IRICC Notes 7/31/2001

 

Attendees:

Steven Bown                USFS

Duane Dippon              BLM

Cy Smith                      Oregon State   

Nancy Tubbs                USGS

Brenden Sylvander       NMFS

Rich Kang                    NMFS

Stan Allen                     PSMFC

Bill Bogue                     EPA    

Dana Collins                 BPA    

Mark Kildow               USF&WS

George Mayfield           USF&WS

 

Next Agenda Items

IVMP (Interagency Vegetation Mapping Project), Jeff Neighbert (Dale/Dan to schedule)

Western Governers Wildfire Application – Cy Smith

XMARC – GIS Data Access – Cy Smith

NRIS Update – Carl Almquist

Data Needs for NWFSC – Rich Kang

Agency Updates

 

Future Meeting Dates

Sept 18, November 1, December 4.

 

Agency Updates

 

–        George Mayfield, F&WS.  The spotted owl take issue has had a positive spin in highlighting the need to manage information.  Last week had a meeting with Carol Schuller (sp?) to take a look at information management.  This will be a challenge since the field offices tend to be autonomous.  Their expertise is critical in this issue.  Will be advertising a data administrator position.

–        Dana Collins, BPA.  BPA will be building 500-700 miles of transmission lines planned.   Working with Bio staff  in developing Biological Assessments for projects.   Will develop a tracking system for restoration projects.  Discussing what baseline information is necessary.

–        Bill Bogue, EPA.  Rains system, Rapid Access Information System.  An offshoot is the Burning RAINS, or BRAINS, to track information on burning programs, linking data across agencies.  A web based burn information system is being proposed that will progressively organize, analyze and interpret various dimensions of activities related to burning issues.  Outreaching to other agencies and public for support.  Prototype will be a web site to link agency information pertaining to burning.  Goal then is to go to a more content based system, with extensive modeling, real time analysis and ArcIMS internet mapping.  EPA has developed Fish Mapper application, to display salmonid distribution through the internet. Currently available on the intranet within EPA. 

–        Stan Allen, StreamNet.  Have been packaging fish data by sub-basin and writing this to CD’s.  This includes map products, spreadsheets and reports.  Also installed ArcIMS, looking to use this for future revisions of StreamNet.  Now going through it’s prioritization process.  Input welcomed.  Conference for the OFWIM (Org. for Fish and Wildlife Managers) will be in Portland this fall, with a focus on data standards.  Will be a metadata training session.  Call for papers are out now.  Been working with California on pulling together restoration project data.  Will be focusing on linking better with BPA, REO and Montana data. Also pulling together biological data in California.  PSFMC is finishing up a linked tool of LLID hydrography to NHD.  

–        Rich Kang, NMFS.  Hired a new person for GIS analysis, and will be hiring a second person.  This new team will focus on supporting salmon data management.  Goal will be a team of 7 for developing applications and ‘data hounds’.   Been attending several meetings in order to understand what each of the agencies are doing for data management regarding salmon.  PSIN (Pacific Salmon Info Network).  They have developed a web site list server to track all documents available.  Hosted through the REO to the Internet.  System tracks meetings, documents, information available.  A powerful searchable system for salmon information.  Now working on security and roles management for web site.  Next PSIN meeting is Sept. 25th.  Also working on an internal Monitoring and Evaluation effort, Steve Cats is lead.  Recently held an internal meeting on this topic.  Baseline questions, what data is available, continue to surface.  Rich has been organizing internal teams for GIS, etc.  Have meet with Wash and Oregon Salmon recovery boards. Investigating the development or adoption of existing system to track restoration projects for monitoring and evaluation.  Main focus is to support the science portion.   

–        Nancy Tubbs, USGS.  National map concept (http://nationalmap.usgs.gov).  Comments are now being accepted on this prototype.  Pilot projects are now underway.  Funding availability is not clear.  NW project proposal is for combining Spokane data with Idaho.  Being tested will be vertical and horizontal data integration.  Good feedback on from the WO.  Regional Geographer will be Bill Sexton (from US Forest Service, WO).  Last of Wash. 10M DEM’s is now complete. 

–        Cy Smith, Or. State.  OGIC strategic plan was approved.  Available www.gis.state.or.us.  Starting to develop a cold fusion database, so agencies can post data and contact info on projects/applications they are working on.  Looking to hire a DBA position, place another high end GIS person.  Framework implementation team was officially approved as a committee.  Team is a continuation of one that has been working on framework data.  6 groups currently.  Established 15 layers as priorities, approximately covering 95 elements.  $500k has been approved for layer implementation/development.  The funding mechanism is an assessment based on number of state agency employees.  Cadastral is already funded.  Will also provide Tiff images of maps, and then serve those through the internet.  Plan is to move coverages to SDE then serve with ArcIMS.   Proof of concept project, vender developed system to provide access to various sets of data, regardless of projection and file location.  XMARC is the company.  Users access data through web and ArcView application.  Working to gain access through firewalls, system can then view all coverages available on that system and develop metadata for it.  Late August should have design specifications available.  BLM, ODOT and Dept. Human Services are initial partners. 

–        Duane Dippon, BLM.  ArcGIS is now being distributed to field offices, including ArcIMS.  Been involved in the bureau architecture national project.  Development of national standards.  In budget process to identify funding for Forest Plan monitoring.  Attempting to identify what data collections is necessary.  Aerial photo 5 years cycle may be reduced to 6 or 7 year cycle.  Contact Henry Walters for input.  Mapping Sciences re-org with GIS is still a work in process.  Several proposals have surfaced for a wall-to-wall veg coverage.  Nothing has been identified to support field level needs.  Time/money is a big issue here.  Henry developing Lakeview hydro map.

–        Dale Guenther, REO.  Project to coordinate updates to Land Use Allocations is again kicking off.  Meeting is planned for Sept. 12 and 13 to establish guidelines for updates and changes.  Once established a data call will go out to the agencies in order to develop a combined dataset.  REO, in conjunction with the interagency fire team, has established an ftp site to track daily fire boundaries (ftp://nwfire@www.reo.gov).  A web page has also been developed (www.reo.gov/nwfire) as well as an ArcIMS site to provide up-to-date fire boundary information.  We are now loading the interagency dataset for the SWPIEC.  This is an ArcIMS based application to make this data available to agencies and the public.  The Hydro Framework Clearinghouse is now under beta testing.  Most federal and state agencies have established beta testing programs.  The 5th and 6th level watersheds have been drafted for all of Oregon and Washinton, and most of N. California.  Funding is still needed to meet the $110k needed, but we have enough to start the contract this week.  ESRI will be submitting a proposal for a clearinghouse to manage updates to the watersheds, based on the existing Hydro clearinghouse.  The REO has filled in the Oregon 10M DEM gaps, we now have complete coverage available online.  We are now loading DOQ’s for Oregon and Washington.  We are redesigning the web site for the DRG’s, DEM’s and DOQ’s to make it easier to drill down and request download of particular datasets.  The transportation team has contracted with Ken Dueker of Portland State to develop alternatives for implementation of interagency transportation data.  This report should be available next month.  An REO memo to the agency executives will go out requesting a lead contact and dates available for a Restoration information management workshop.  The goal of the workshop will be to coordinate the various information needs in this area in conjunction with the many datasets being used, in order to redefine the core set of information agencies and states will share.

 

Thematic Mapper, TM, Landsat data.  Issue is how to compile the various pieces that have been purchased from USGS.  Nancy will put together a brief description of the data available, scale, etc.  Nancy will coordinate with the USGS in Idaho.  Duane and Dale will work with the agencies on finding who has what data, a special representation and the date of that data.

 

IRICC Web site – PSMFC has developed and maintaining the current web site with no funding.  With Kath Collier now in REO helping to support their web site, there is the opportunity for REO to provide support for the web site. 

 

Interagency Strategy for tracking BO’s and tracking take. Rich described a project NMFS is working on a tracking pilot in Yakima valley with BOR.  This project is just starting.   Regulatory agencies are working on establishing consistent data requirements for issuing Bio Opinions.  An opportunity for IRICC is to then help coordinate this information across agencies.