Best Practices for Local Government Geospatial Programs from NGAC

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) has issued a two-page best practices paper that lists four steps to building a successful local government GIS program:

1. Establish a geospatial program (including recommendations on planning and governance)
2. Develop and maintain data as an asset
3. Take an enterprise approach
4. Share with the public

This might serve as a good resource to assess your local government program and to justify its role or advocate its expansion.

VBMP 2011 Update -March 10

Sanborn was able to fly the Northern Virginia area this week, as some additional western areas, bringing the acquisition progress up to 47%

Communities flown at higher resolution this week include Arlington, Fairfax City, Lexington, Lynchburg, parts of Salem, Roanoke City, and Roanoke County.

VBMP 2011 Update – March 4, 2011

Sanborn has made good progress in acquiring the 2011 VBMP imagery, with over 15,800 images (38% of the total) now “in the can”. The Richmond and Virginia Beach areas are completed as is the West Block 4 (Roanoke, Lexington, Covington, Bedford Lynchburg, and Danville areas). Also some upgrades areas have been flown (Arlington, Fairfax, Hopewell, Powhatan, Lexington, Roanoke).

VBMP 2011 Orthophotography Flights Begin

Sanborn, under contract with VGIN, has started flying missions to acquire high-resolution digital imagery for Virginia. The 2011 Virginia Base Map Program was scheduled to acquire only the western half of the state, but funding from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, allowed us to extend the area to include the urban areas of Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Hampton Roads. Thirty (30) local governments are leveraging the effort with resolution upgrades or area extensions. Flights for the Richmond area started today with the Virginia Beach area scheduled next.

GIS Professional (GISP) Certification - Proposed Changes to Certification



The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) has an open comment period for proposed changes to GISP certification requirements, most notably the inclusion of an examination.

Note:  First heard on the NSGIC News Blog

Comment period is open February 1 - 28, 2011.

Press Release

Proposal

2010 US Census GIS Data Available for Download

The 2010 US Census TIGER/line shapefiles are now available for download - click here to download.
Data sets are both "state based" and "county based".  Be sure to read about the data sets so you understand what you are getting, as this data can be complicated at times.

New Place Name Commemorates Roanoke Physician

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names was created in 1890 to maintain uniform geographic place names. New place names can be proposed and after public review may be approved if certain criteria are met. On January 13th a new name was approved for Virginia. Hutcheson Ridge in Rockbridge County commemorates Dr. Robert S. Hutcheson, Jr. (1919-2003), a Lexington native and noted Roanoke physician. The 3,070 foot high, 1.2 mile long ridge is located at the southern end of Little North Mountain, on the north side of Goshen Pass.