Rhode Island GIS News

Save the Date: RIGIS User Group meeting - February 7th

2012-01-10T15:56:00.000-05:00

Please mark Tuesday, February 7th on your calendar for our next quarterly RIGIS User Group meeting to be held at the Jamestown Town Hall (93 Narragansett Ave, Jamestown RI, 02835) from 1:00pm until 4:00pm. The theme for the afternoon will be municipal stormwater/wastewater mapping. If you are interested in speaking on this topic, please contact Justin Jobin (jjobin@jamestownri.net) or me (shane.white@doa.ri.gov).

Spring 2011 statewide orthophotographs now available from RIGIS

2011-12-27T09:42:00.002-05:00

A new collection of statewide orthophotographs is now available from RIGIS! It consists of multispectral (4-band), 6-inch spatial resolution orthorectified digital aerial photographs that were collected April 29 - May 2, 2011. These images were contracted by a partnership consisting of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island Department of Transportation, United States Geological Survey, and RIGIS.

Not only are these orthophotographs available in JPEG2000 and GeoTiff formats as traditional file downloads, but RIGIS has teamed with the University of Rhode Island Environmental Data Center to also make these images available via a series of online map and image services.

Please visit the data download area for more information and to begin working with these data and associated services.

RIGIS User Group Meeting - new date - November 17th

2011-10-26T12:03:00.000-04:00

Please save this date on your calendar for our next RIGIS User Group meeting (originally scheduled for November 1st). The meeting on Thursday, November 17th will be held at FM Global in Johnston (270 Central Avenue) from 1-4pm. The agenda is "in the works", and is currently slated to include a presentation on FM Global's commercial insurance mission, and one on how they perform flood zone mapping for their clients. We are currently looking for 2 more speakers, so if you would like to show off your latest GIS efforts, please contact me (shane.white@doa.ri.gov or 401-222-6483).

More info to come... - Shane

RIGIS 5-Year Plan and State Enterprise GIS Architecture Plan Now Available

2011-10-12T09:56:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that the final versions of the updated RIGIS 5-Year Strategic Plan (FY2012 - FY2016) and the new State of Rhode Island Enterprise GIS System Architecture Plan are now available for download on the RIGIS website. These documents are the result of many hours of work on behalf of the Rhode Island GIS community. Thanks to all who contributed to these efforts!

On a related note, here is a list of all posted RIGIS documents. - Shane

It's not too late to register for Esri's free half-day seminar in Narragansett on Tuesday the 20th!

2011-09-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

Please click on http://events.esri.com/info/index.cfm?fuseaction=seminarRegForm&shownumber=14861 to register for the event.

For more information, including a brief description of the seminar and the agenda for Tuesday morning, go to http://www.esri.com/events/seminars/extend-your-reach/index.html.

Here's what's currently on their website:

"Join us for a no-cost, half-day seminar for best practices on publishing and sharing your maps, data, and models.

Share your maps with everyone, whether they are in the office, outside the coffee shop, or at home.

Improve Access to GIS
The Extend the Reach of Your GIS seminar teaches GIS professionals how to expand the access to their authoritative maps and geospatial information. Esri staff will present practical applications and demonstrations that reflect common workflows.

This seminar will help you:

Identify the expanding audience for the geographic knowledge you create.
Meet the increased demand for maps by your organization's stakeholders.
Share your work with anyone on virtually any device.

Agenda at a Glance

The seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 12:00 p.m. Lunch will not be provided.

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Session 1

- Introduction to ArcGIS Online
- Creating a destination
- Adding interesting content

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Session 2
- Registering your map services
- Same map everywhere
- Enabling self-service mapping
- Preview of what's to come
- Wrap-up and next steps"

Time Change Notice: RIGIS Executive Committee Meeting

2011-09-07T12:47:00.000-04:00

Please note that the time of the regular quarterly meeting of the RIGIS Executive Committee meeting has been adjusted. Committee meetings will continue to be held on the third Thursday afternoon in the months of March, June, September, and December. However the new meeting time will be **3:00-5:00pm** until further notice.

RIGIS Executive Committee meetings are open to all to attend and observe, and are listed on both the RIGIS calendar and the Rhode Island Secretary of State's website.

2011 Statewide Planning Program: Challenge Grants

2011-08-22T15:06:00.000-04:00

One of the eligible activities is "Parcel Digital Data Development" - Development of digital parcel-level data that meets "RIGIS Standards for Digital Parcel Data Sets for Use in a GIS". RIGIS parcel standards can be viewed at http://www.planning.ri.gov/gis/RIGISParcStnds.pdf.

In 2007, grants were awarded to the Town of Tiverton (http://host.appgeo.com/TivertonRI/) and the Town of Westerly (http://ags.cdm.com/westerlyri/).

TOWN OF TIVERTON: $54,540 to: Develop new digital parcel level land use data for use in future planning studies such as transfer of development rights and access management. CONTACT : Chris Spencer, Town Planner, 625-6718

TOWN OF WESTERLY: $30,000 to: Develop a townwide, parcel-based, digital land use coverage as first step towards implementing a Town GIS system. CONTACT : William Haase, Town Planner, 348-2550

From:	"Walter Slocomb"
To:	"e-news newsletter"
Date:	8/12/2011 10:55 AM
Subject:	[Planning] Fwd: 2011 Planning Challenge Grants

2011 Planning Challenge Grants

There is a total of approximately $1,000,000 available in FY 2012 for project grant awards in amounts up to $100,000. Multi-community Corridor Studies may be higher. Unless otherwise noted in the RFP, each grantee will be required to provide a match share totaling 20% of the total project cost.

Planning Challenge Grants are administered by the Statewide Planning Program and funded with Federal Highway Administration Metropolitan Planning funds received by the State of Rhode Island and allocated to the Statewide Planning Program in its role as staff to State Planning Council, the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for Rhode Island. The purpose of the grant program is to provide funding for statewide, regional and local planning studies leading to the implementation of the State Guide Plan, particularly Land Use 2025 and Transportation 2030.

The State Guide Plan is Rhode Island’s long-range planning document. It comprises many separately published elements covering a range of topics including transportation, land use, outdoor recreation, water supply and historic preservation. Two of the most recently updated elements are Land Use 2025 (2006) and Transportation 2030 (2008). These elements envision a Rhode Island with walkable, mixed-use growth centers complimented by a first class transportation infrastructure and a connected greenspace network.

In addition, projects that specifically address improving the quality or increasing the availability of affordable homes may be eligible for additional funding under Rhode Island Housing’s Targeted Assistance Grant Program. This additional grant award, not to exceed $10,000, may be used to satisfy the match requirement outlined above.

Applications for funding will be accepted on a competitive basis within the limits of available funds. The submission deadline is November 10, 2011. The Request for Proposals and Frequently Asked Questions sheet can be found at http://www.planning.state.ri.us/misc/pcgrants.htm.

Any questions should be directed to Karen Scott, Assistant Chief of the Statewide Planning Program at (401) 222-4411 or karen.scott@doa.ri.gov.

RIGIS User Group meeting on Tuesday, August 2nd

2011-07-27T13:51:00.000-04:00

We have finally nailed down all of the logistics for this meeting. First of all, it will be held at the Cumberland Public Library (1464 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland, RI 02864) in Meeting Room #1 from 1-4pm on Tuesday, August 2nd.

Here's information on where to park at the library. Thanks Christina!

Here's the agenda:

1:00 Introductions

1:15 Pete Steeves (USGS) will speak about the National Hydrography Dataset and StreamStats (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/)

1:45 Mike Doyle (Fuss & O'Neill) and Christopher Reily (ProvWater) will speak about watershed protection using GIS

2:15 Networking Break

3:15 Bobbi Moneghan (Town of North Smithfield) will speak about how they use GIS to support planning efforts

2:45 Michele Giovanni (AppGeo) will speak about the successful use of GIS by town and city governments in Rhode Island

3:45 Wrap-up

4:00 Adjourn

I would like to thank all of these presenters for donating their time to relay their experience with GIS.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday. This should be a great meeting! - Shane

Updated Rhode Island E-911 Sites, Roads, Driveways, and Hydrants Data Posted

2011-07-20T09:33:00.000-04:00

Updated sites, fire hydrants, roads, and driveways data maintained by the Rhode Island Enhanced 911 Uniform Emergency Telephone System are now available from RIGIS. Look for these datasets under the Facilities, Utilities, and Transportation data download areas on the RIGIS online data clearinghouse, respectively.

Call for Presentations - August 2nd - RIGIS User Group meeting

2011-07-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I hope that you are enjoying summer.

Just a quick note to remind you to mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 2nd from 1-4pm for the next RIGIS User Group meeting. In an effort to rotate the location around the state, this quarter's meeting will be held in Cumberland (more location details coming soon). With a busy summer full of people taking time off to enjoy themselves, I need some help lining up speakers for this meeting.

If you have something that you are working on that you would like to show off to your GIS colleagues in RI, please let me know (shane.white@doa.ri.gov). It doesn't have to be a new or unique concept... the biggest benefit from giving a presentation is to tell people what you are doing, in as much detail as time allows, and find out who in the audience is doing something similar so that everyone can learn from each other's experience and/or research on the topic.

If you have a topic that you are considering, please email/call me to discuss it. I would be happy to talk with you about how to best present it.

If you have a topic that you would like some else to talk about, please let me know. If you know someone who would be a good speaker on the topic... better yet.

If you have a subject pretty much nailed down and know how you want to present it, please send me a very brief email with the following info:

- Title

- Short Description (no more than 10 words)

- How much time you would like (30-45 minutes)

To get the brainstorming going, here are some potential topics:

- ArcGIS v10.1 Debrief from the 2011 Esri User's Conference (home version, new LiDAR tools, etc.)

- Integrating crowdsourced information with GIS workflows (maybe a result of someone's research into this)

- Using free ArcGIS Online map services developed by URI for RIGIS (Greg, can you do this for us?)

- Broadband Mapping efforts in RI (project status, online resources, future direction)

I look forward to seeing your emails. - Shane

Updated RIDEM Conservation Lands, Shellfish Harvest Prohibition Areas Datasets Now Available

2011-06-30T08:34:00.000-04:00

Updated Conservation Lands and Shellfish Harvest Prohibition Areas datasets have been posted to RIGIS. Look for them under the Environment & Conservation data download area.

New and Updated Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) Data Now Available from RIGIS

2011-06-27T13:20:00.000-04:00

New Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) data are now available from RIGIS for Kent, Newport, and Washington Counties! Updated DFIRM data has also been posted for Providence County. With this posting, DFIRM data are now available from RIGIS for all counties in Rhode Island.

The DFIRM database consists of a compilation of datasets, tables, and documentation. For more information about the individual assets contained within a DFIRM database, please be sure to review the documentation that is packaged with each database. Another nice resource is FEMA's "Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners" which explains the various elements of a DFIRM database in greater detail, as well as this FEMA Digital Flood Mapping Products summary web page.

NEURISA Day 2011 Call for Presentations - Now Open

2011-05-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

NEURISA will host its annual conference on Monday, October 3rd at the Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. This one day conference will include keynote sessions, vendor demonstrations, and presentations from your colleagues in the geospatial and information technology community.

You're invited to submit an abstract proposal for a 20-minute presentation using the link below. You can also find more information on the www.neurisa.org website. Topics categories are:

• Mobile Technologies
• Gov 2.0/Emerging Technologies/IT/311
• Census 2010 – Redistricting
• Asset Management/Compliance Solutions
• Enterprise GIS

Abstracts should be 300 words max. and submitted by July 1st, 2011. Contact Steve Sharp (steves@vcgi.org) or Randi Pickford (rpickford@hartford.gov) with questions.

NEURISA - NEURISA Day 2011 Abstract Form

Spring NEARC Registration Deadline - Friday, May 13th

2011-05-11T11:07:00.000-04:00

As an At-large member of the NEARC Board, I urge you to plan on attending and remind you to register ASAP for the Spring NEARC meeting at Smith College in Northampton, MA on Tuesday, May 17th. Check out http://northeastarc.org/ for the detailed agenda and how to register.

The registration fee is $35 which covers breakfast, lunch and snack breaks as well as parking. Our next door neighbors in Massachusetts regularly host this NEARC mid-year meeting, which is no more than a 2.5 hour drive from anywhere in RI (except for our friends on Block Island who have an additional hour).

Let's make sure that RI is fully represented at this meeting! I look forward to seeing you all there. - Shane

RIGIS User Group Meeting on May 10th in Charlestown

2011-05-04T21:19:00.000-04:00

Everything is back on! Thanks to the efforts of Steve McCandless, we have the use of a space in the Town's Police Department on Tuesday, May 10th for our meeting.

Particulars:

Tuesday, May 10th from 1-4pm
Town of Charlestown Police Department at 4901 Old Post Road, Charlestown, RI

Here's the agenda:

1:00-1:15     Introductions

1:15-1:45     Stefan Coutoulakis from Escape Training will give a talk on the RIGID database and Marplot for emergency responders

1:45-2:15     Carol Baker from the Town of South Kingstown will give a demonstration on migrating from ArcMap v9 MapBook to ArcMap v10 Data Driven Pages.

2:15-2:45     Networking BREAK

2:45-3:15     Al Frauenfelder from Esri will discuss leveraging the free ArcGIS.com map services published by URI to support GIS user's work

3:15-3:45     Jim Lucht and Jessica Cigna from The Providence Plan will talk about their new 2010 US Census data viewer

3:45-4:00     Open Discussion on attendees' 2010 US Census mapping, reporting, and analysis needs

I look forward to seeing you there!     - Shane

Notice: RIGIS User Group Meeting Postponed

2011-04-29T14:43:00.000-04:00

Due to many issues (mostly on my part), the meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 3rd at 1pm in Charlestown will be postponed to a later date (TBD). I apologize of any inconveniences that this causes.

Please look for an announcement next week that will contained confirmed meeting specifics (rescheduled date, time, and agenda).

Have a nice weekend, and go outside and look up!... our state is being flown today and this weekend to capture new 4-band color 6" pixel aerial photography for the creation of new statewide orthophotography thanks mainly to the efforts of Paul Jordan in the RI Department of Environmental Management.

Shane D. White, GISP | RIGIS Coordinator | T: +1.401.222-6483 | shane.white@doa.ri.gov | http://www.edc.uri.edu/rigis

State of RI, Dept of Admin, Div of Planning | 1 Capitol Hl 3rd Fl | Providence, RI 02908-5872

New Historical Cemeteries Dataset Available From RIGIS

2011-04-28T10:37:00.000-04:00

A new Historical Cemeteries dataset is now available from RIGIS! This dataset represents approximate point locations of over 2,000 historical cemeteries throughout Rhode Island. It is intended to supplement the information available from the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Historical Cemeteries online database (http://www.rihc.info).

This preliminary dataset is incomplete and is still in development by a team of volunteers supporting the work of the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Historical Cemeteries and the University of Rhode Island Geospatial Extension Program. Users are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the feature-level metadata available within this dataset, and are also encouraged to provide feedback as well!

This dataset may be downloaded from the RIGIS data distribution website from within the "Cultural, Society, and Demography" data download section.

Updated Rhode Island E-911 Data Now Available From RIGIS

2011-04-25T12:24:00.001-04:00

The following datasets contributed by the Rhode Island Enhanced 911 Uniform Emergency Telephone System have been updated on the RIGIS data distribution website:

Driveways (look under the Transportation data download section)
Fire Hydrants (look under the Utilities data download section)
Roads (look under the Transportation data download section)
Sites (look under the Facilities & Structures data download section)

If you have any updates or suggestions for these data, please don't hesitate to let RI E-911 know by emailing ri911gis@akassociates911.com.

1962 Georeferenced Historical Land-Cover Maps Now Available From RIGIS

2011-04-07T09:59:00.000-04:00

A set of 37 scanned, panchromatic, georeferenced maps representing land-cover in Rhode Island in 1962 are now available from RIGIS. The original maps were interpreted by John Kupa and William Whitman of the University of Rhode Island, and published in approximately 1972. Maps were subsequently scanned and georeferenced by a partnership of the University of Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources Science and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management in 2010.

Look for these maps on the RIGIS data distribution website, under the Environment, Imagery & Base Maps, and Planning & Cadastral data download areas.

NSGIC News: Local Best Practices Paper from NGAC

2011-04-06T13:55:00.000-04:00

NSGIC News: Local Best Practices Paper from NGAC

If you are either thinking about or involved with GIS at a municipal government (city or town) level, please take a few minutes to click on the link above and download the two listed documents. The first document summarizes common best practices with setting up (or improving) a municipal GIS. The second one is a flyer with ideas on how GIS can help save money and provide better service.

Rhode Island Map Modernization/RISK MAP Program Manager - position opening

2011-04-05T14:09:00.000-04:00

To be posted on the State of Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training website:

http://www.dlt.ri.gov/JobsRI/Vacancies_unlisted.htm

"This position will manage the Rhode Island Map Modernization/RISK MAP program, which includes working in close coordination with the State's National Flood Insurance Program. Will serve as the central point of contact for Rhode Island's Map Mod Program and must coordinate program functions with a wide range of interests including FEMA, local governments, selected professional services contractors, and other potential state and federal partners. This position develops and manages state floodplain mapping activities, including program planning and development, management and coordination of contractors for map and floodplain information modernization and conversions; coordination with local governments and FEMA to facilitate the development of mapping projects that meet local, state and federal goals; and coordination and formal adoption of new or revised floodplain studies in conjunction with federal and local governments. To be responsible for conducting workshops and training sessions. To do a variety of related Emergency Management work as required by the Director of the Emergency Management Agency."

Updated Geographic Names Dataset Available

2011-04-04T09:30:00.001-04:00

An updated Geographic Names dataset is now available from RIGIS. This dataset consists of records adapted from the February 2011 update available from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (http://geonames.usgs.gov). Look for this update under the "Location and Geodetic Networks" section of the Data Distribution area on the RIGIS website.

New Rhode Island GIS Services Master Price Agreement (MPA 230)

2011-03-24T10:09:00.003-04:00

With special thanks to the efforts of Phil Silva (State of RI DOA-DoIT), and Annalise Erkkinen (State of RI DOA-Planning Intern), I am thrilled to announce the release of a renewed MPA (230), that now includes a separately evaluated section for GIS Services!

This will provide GIS service vendors with the opportunity to be on a State-approved price list, and will provide state and local government agencies with the ability to select pre-approved GIS service vendors.

Please see http://www.purchasing.ri.gov/rivip/StateAgencyBids/7448404.PDF for this MPA announcement. This can be navigated to by going to the "Bid/Grant Opportunities" link on the State of RI DOA-Purchases website (http://www.purchasing.ri.gov/rivip/PublicBidding.asp), clicking on the "State Agency Bids" link, and typing in "230" in the "Keywords:" section of the search form.

Updated Hospitals Dataset Now Available

2011-03-11T10:49:00.000-05:00

An updated Hospitals dataset is now available via RIGIS. Updates primarily consist of updated contact information.

Registration is now live for the ArcGIS 10 seminar!

2011-02-28T11:44:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Registration is now live for the ArcGIS 10 seminar! The link is: http://events.esri.com/info/index.cfm?fuseaction=seminarRegForm&shownumber=14559.

Free Seminar: Increase Productivity with ArcGIS 10

Join us for a free, all-day seminar that shows how ArcGIS 10 makes it easier to be more productive in your job. Register now to take advantage of this special offering hosted by the Rhode Island GIS Users Group and the University of Rhode Island.

The event will be held on Thurs. March 24, 2011 at:

Weaver Auditorium
Coastal Institute – Kingston
University of Rhode Island
1 Greenhouse Road
Kingston, RI 02881

Registration will be open from 8:15 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. and the presentation will begin at 9. Please see the attached agenda for complete details. Please note that attendees will be on their own for lunch. It will not be hosted/provided. Information on lunch options will be provided.

Directions to the URI Kingston campus and campus maps may be found here:

http://www.uri.edu/home/visitors/plan.html

Whether you work in a desktop, mobile, server or cloud environment, you'll find out how ArcGIS 10 can increase efficiency for your organization. Learn firsthand from the ArcGIS experts.

See demonstrations that focus on your daily workflows.
Learn practical applications for new and powerful spatial analysis tools.
Discover easier and more efficient imagery use and management.
Understand how to leverage the expanded mobile capabilities of ArcGIS in the field.
Explore the many ways you can leverage the Web in your GIS work.
Interact with Esri staff and share experiences with your peers.

Don’t miss out! Register online today!

Please contact Gina Martin, Esri, at 978-777-4543 ext. 8447 or gmartin@esri.com with any questions.