and Task Teams GAC works on issue Results Reported Back to Submitter

EIT Workflow

InitiatorInitiatorFits in Fits in focusfocusArea?Area?

EntryEntryPointPointTeamTeam

Focus AreaFocus AreaTeamTeam

TaskTaskTeamTeam

YesYes

NNOO

RapidRapidresponseresponseneeded?needed?

QuickQuickResponseResponse

TeamTeam

TaskTaskTeamTeam

Geospatial Advisory CommitteeGeospatial Advisory Committee

YesYes

NNOO

Focus Area returns issueFocus Area returns issue

Recommendation to GAC ChairRecommendation to GAC Chair

Not A GAC Not A GAC IssueIssue

GAC IssueGAC Issue

EIT Workflow Details

• Capturing Issues SourceForge (Need an Account) Word Template

EIT Workflow Details

• Tracking Issues SourceForge (FS Employees have view

access) http://sforge.fs.fed.us/sf/tracker/do/

listArtifacts/projects.gac_emerging_issues/tracker.issues

What you can do to help?

• Bring significant geospatial issues to the attention of a GAC member GAC members will work with you to get your

issues to the EIT http://fsweb.gac.fs.fed.us/members.html









• Cartography


US Forest ServiceGeospatial Advisory Committee

(GAC)


(GAC) Activities Update

Forest Service Geospatial Strategy2005-2009

Presented by: Barry Napier

Background

• Work on the Forest Service Geospatial Strategy was initiated in 2002 as a Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC) Focus Area activity

• The Strategy was accepted by the Geospatial Executive Board in January 2005

• Today, GAC is evaluating the requirements for the next Geospatial Strategy

Vision

Goals

Elements of the Geospatial Strategy

Objectives

Vision

Quality Forest Service geospatial information is current, adheres to government standards, is developed collaboratively, and is routinely available for use by internal and external customers

Goals

1. Standardized geospatial data are acquired to meet agency business requirements and data quality is assured by responsible stewardship and administration.

2. Geospatial applications work together so that users can easily access, update, query, and analyze the data within them.

Goals

3. Forest Service geospatial data are easily located and used by internal and external customers.

4. Quality standard map products are easily produced and can be customized to meet the needs of internal and external customers.

5. The Forest Service is proactively engaged with partners in the development of geospatial data and information sharing.

Objectives

• Each objective has performance measures.

• Each objective has associated means and methods (task statements).

Creating a New Geospatial Strategy

• Improve ties to the Forest Service Strategic Plan and immediate business goals.

• Include additional geospatial program and activity areas.

• Measure, evaluate, and report accomplishments.

Creating a New Geospatial Strategy

• Establish and administer a change management process.

• Determine the roles and responsibilities of the GAC and the newly formed Geospatial Management Office in governance of the Strategic Plan.

• Better connect with all Forest Service stakeholders.









• Cartography


US Forest ServiceGeospatial Advisory Committee (GAC)


Activities Update –

Geospatial Training and Awareness

Presented by: Robin Carroll


Geospatial Training and Awareness FY09 Plan


Planned Expenditures for FY09

Item Planned Costs

Courses $390,000Activities $186,000

TOTAL $576,000


Planned FY09 Courses Planned CostsUpdate Intro to ArcGIS 9.2 to 9.3 $ 30,845Intermediate ArcGIS 9.3 $ 25,000GIS Visualization for Planning and Analysis $ 95,000Using WMS, WCS, and ArcGIS Server $ 24,000Using Imagine Objective $ 26,000Apollo – Phase 1 $ 22,000Using Orange (module) $ 13,000Teach 3 ArcGIS Geodatabase Courses $ 30,000 Teach ArcGIS & Develop Map Tool Course$114,000Develop miscellaneous Tutorials $ 7,005Instructor Certification (ArcGIS I, II, III) $ 3,150

Sub-Total $390,000





Planned FY09 Activities Planned Costs

Geotraining Website maintenance $40,000Course Administration $30,000Mobile Lab Upgrades and Maintenance $31,000Computer Lab & Training Rm. Maintenance $25,000Geospatial Conference $60,000

Sub-Total $186,000


Geospatial Training and Awareness Website Information

Geospatial Training and Awareness Website Information

Information for 10/01/08 to 3/20/09 ONLY

Number of visits to the website 16,479Unique visitors to the website 4,464

Number of participants in:Instructor Led and On-line courses 1,383On-line Tutorials 3,932 Web Conferencing Courses 558

Virtual CampusTotal number of courses 47 (current)Total completed courses 3,296 out of 5,679 (58% completion –

since beginning)









• Cartography



(GAC)


(GAC) Activities Update –

Technology and Architecture Coordination

Presented by: Andy PeavyHealthy Forests ~ Healthy Lands ~ Healthy Earth


• ArcGIS Version Management Coordination Version release scheduling Service Pack management Tools, extensions Version retirement scheduling

• Desktop GIS configuration• Data Center GIS Configuration



• GIS Hardware Contract Desktop for GIS Users Laptop for GIS Users Plotters etc.










• Cartography



Committee (GAC)


Committee (GAC) Activities Update –

Standard Forest Service Data

Presented by: Michael Braymen


GIS Data DictionaryUpdate Project

Data Dictionary

• 2003 to 2006 Vintage standards Coverage model Oracle views Word Documents and PDF files

• 2008 Vintage Standards Geodatabase model XML Documents

Data Dictionary

• Our contract with ourselves for data standards

• Attribute standards and domain value standards widely referenced

• Adherence to data standard is a safe bet

Project Objective #1

• Update the Current GIS Data Dictionary for I-Web and NRIS supported themes: geodatabase designs new or changed attributes

• Document the transactional and published versions

Vintage 2008 Themes:

• Activities• Cultural (heritage)• RMU• TESP and Invasives• Transportation• Wildlife Sites

Themes with Updates in Process:

• Geology• Geomorphology• Recreation• Soil Resource Inventory (SRI)• Terrestrial Ecological Unit (TEU)• Water

Project Objective #2

• Create a Data Dictionary database management tool to facilitate future updates

• XML database integrated with ArcCatalog FGDC metadata engine

Metadata Templates

• Long-time GAC objective

• Template production is integrated with Data Dictionary/Metadata production

Metadata Stylesheet

In the Future????

• Maintaining the Forest Service Data Dictionary is part to the Geospatial Management Office (GMO) program.

• The GAC and the “Standard Forest Service Data” focus area address other aspects of managing data.









• Cartography



(GAC)



Coordinate and Share Geospatial Data

Presented by: Dave George


Recent Activity

• Enterprise Image Services update Image Server ArcServer

• ERDAS Apollo and Titan Implementation• FSGeodata Clearinghouse update

Enterprise Image Services

• Various access methods: FS intranet – Image Server through ArcMAP client, v9.2/v9.3 Available to NITC Apps through Citrix ArcServer, providing Image Server access for Web Map

Services (WMS), ArcIMS and HTML web services

• Now supporting specialized applications: NIFC and the WFDSS application MODIS Active Fire Map, internet ArcIMS access FIA and FHTET enhanced access needs ArcGIS Explorer (3D Globe viewing)

Access & Specialized Applications


• Imagery: NWS – 1 meter color (Continental US) eSAT – 15 meter color (Continental US and Alaska) MODIS – Blue Marble – 1 kilometer (North America) Various high resolution datasets (by request)

• Maps: Continental US, Alaska and Puerto Rico 1:24k, 1:100k, and 1:250k eTOPO (old DRG’s) All current Softcopy produced by GSTC (FSTopo soon) All current Secondary Base Series produced by GSTC

• Terrain: 200, 90, 30, and 10 meter Shaded Relief (Continental US) 30 and 10 meter Aspect (Continental US) 60 meter Shaded Relief (Alaska)

List of Services


• Services have been in operation since 2006 Virtually continuous operation Well over 250 TB of data available

• Image Server client access: Average 2,630 client connections per day (business

days) Average daily output across the network – 41,600

compressed images /day or 14.5 GB’s Approaching 1,000,000 connections or 60,000

users per year

Statistics

ERDAS Apollo and Titan Implementation

• Apollo Catalog is in work Enterprise Processing, Display and Download of

Clearinghouse Raster Data• Features

Enterprise Image Processing Clip, Zip & Ship Web Services - WMS, WCS, WPS, WFS…

• ERDAS Titan Under Development Image collaboration tool Integrates various catalogs – local and enterprise Exports KML to Globe applications

FS Geodata Clearinghouse

• Functionality Improvements Feature delivery will

be synchronized with the FSTopo database

Update metadata engine

• Now the source site for State and Private Forestry Assessment data (S&PF Redesign Initiative)

Functionality Improvements









• Cartography




Activities Update –

Forest Service Application Coordination

Presented by: Greg Enstrom


FS Applications

• Application Development

• Tabular/spatial data types & appearances

• Interface appearances

• User support (e.g. BASE tickets)

• Cross-application Interactions

WHAT actually gets coordinated?

NRIS Modules• Air• Aquatic Surveys• FSVeg• FSVeg_Spatial• Inventory & Monitoring• National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM)• Rangeland Inventory & Monitoring• Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species (TES)

– Invasive Species• Water Uses Tracking (WUT)• Watershed Improvement Tracking (WIT)• Wildlife• Analytical tools for:

Corporate Data Warehouse Data Cleaning (DX) Geospatial Interface (GI) INFORMS Portable Data Recorders (PDR) Task Assistant & Task Manager TAXA

TIM/FACTS Modules• Inputing NEPA related information for timber

programs• Timber management planning• Accomplishment reporting• Timber Sale Permits & Contracts• Timber Sale Accomplishments• Reforestation Needs• Timber Stand Improvement information• Forest Activity information• Invasive Species activities• Vegetative Treatments• Stewardship contracting information• Bio-mass & Bio Energy information• Fire planning information• TIM/FACTS also interfaces with USDA systems

including FFIS, TSA, NFPORS, and PAS

Infra Modules• Engineering: inventory & conditions of all

constructed features (buildings, bridges, dams, roads, culverts, water systems, waste water systems)

• Rangeland Management• Lands• Recreation Sites• Heritage Resources• Minerals and Geology Management• Wilderness • Wild and Scenic Rivers• Special Uses• Acquisition Management – Grants and Agreements• Real Property Management including generating all

Forest Service data for the Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP)

• Infra also interfaces with USDA systems including FAADS, FFIS and CPAIS

Issues Influencing What’s Ahead!1. Agency security requirements and OCIO security

initiatives2. Business area applications and tools at NITC 3. Data center trends & performance considerations 4. Program & Steering Teams’ priorities 5. Web conversions 6. Tools for data access and analysis, including

Geospatial Interface and published geodatabases for easy query, extracts, and mapping alone or with other FS resource databases

7. Rapidly expanding user base8. Integration with other federal applications/web-

based efforts as they too continue to evolve e.g. NASIS & NatureServe

Forest Service Applications

• Are there any new issues we need to deal with…?









• Cartography



(GAC)



Cartography

Presented by: Joe Calderwood


GAC Focus Area - Cartography

• Focus Area Leader Joe Calderwood

• Team Members: Dave Crockett Lisa McBride Robin Carroll Susan DeLost Betsy Kanalley The Regional Geospatial Group Leaders


Focus Area – Cartography Objectives

• Identify issues and make recommendations relating to the use of FS corporate systems and geospatial data for cartographic purposes cartographic standards symbology assess or develop cartographic tools to

produce standard maps from geographic datasets

map production and printing


Recent Accomplishments

• Developed MPS Atlas “Carto-Tools” product Transferred to GSTC as an operational product

Will maintain the product and develop templates as needed (e.g. Motor Vehicle Use Map)

• Software is available in Carto-Tools link at the GSTC website


Clearinghouse for Standard Symbology Project

Objective: Make a wide variety of standard symbols readily available

• Gather symbology sets across principal FS resource and mapping functional areas

• Develop a web based clearinghouse to serve standard symbol sets and style files for: PBS and SBS standard map symbology and international symbols Timber and Range standard symbology ALP ICS Fire Mapping symbology Others?


Clearinghouse for Standard Symbology Project (con’t.)

• Review quality of symbols and post them in style sets

• Develop metadata for search and distribution

• Make standard symbols available at the Enterprise Data Center

• To send symbols to be included in the Library contact Gary Nebeker at: [email protected]


Standard Fonts Project

Objective: Make fonts required by mapping standards available to all users through the FS Image Eliminate the need to purchase non-corporate fonts

to comply with mapping standards Make maps portable to all computers with the FS

computer image


Standard Fonts Project (con’t.)

• Identified fonts required in mapping specifications that are not in the FS Image.

• Developed a crosswalk from current mapping specifications to fonts available in the corporate FS Image.

• Revise the cartographic standards in EM-7140-24, chapter 2.

• If you want to participate on the team reviewing the fonts and specifications, contact Joe Calderwood at: [email protected]


Acknowledgements

• Betsy Kanalley – WO GMO• Joan Steber – R5• Bob Malcolm – R2• Joe Calderwood – R10• Tamara R Hocut – R8 • Susan Ruzicka – R6/ALP

team• Gary Nebeker – GSTC• Dave Crockett – GSTC

• Cathy McGrath – R6• Steve Winward – R4• Kevin Kolb – R6 • Ron Gendreau – WO

CIO• Michael A Braymen –

EDC• Lisa McBride – WO

FACTS, TIM and Infra-Range


Participants on the Symbol and Font Team this past year

Thank you for your participation in G’09!

Your Input Is Important: Next week, you will receive an email with a

link to the post-G’09 survey. Your responses will help us to plan future

conferences!

Questions?

For additional information about the Forest Service’s Geospatial

Advisory Committee, go to: http://fsweb.gac.fs.fed.us

USDA Forest Service Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC) April 28, 2009 Healthy Forests ~ Healthy...

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