1

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

The VirginiaGeospatial ExtensionProgram(540) 231-2428www.cnr.vt.edu/gepjmcg@vt.edu

For more informationcontact:

The Virginia Geospatial Newsletter is a quarterly pub-lication developed through the Virginia GeospatialExtension Program, a partnership between the Vir-ginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) and VirginiaCooperative Extension (VCE). 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 youwould like to contribute to the newsletter, please con-tact John McGee at the Virginia Geospatial Exten-sion Program (jmcg@vt.edu or [540] 231-2428).

The VirginiaGeospatial

Extension Program isa partnershipbetween the

Virginia Space GrantConsortium and

VirginiaCooperativeExtension

Volume 7, Number 1 Winter, 2009

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

The Virginia Geospatial ExtensionProgram: Facilitating Tourism

Development Along the Blue RidgeParkway

By:John McGee, Geospatial Extension Specialist,

Virginia Geospatial Extension Program

A multidisciplinary research team is workingon a project to support the planning anddevelopment of a sustainable tourism centerpieceand information center for the Rocky Knob areaalong the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Themultidisciplinary research team,which includes faculty andstaff from the VirginiaGeospatial Extension Program(Virginia Tech College ofNatural Resources, Departmentof Forestry), Virginia Tech’sDepartment of Hospitality andTourism Management (PamplinCollege of Business) andClemson University(Department of Parks,Recreation and Tourism Management andDepartment of Planning and LandscapeArchitecture), received funding from the NationalPark Service and Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc. (BRHI).

The grant, obtained with the assistance ofCongressman Rick Boucher, is providing support forthe principal researchers’ work, their undergraduateand graduate assistants, field work, equipment,transportation, and other needs of the field-basedresearch.

The goal of the project is toidentify an appropriate andsustainable ‘theme-driven’tourist visitor center that willattract visitors to the regionwithout compromising theenvironmental integrity of thelandscape, while alsorespecting the unique localflavor of the communities in theregion. The identified touristthemes will be based on local

community needs and preferences, as well as theneeds and preferences of existing and potentialtourists.

(Continued on Page 8)

What's Inside

VAMLIS Update - .................................................... 2VBMP Update - 2009-2012 Orthoimagery Program2Higher Education - Geospatial Activities at James

Madison University ............................................. 3Local Government - Bringing it All Together -

Norfolk Address Information System ................. 4State Agency - Virginia Marine Resources

Commission uses GIS & GPS Technology to MakeEnvironmental Permitting & Shellfish LeasingProgram More Efficient ....................................... 5

Community College - Tidewater Community CollegeUnveils New Career Studies Certificate in GIS ... 6

Non-Profit - Rail-to-Trails Conservancy MakesProgress Collecting Nation-wide TrailsDataset ................................................................. 7

Tips & Tricks - VBMP Imagery Alignment ............ 8Save the Date!. ..................................................... 16

When constructed, the destinationcenterpiece/visitor center will take

into account and augment theunique environmental, cultural, and

economic fabric of thesecommunities.

2

VAMLISUpdate

It is a New Year and full of new prom-ise and opportunity. VAMLIS is lookingforward to these opportunities to serve andsupport our membership. There are sev-eral ways in which the Executive Board in-tends to do just that. First is the expansionof our new website. This site will continueto expand with more information and re-sources for our members. Also, on ourweb site we will be looking for our mem-bers to report on the things that they aredoing or have done in the last year thathave an impact on the geospatial commu-nity in Virginia. Be sure to see the websitefor details.

Another important opportunity this yearis to participate in one of the VAMLIScommittees. Remember that VAMLIS is avolunteer organization that is only asstrong as its members. Each of thecommittees serves very important roles inthe VAMLIS organization. TheCommunications Committee is responsiblefor information on the website, hardcopypublications and technology updates toour membership. The Education Committeeis a critical resource for developingeducational policies, programs andstandards for the geospatial sciences inVirginia. This committee is also responsiblefor providing membership continuingeducation and training opportunities. TheLegislative Committee is responsible forinforming the membership of legislativeitems that impact mapping and landinformation professions in Virginia. TheMembership Committee is responsible ofkeeping a membership directory anddeveloping programs to obtain and retainmembership levels. Nominating Committeeis to administer the nominating provisionsset forth in Article V of the Constitution ofthe Association. The Activities Committeeis to organize events, meetings and socialsfor the membership. Each of thesecommittees provides an essential role inthe vitality of VAMLIS. Please considervolunteering.

As mentioned in the last update VAMLIS

will be holding its Annualmeeting this year on May 28th

(location TBA). While thismeeting is required by thebylaws of the organization forelections and otherorganizational business it is alsoan opportunity to network andlearn. Details will be posted onthe VAMLIS website or contactour executive director atvamlis_org@yahoo.com.

The 2009 Virginia GISConference planning is wellunderway. The planningcommittee is makingconsiderable progress on thelocation, program, and logo ofthe Conference. The themecontest was won by StefanieMcGuffin: “Virginia GIS: A New Spirit ofCollaboration”. Look forward for moredetails in the coming months.

Happy New Year!!

By:Qiana C. Foote,

VAMLIS President

VBMPUpdate

The Virginia Base Mapping Program(VBMP) first acquired aerial photographyof the state during the spring of 2002 andrecently updated the imagery with flightsduring 2006 and 2007. Theorthophotography program was estab-lished to promote effective and economi-cally efficient development and sharing ofspatial resources across the Common-wealth. The Commonwealth of Virginia alsosought to establish a consistent founda-tion or base map resource upon which lo-cal government spatial data, applications,and GIS could be consistently developedand maintained.

Virginia is now committed to sustainingthis program through regular updates ofthe photography. The program is fundedthrough a combination of sourcesincluding the Virginia Wireless ServicesBoard, state agencies, and revenue fromsale of the data.

2009-2012 OrthophotographyOn December 23, 2008, the Commonwealthof Virginia contracted with the SanbornMap Company for the period of 2009 - 2012to provide aerial data acquisition, groundcontrol, aerotriangulation, DTM, anddigital orthophotography.

200 scale, 1 foot pixel resolutionorthophotography will be provided as thebase product from VGIN with optionalupgrades to 100 scale, 6 inch and 3 inchpixel resolution orthophotography. Otherupgrade options include contours,structure planimetrics, and LiDAR. Theeastern half of the State will be flown during2009 and the western half during 2011

Local, state and federal government canutilize this contract for a variety ofgeospatial services. Highlights of thecontract include:

• one foot base resolution

• pricing for six inch and three inchresolution updgrades

2009-2012Orthoimagery

Program

(Continued on Page 11, Column 2)

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Geospatial Activities at JamesMadison University

By:Dr. James W. Wilson,Assistant Professor,

Geographic Science Program

The study and application of moderngeographic tools and theory have come along way in the last 30 years. When Dr.Glen Gustafson arrived at JMU in the fall of1978, there was no dedicated geographylab and the program shared drafting tableswith the math department. Dr. Gustafson(now Professor Emeritus,gustafgc@jmu.edu) had previously usedSYMAP and immediately added it to thecartography curriculum. He continued tomodernize the program as time and re-sources permitted. In 1988 Dr. Gustafsonand I heard Jack Dangermond give a paperat the ACSM-ASPRS Annual Conventionin St. Louis. The room was filled to capac-ity as Jack talked about problems with digi-tal spatial data and encouraged geogra-phers to get involved because they had therequisite background to understand theproblems and to help with solutions. Weapproached Jack after his presentation andasked if he could help us acquire GIS soft-ware for our program. Jack indicated hewould be glad to help us if we could get theUniversity to pay a portion of the price. Dr.Gustafson was able to obtain this commit-ment from the university and we soon hada copy of PC Arc/Info. Soon thereafter Dr.Gustafson also received a $50,000 NSFgrant to acquire a Compaq PC and ERDASsoftware. The academic program contin-ued to modernize and Dr. Helmut Kraenzlewas hired in 1996 as the first full-time fac-ulty member focused on GIS. Through theyears the diversity and number of users allacross the campus and in the communityhave continued to expanded. Below is asampling of current activities.

Shenandoah Valley GIS Users GroupDr. Helmut Kraenzle and Dr. James Wilsonorganize and lead the Shenandoah ValleyGIS User Group. The group was organizedby Dr. Wilson in 1993 and currently consistsof approximately 140 GIS professionals,researchers and educators from theShenandoah Valley region. The group meets

three times a year, and most of the meetingsare hosted at James Madison University. Avariety of topics and technical issues in thefield of geospatial science and technologyare presented at each meeting. Within thelast two years topics included ESRI’s ArcGISServer, GIS mobile applications, reports andupdates on GIS activities from various localgovernments, Internet GIS, metadata, GISstandards, GIS workforce development andthe geospatial technology market. VGIN(Virginia Geographic Information Network)also regularly participates and providesupdates on the current status of variousGIS and mapping projects. The user groupis actively supported by presentations,workshops, and information from ESRI andother software vendors, VGIN, USGS, andother governmental and non-governmentalorganizations. For additional information,contact Dr. Helmut Kraenzle, Director andProfessor of Geographic ScienceProgram,kraenzhx@jmu.edu

Alternative EnergyThe Virginia Coastal Energy Research

Consortium (VCERC) was created by theVirginia General Assembly in 2006 as partof the landmark “Virginia Energy Plan” to“serve as an interdisciplinary study,research, and information resource for theCommonwealth on coastal energy issues”with an initial focus on offshore winds,waves, and marine biomass. TheConsortium is made up of severaluniversities and industry partners fromaround the state including JMU, VirginiaTech – Advanced Research Institute, ODU,Norfolk State, and VIMS. VCERC has beenworking on three offshore wind projects,one of which is the creation of a preliminarymapping and GIS tool being done by JMU,ODU, VT-ARI and VIMS. The purpose ofthis project is to develop a geospatialdatabase that can be queried by standardGIS tools to characterize the offshore windresource, extreme survival conditions,bathymetry, and seabed geology.Additional data layers of other ocean usessuch as military exercises, commercialshipping, sand mining, and dredge spoildisposal were compiled to indicate areas

Figure 1: Map of the major ocean uses and wind resource within 50 MMS lease blocksoff the coast of Virginia.

HigherEducation

(Continued on Page 9)

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Bringing It All Together - NorfolkAddress Information System

(Norfolk AIR)

LocalGovernment

by:Fraser Picard

Team SupervisorDepartment of Information Technology

City of Norfolk, Virginia

IntroductionIn July 2008 the Applications and

Geospatial Development Team began de-veloping an intranet application that wouldprovide a portal to help centralize informa-tion for every address within the city. Thegoal was to bring together GIS maps,orthophotography (current and historical),and data from various databases, storedon different servers, into a single web page.There were several driving forces for thedevelopment of this application including;1) city employees and citizens had to usedifferent applications to get all the infor-mation about a parcel; 2) the applicationscurrently used are built on older ArcIMStechnology from ESRI, and 3) IT staff washaving to maintain and monitor multipleweb based applications.

DevelopmentThe application was developed in a teamenvironment where each of the sevenemployees had responsibilities that werecombined to produce the final product. Thewhole team worked on developing thelayout and navigation, and then each teammember was assigned different parts of theapplication to work on. The application wasdeveloped using ArcServer, ASP.NET, andAJAX technologies. The final product isdesigned to retrieve data from eight SQLdatabases on three different servers (Figure1). Models were developed within ArcGISto process attribute information for eachaddress, and the orthophotographs werecached to reduce the time needed to retrieveand display the image.

Search InterfaceThe opening screen in Norfolk AIR wasmodeled after the very simple Google searchscreen. There is only one search optionwhere the application must detect at leastfour keystrokes before it determines if theuser is typing an address, street name,account number or GPIN. The application

will return a list of matching records and asthe user types more the list if further refined.The user must select one option from thelist and click on the search button (Figure2).

Display InterfaceAs seen in Figure 3 the display screen isdivided into three sections:

1) The aerial photography windowdisplays orthophotographs from 1999, 2002,2006, and 2008. There is also an option todisplay all four years in single window tohelp identify changes on a property.Additionally, there is also an option calledBlock View which allows the user to displayGoogle’s Street View application.

2) The GIS map window displays theparcel boundary, parcel dimensions, andaddresses. This window includes tools topan, zoom, and identify other parcelsdisplayed in the window. The aerialphotography window and this window aresynchronized, so if the pan tool is used tonavigate to another area of the parcel mapthe aerial photography window will update

to the same location as the GIS map window.

3) The data window displays 111 fieldsof tabular information for the address. Theaccordion design eliminates the need forusers to scroll to see information. Thisincludes information on:

• Property ownership, assessments & saleshistory, building description• School attendance zones

• Municipal Services (trash collection,recycling, street sweeping, etc.)• Planning Data (zoning, census tract/block, special districts/zones)• Public Safety (Police car districts/sectors,flood zone, airport sound/accidentpotential)• Civic Information (Polling location, citycouncil representative, civic leagueinformation)

(Continued on Page 12, Column 1)

Figure 1

5

Virginia Marine ResourcesCommission uses GIS & GPS

Technology to MakeEnvironmental Permitting &

Shellfish LeasingProgram More Efficient

by:Ben Stagg

Environmental Engineer, HabitatManagement Division

Chief Engineer, Western Area,Engineering/Surveying Dept

Newport News, VA

State Agency

The Marine Resources Commission isa State Agency with approximately 150Employees. It is headquartered in NewportNews, Virginia and was established in 1875.The Commission serves as a steward ofVirginia’s marine and aquatic resources, andprotector of its tidal waters and homelands,for present and future generations. TheCommission processes in excess of 3,000Joint Permit Applications each year forprojects as diverse as marine terminals toprivate piers and erosion control structures.Environmental permitting efficiency can begreatly enhanced with the use of GIS tech-nology by combining multiple layers of in-formation that previously were maintainedin various formats, locations and scales.For many years the Habitat ManagementDivision of the agency used an in-housecreated Arcview GIS platform to assist inevaluating these applications. However,over the years, much of the informationbecame outdated and portions of the pro-gram had become non-functional. Afterreceiving results from a study of agencyinformation requirements conducted in2005, the agency entered into a contract, inmid-2007, with Worldview Solutions, a GISconsulting firm, to create a new and revisedGIS product. After numerous meetings withVMRC staff and Worldview Solutions per-sonnel, it was determined that ArcGIS (9.2)would be the software platform. Addition-ally, since the Engineering and SurveyingDepartment within the agency was also up-grading their digital shellfish lease map-ping system within AutoCad, those mapscould be incorporated into the new GIS lay-

ers, along with the ability to update theGIS with that information on a routine ba-sis, using customized model builder scripts.

After numerous work sessions with VMRCand Worldview staff, the product wasdelivered in late 2008 and placed into testuse by the Habitat Management Division.Information layers include places, roadnames, shellfish leasing information,boating access, reef sites, water bodynames, condemnation areas, fisheriesmanagement areas, wetlands, topographicmaps and VGIN 2002 and 2007 aerialphotographs. The ability to overlay theselayers in various combinations right from

the engineers desktop saves considerableman-hours previously spent using bothelectronic and hardcopy versions of theinformation, often created at differentscales. The shellfish lease information canbe retrieved with reports and maps createddirectly from the program (Figure 1).

Use of this information can also be usedwhen applicants visit the Marine ResourcesOffice to discuss their projects as well asfor power point presentations at monthlyCommission meetings where staff presentsprojects that are controversial or for which

Figure 1. VMRC webGIS

(Continued on Page 12, Column 3)

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CommunityCollege

by:George M McLeod

GIS Engineer, Old DOminion University;GIS Instructor, TIdewater Community

College

Tidewater Community CollegeUnveils New Career Studies

Certificate in GIS

Within their role in the NSF grantproject Geospatial Technician Educationthrough Virginia Community Colleges: AnIntegrated Approach in the Common-wealth of Virginia, TCC’s GIS planningteam, Rodney Clayton and George McLeod,invested considerable time in the creationand deployment of a web-based survey in-strument designed to gauge the demandfor geospatial technicians in Virginia andidentify the existing industry-required skillset for entry-level technicians. This websurvey was followed up by extensive tele-phone or in-person interviews of thirty-three selected Virginia geospatial employ-ers (local governments, regional entities,state and federal agencies, private compa-nies, and non-profit organizations). Theresponses from these two surveys weresummarized and used as a foundation forthe development of a highly informed GIScurriculum intended to provide geospatialemployers with a larger pool of skilled tech-nicians. Input from the aforementionedsurvey instruments was used to create anew “Entry-level” Geospatial TechnicianDACUM geared specifically to the needsof Virginia and Hampton roads employers.Using the Virginia Geospatial WorkforceSurvey and the newly developed VirginiaGeospatial DACUM, the TCC planning team

developed a new GIS Career StudiesCertificate within the Department ofInformation Technology & Business. Inpast years, TCC has only offered two GIScourses, GIS 200 and GIS 201. Thesecourses were previously unrelated to anydefined curricular pathway. This “orphan”status led to predictably low enrollments.However, these low registration numberswere not due to lack of employer demand,but rather a lack of a proper academicpathway at TCC. The challenge of creatingthis pathway was met by the TCC planningteam through a series of meetings whichproduced the following academiccertificate program (as 2009 TCC Catalog,Figure 1).

It was determined that the inclusion of fiveconcentrations (Business, CivilEngineering, Environmental Sciences, GISGeneralist, and Information Technology)would best meet the highly variabledemands of the regional geospatialworkforce within Hampton Roads. The GISApproved Electives available within eachconcentration are as follows:

Business:GIS 220 – Introduction to Urban and

Regional Planning (4 credits)AND two of following:BUS 100 – Introduction to Business

(3 credits)BUS 130 – Maritime Logistics Afloat

(3 credits)BUS 131 – Maritime Logistics Ashore

(3 credits)BUS 165 – Small Business Management

(3 credits)BUS 200 – Principles of Management

(3 credits)

Civil Engineering Technology: CIV 115 – Civil Engineering Drafting

(3 credits)CIV 116 - Topographic Drafting

(3 credits)CIV 171 – Surveying I (3 credits)CIV 256 – GPS for Land Surveying

(3 credits)CIV 258 – Photogrammetry and RemoteSensing (1 credit)CIV 259 – Virginia Coordinate Systems

(1 credit)

Environmental Sciences:GOL 105 - Physical Geology OR GOL 110Earth Science (4 credits)GOL 225 – Environmental Geology(4 credits)GIS 230 – GIS Applications inEnvironmental Science (3 credits)

GIS Generalist:GIS 220 – Introduction to Urban andRegional Planning (4 credits)GIS 290 or GIS 297 – CoordinatedInternship or Cooperative Education

(3 credits)GOL 105- Physical Geology OR GOL 110Earth Science (4 credits)

Information Technology:ITD 132 – Structured Query Language

(4 credits)ITE 150 – Desktop Database Software

(4 credits)ITP 112 – Visual Basic.NET I (4 credits)ITP 170 – Project Management (4 credits)

Figure 1. Certificate program as seen in the 2009 TCC Catalog(Continued on Page 14)

7

Non-Profit Rail-to-Trails Conservancy MakesProgress Collecting Nation-wide

Trails Datasetby:

Timothy RosnerGIS Specialist,

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

With the recent spike in gas prices andrenewed talk of the environmental impactof fossil-fuels, the importance of a nation-wide spatial dataset of biking and walkingtrails has become readily apparent. In 2004,Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a na-tionwide non-profit that works to promotethe conversion of unused rail corridors intoa network of trails, anticipated the need fora comprehensive trails dataset and em-barked on a project to map all of the rail-trails in the nation.

Data CollectionFunded by a generous grant from the

Tawani Foundation, the initialeffort began by sending RTCstaff members into the field withconsumer-grade GPS units.During these trips staff memberstravel to specific trails andcollect GPS data for each trail,including specific waypointsfor key trail features such aspublic parking, restrooms,drinking fountains and tunnels(Figure 1).

Once teams return from the field,the raw GPS data is downloadedusing the MinnesotaDepartment of NaturalResources’ DNRGarminprogram and imported intoESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 GIS softwarepackage. Since consumer-gradeGPS data is frequentlyinaccurate by hundreds of feet,the data is then checked forquality and accuracy againsthigh-resolution aerial imagery,and corrected as necessary. This step is

critical increating ahigh-qualityspatial datasetthat is suitablefor a widevariety ofcartographicand analyticneeds (Figure2).

Once thespatial datahas beenc o r r e c t e ds e v e r a la t t r i b u t e s ,pulled from aninternal trailsdatabase, areadded to eachspatial record.T h e s e

attributes include the trail status (Open,Partially Open, Project), the trail name, thestates and counties the trail passesthrough, along with may others. Finally, thetrail data is appended to the mastergeodatabase which houses all of RTCspatial data.

RTC has also included the efforts of manydedicated volunteers. These volunteersuse GPS units and follow the sameprocedures as RTC staff members to collectdata in the field and send it back to RTC forquality control. Recently, due to theresource-intensive nature of GPS datacollection, RTC has focused on researchingtrails by contacting localities and trailmanagers, and using a heads-up digitizingprocess to collect data. This collectionmethod still uses high-resolution aerialimagery to maintain the positional accuracyof the data.

Figure 2. Data is Checked for Accuracy Using High-Resolution AerialImagery

Figure 1. RTC Staff Members Collect GPS Data

(Continued on Page 15)

8

Blue Ridge ParkwayTourism Project

(Continued from Page 1)

During the first phase of the project, theresearch team will identify regional and local

community assets, and will develop acomprehensive GIS-based communitymapping inventory. This inventory willprovide a solid foundation to support theidentification of tourist themes.Furthermore, the community mappinginventory is designed to show how wellthese local assets can be leveraged withinthe broader regional landscape. Accordingto Nancy McGehee, Co-PI on the researchteam, “The project’s goal is to develop astrategy for the area that will attract newtourists and better satisfy the needs ofregular visitors, so that they more fullyexperience the area and make a greatereconomic impact while sustaining what isunique and special about the region.”

The Virginia Geospatial Extension Programorganized two community stakeholder-driven workshops in both Floyd and PatrickCounties in September 2008. Theseworkshops were open to the public andwere also attended by local officials. Theworkshops provided local communitymembers with the opportunity to interactwith the project by examining customizedmaps of the Floyd and Patrick Countyregion. One objective of the workshop was

to solicit the local expert knowledge ofcommunity members. Workshopparticipants identified, located, and verifiedassets that might be of importance totourists which often were not available fromother ‘mainstream’ data sources.While participating at the workshops,community members pored overapproximately 30 different layers ofinformation that included economic andinfrastructure themes (accommodations,

roads, restaurants); recreational assets(trout streams, parks, recreation areas)environmental assets (conservationeasements, endangered species) andcultural assets (architectural and historicresources). By integrating local knowledgewith the project, the research team was ableto gain a more comprehensiveunderstanding and accurate spatialinventory of these communities. Localinvolvement also provided communitymembers an opportunity to provide valuablefeedback on various aspects of theproposed project to the research teammembers. Workshops also provided thepublic with an opportunity to become morefully engaged with the project. Severalparticipants at the workshop respondedthat they felt a greater sense of ownershipin this initiative after attending theworkshop.

The second phase of the project will furtherbuild on the community mapping inventorythat has been conducted. Supported by themapping inventory, augmented throughfield work and from information gatheredfrom ‘traditional’ surveys and augmented

by GPS-based surveys (GPS data loggersplaced in the vehicles of tourists), theresearch team will generate severalconceptual scenarios of different potentialdestination themes. These destinationscenarios will provide local stakeholderswith the opportunities to better understandhow destination themes could beimplemented, integrated and leveraged tosupport the tourism and economicdevelopment efforts of their respectivecommunities.

The final product of this project will providespecific recommendations to develop aviable and sustainable tourist destinationcenterpiece and information center in theRocky Knob region.

Tips & Tricks

If you are having trouble getting your2006- 2007 VBMP imagery to line up cor-rectly try deleting the aux.xml file. It isknown to have incorrect geotransforminformation contained within the aux.xmlfile. This will cause the imagery to beplaced in the wrong location.

To find and delete the files quickly youcan use the search function in Windowsto find all of the .aux.xml files and deletethem from there.

If there are any questions feel free tocontact Stu Blankenship, GeospatialProjects Manager at Virginia InformationTechnologies Agency (VITA),(804) 416-6208 (voice)Stuart.Blankenship@vita.virginia.gov

VBMP Imagery Alignment

9

(Continued on Page10)

(Continued from Page 3)

Geospatial Activitiesat JMU

that would be excluded from offshore winddevelopment (Figure 1). The final report forthese 2007 projects is in the process of beingcompleted and will be available on theVCERC website (vcerc.org) in the comingmonths. For additional information, contactRemy Luerssen, Mapping and EducationSpecialist, Virginia Coastal Energy ResearchConsortium, luerssrm@jmu.edu.

Cultural Resource ManagementJMU faculty and students continue to testthe limits of survey-grade GPS throughextensive archaeological studies andlandscape reconstructions in the VirginiaBlue Ridge. A Cooperative Agreementbetween the National Park Service and theDepartment of Integrated Science andTechnology has provided funding for nineyears of work in Shenandoah National Park(SNP), on sites ranging in age from over10,000 years old to a 1942 WWII ArmyCorps of Engineers Training Camp.Directed by Carole Nash of the GeographicScience Program, the SNP projects arestudies of human settlement and adaptationin upland settings. The most recent projectinvolves the mapping of a significant 19thcentury iron works in Rockingham County,Virginia and analyzing long-termenvironmental changes associated withextractive industry. A second long-termresearch agreement with the WintergreenNature Foundation relies on survey-gradeGPS data to test predictive models of NativeAmerican settlement in rugged mountainsettings. Preliminary findings suggest thatthe ecological heterogeneity of the VirginiaBlue Ridge encouraged a wide range ofhuman uses and patterns of movement thatsynch with known climate changes. Foradditional information, contact Carole Nash,Part-time Instructor, Geographic ScienceProgram, nashcl@jmu.edu

Education: Geospatial Semester at JMUThe Geospatial Semester (GSS) at JMU is aunique dual-enrollment program offered incollaboration with high schools acrossVirginia. Students in their senior year ofhigh school learn about geospatial

technologies, including GIS, GPS, andremote sensing as they work on localprojects. Their efforts earn them both highschool credit and JMU credit (this lattercredit is offered at a substantial discount).JMU faculty mentor the K-12 students andteachers and provide project and technicalsupport. The GSS is in its fourth year andmore than 700 students have taken part. Inthe current year, high schools in AlbemarleCounty, Arlington County, Clarke County,Colonial Heights City, Loudoun County,Portsmouth City, Page County,Rappahannock County, Stafford County,and the Shenandoah Valley Governor’sSchool are participating. Student projectshave included work with the Nature

Conservancy in evaluating methods toidentify candidate lands for conservations,the development of an evacuation plan forHopewell, evaluation of crime patterns inColonial Heights, just to name a few. Oneof the major outcomes is that the studentsare engaged throughout their senior year(even to the point of working over schoolholidays and weekends, in some cases) andthey’re developing 21st Century skills thathave led to internships and college majorsand (we hope) to geospatial careers. Foradditional information, contact Dr. BobKolvoord, Professor, Integrated Scienceand Technology and Educational

Technologies; Co-Director, STEMEducation and Outreach Center,kolvoora@jmu.edu

Watershed AssessmentsThe pollution of natural waters by highlevels of nutrients (especially nitrogen andphosphorus) is a continuing problem inVirginia. High levels of nutrients can leadto algal blooms that can result indeoxygenation of waterways. Thissituation is currently leading to adeterioration of the aquatic environment inthe Chesapeake Bay. I am interested in therelationship between landscape factors(such as land use, land cover, slope, andtopographic index) and the levels of nutrient

pollution in the watersheds of theShenandoah Valley. We use nutrient data(nitrate, phosphorus, turbidity, etc.) that areregularly collected at a large number ofsampling sites in the Valley by the Friendsof the Shenandoah River. We calculate thewatershed area that is upstream from eachsampling point, and determine variousgeographic metrics for each watershed(Figure 2). We then use classificationmethods (such as discriminant analysis anddecision tree models) to determine the

Figure 2: Topographic Characteristics of Muddy Creek Watershed

10

relationships between the landscapemetrics and the nutrient levels. Our hopeis to be able to predict which factors aremajor contributors to nutrient pollution, andto determine the effect of the karst geologyof the region on these predictions. Foradditional information, contact Dr. BruceWiggins, Professor, Department of Biology,wigginba@jmu.edu

South Fork Shenandoah RapidWatershed AssessmentThe Center for Energy and EnvironmentalSustainability at JMU was a project partnerwith the Virginia Department ofConservation and Recreation in conductingthe South Fork Shenandoah RapidWatershed Assessment. This project wasfunded by the Natural ResourceConservation Service (NRCS), andinvolved a characterization of the social,biological, economic, agricultural, andgeophysical characteristics of thewatershed, including its major stressors andefforts at conservation. The NRCS rapidwatershed assessments are GIS- and map-intensive resources, and present an idealopportunity to engage students in practical,hands-on, “real life” GIS projects. Twostudents enrolled in Dr. Bob Kolvoord’s GISfor Environment course contributedsignificant GIS efforts to the final publishedreport. Under supervision Dr. MariaPapadakis (the project’s facultyinvestigator), Ms. Katie Shepard and Ms.Maria Havinga worked with primary dataand government shape files to generate anumber of maps on natural resourcecharacteristics in the watershed (Figure 3).For additional information, contact Dr.Maria Papadakis, Professor, Dept. ofIntegrated Science and Technology andGeographic Science, papadamc@jmu.edu

Facilities ManagementThe Facilities Management EngineeringDepartment at James Madison Universitywas recently able to acquire a cutting edgeGPS system to aid in their daily operations.A permanent base station, composed of aTrimble Zephyr Geodetic 2 Antenna and a

Trimble NetR5 Reference Station, wasmounted on the top of the newly constructedEast Campus Library. This location providesan unobstructed view of the horizon in alldirections, making it an ideal location for abase station. This base station is used totransmit RTK corrections to a Trimble R8GNSS Rover coupled with the TSC2Controller. This equipment is currently beingused to collect survey grade data to updateand expand the University’s GIS. In the fewshort weeks that this equipment has beenoperational it has already proven to be anextremely valuable investment bysignificantly increasing the efficiency ofroutine activities. For additional information,contact Abe Kaufman, StormwaterCoordinator, Facilities Management –Engineering, kaufmaat@jmu.edu

Open Source Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) for Simulating ContainerMovementThe Open Source Geographic InformationSystem for Simulating Container Movement(GISSCM) project looked into thepossibilities of open source GIS softwarepackages to visualize and simulate containermovement (Figure 4). In contrast tocommercial software packages that oftencost thousands of dollars, open sourcesoftware may be downloaded for free, which

helps businesses and organizations withsmall budgets. In addition, as the word“open source” implies, the source code isavailable for the public to view. The opensource code enables the public to see theunderlying details and algorithms that makethe software work. Also, keeping the sourcecode open prevents hidden source code tobe embedded in the software and possiblycompromise security.

With millions of shipping containerstraveling toward US ports annually,ensuring the safety of the country is a highpriority. The open source GISSCM projectuses open source GIS software to visualizethe movement of containers travelingtoward the US via ships, trains and trucks.Once in the US, the GISSCM continues totrack each container as it travels via train ortruck to its destination. Businesses andorganizations in the following areas maybenefit from the Open Source GISSCMproject: trade, transportation, port securityand homeland security. The Institute forInfrastructure and Information Assuranceat James Madison University funded thisproject. For additional information, contactDr. Helmut Kraenzle, Director and Professorof Geographic ScienceProgram,kraenzhx@jmu.edu

Figure 3: South Fork of the Shenandoah River: Ammonia

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(Continued from Page 9)

Geospatial Activitiesat JMU

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Geospatial Activitiesat JMU

(Continued from Page 10)

Geographic VisualizationDr. James Wilson and Andrew Torget,director of the Digital Scholarship Lab atthe University of Richmond, areorganizing a U.S. National Endowment forthe Humanities funded workshop on“Visualizing the Past: Tools andTechniques for Understanding HistoricalProcesses” which will be held at theUniversity of Richmond February 20-21,2009. The workshop advisory boardincludes noted scholars and specialists:Dr. Terry Slocum of the University ofKansas, Dr. Edward Ayers of theUniversity of Richmond, David Arctur andDavid Schell of the OGC, Peter Bol ofHarvard University, and Richard White ofStanford University. Approximately 25people from around the world will gatherto present and discuss current work onvisualizing historical processes, andtogether consider:

1) How can we harness emergingcyberinfrastructure tools andinteroperability standards to visualize,analyze, and better understand historicalevents and processes as they spread out

Figure 4: GISSCM running on uDIG Open Source GIS software

• color infrared (4 band color) included indeliverable

• pricing for four and two foot contourupgrades

• pricing for structure and otherplanimetric upgrades

• pricing for Lidar

2009-2012Orthoimagery

Program

(Continued from Page 2)

across both time and space?

2) How can user-friendly tools or web sitesbe created to allow scholars and researchersto animate spatial and temporal data housedon different systems across the Internet?

For further information contact Dr. Wilsonat wilsonjw@jmu.edu, or visit the workshopwebsite at http://dsl.richmond.edu/workshop/index.php.

• off year flights available

• 6 month delivery from acquisition date

• pricing for land cover mapping

• additional options

Pricing• Pricing for many upgrade options is

available at: http://www.isp.virginia.gov/geo2009_2011/pricing_overall.pdf

• Land cover mapping pricing is availablefrom: http://www.isp.virginia.gov/geo2009_2011/pricing_landcover.pdf

• Planimetrics pricing is available from:http://www.isp.virginia.gov/geo2009_2011/pricing_structures.pdf

Refer to the http://www.isp.virginia.gov/vbmporthophotography.shtml foradditional product specifications, pricing,and ordering information, or contact VGIN.

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(Continued from Page 4)

The application also includes the ability tocreate a report that allows the user to print,or export the report to a PDF, MS Word,Crystal Report, Excel, or a text file.

Future EnhancementsOver the last couple of months NorfolkAIR has been demonstrated and testedby select users within the organization.As a result a list of enhancements hasbeen compiled. During the next sixmonths the team will be focusing onenhancing the application to:- Include active code enforcementactivities.- Add a Pictometry image interface toallow users to see the property fromdifferent directions and provide somemeasuring tools.- Include distance to nearest fire hydrant.- Provide customized reporting thatwould allow users to choose what theywant to print/export.- Add the ability to search by an alias/common place name.- Deploy a version of Norfolk AIR to theInternet.

In conclusion, the development ofNorfolk AIR has proven to be a

Norfolk AddressInformation System

Figure 3

Figure 2successful project of integrating a widevariety of data and information indifferent formats. Although it is still anew application within the organizationthere has been a lot of positive feedback.The anticipated success can be attributedto the ability to add a “time” componentthrough the use of historicalorthophotographs, a simple searchfunction, and the vast amounts ofattribute data. It has also shown thatrapid application development can beachieved in a team environment withcareful planning and clear definition ofroles and responsibilities. Although theapplication was originally targeted to beused by City employees, it will soon beavailable to the public and should become

a valuable resource. With futureenhancements Norfolk AIR is positionedto be the one place city employees andthe public can go to obtain vast amountsof information on an address…a placewhere it all comes together.

staff cannot support the project as proposedby the applicant.

The Engineering / Surveying Departmentis responsible for surveying and mappingsubaqueous ground for public and privateshellfish cultivation, leasing privateshellfish grounds, and maintaining oysterground lease records. This includes theaccounting for work performed and theannual rent accounting of the leased oysterground, the platting and composite mappingof these parcels and the adjacent waters.There are over 300,000 acres of publicground and approximately 95,000 acres ofprivate ground for which the department isresponsible. The Department also managesthe surveying and marking of the Maryland/Virginia State line, where it borders or falls

VMRC PermittingProgram

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(Continued on Page 13)

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within the waters of the two states. TheEngineering / Surveying Department is alsoresponsible for the identification andmapping of state-owned marshes andmeadowlands on the Eastern Shore ofVirginia.

The original public grounds set aside withinthe Constitution of Virginia were surveyedby methods used at the time, which includedsextants and rather primitive methodscompared to those used today. The agencyprogressed from transits, to theodolites, toelectronic total stations to survey leasegrounds upon the waters of theCommonwealth. All of these methods, whileprogressively more efficient that itspredecessor, were still rather timeconsuming and required numerouspersonnel. With the advent of GPStechnology the potential to survey thesessame areas much more efficiently and withless personnel became apparent. In the1990’s the Department purchased TrimbleGPS equipment and began using it for someof the work required for the leasing program.However, the equipment was heavy,required two units left on upland sites, andwas not well suited to working in the marineenvironment. With the advent of bettertechnology, smaller more rugged units, andthe recent establishment of permanent basestations that broadcast satellite and radioinformation through a subscription service,and the age of the existing Trimbleequipment, new equipment was evaluated.The Engineering / Surveying Departmentpurchased Leica GPS equipment beginningin 2005 and subscribed to RTK-net throughLoyola Spatial Systems (a Leica equipmentdealer). This allows department staff to dovirtually all of its survey related tasks witha single GPS unit, administered by a singlestaff person, thereby reducing bothpersonnel requirements and considerabletime (Figure 2). The GPS survey grade unitscan produce real time accuracies within afew centimeters. If you ever tried to set apvc pipe in 15 feet plus depths of water,having the knowledge that the surveyequipment is very precise makes department

staff confident that the accuracy of thesurveys very strong.

The agency’s Fisheries Division issuesfixed fishing device licenses which areenforced by the Law Enforcement Division.A new Engineering / Surveying Departmentproject involves the location and mappingof all of the existing fixed fishing devices inthe state using GPS equipment beginningin early 2009. The E/S Department can alsoprovide mapping information to applicantsand both the Fisheries and LawEnforcement Division on proposed newfixed fishing device locations to assure thatthey meet current regulations for spacing,length, and public notification requirements.

In light of current budget restraints, andwith the support of agency CommissionerSteven G. Bowman, the use of both GPSand GIS technology, allows the Marine

Figure 2. Surveying and mapping

Resources Commission to more effectivelyand efficiently administer its mandatedmission related to the marine environment.While the implementation of the newlyupgraded GIS platform is currently forinternal agency use and is not yetimplemented to all divisions, once finaltesting of the system is completed, it canbe expanded agency wide, provided to otheragencies with overlapping mandates, and,potentially, a read only version can beimplemented for public use, accessedthrough the agencies web page sometimein the near future.

For additional information about mappinginformation maintained by the Engineeringand Surveying Department, contact:

Ben Stagg, (ben.stagg@mrc.virginia.gov |757-247-2225),

or

Royce Bridger,(Royce.bridger@mrc.virginia.gov |757-247-2230)

VMRC PermittingProgram

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ITP 193 – Introduction to Modeling andSimulation (4 credits)

ITP 212 – Visual Basic.NET II (4 credits)

This model will be one in which studentsreceive instruction in GIS technologiesusing a “multidisciplinary approach”.Graduates are prepared for entry-levelpositions in Geographic InformationSystems (GIS) in a variety of fields. Theywill be trained to use GIS to visualize,analyze, and model systems to help in theplanning and decision-making processesof their organizations.TCC has an excellent track record ofsustaining successful programs. TCCplans to continue to work closely withregional employers promote the certificateprogram, to host workshops, and todevelop practical GIS exercises. With thehelp of these employers, revolvinginternship opportunities will be establishedand filled by students currently enrolled inthe program.Also of critical import to the success ofthis program is TCC’s intent to supply aGIS lab assistant who will be available tostudents for technical support during“open” lab hours. Given that workforce-oriented GIS courses are technical in nature,the amount of faculty time available in thetraditional classroom setting is often notsufficient to address difficultiesencountered by each and every student.The availability of a lab assistant willensure that faculty time may be focused oncurriculum development, instruction(Figure 2), and mentoring.

About the CollegeFounded in 1968 as a part of the VirginiaCommunity College System, TidewaterCommunity College (TCC) serves the SouthHampton Roads region with campuses inChesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, andVirginia Beach, a regional Visual Arts Centerin Olde Towne, Portsmouth, the TCC Jeanneand George Roper Performing Arts Centerin the downtown Norfolk theater district,and a regional Advanced TechnologyCenter on its Virginia Beach Campus. Forty-

TCC CertificateProgram

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five percent of the region’s residents whoattended a college or university in Virginialast fall were enrolled at TCC. (Figure 3)

TCC is the largest provider of highereducation and workforce developmentservices in Hampton Roads, enrolling over39,000 students annually—the secondlargest undergraduate student body in theCommonwealth of Virginia. The college’seconomic impact on the South HamptonRoads region is $300 million annually; itgenerates some 3100 jobs in the localeconomy. For each $1 in public support

Figure 3. TCC location

provided to it, TCC generates $3.54 inrevenue for the region.The college is committed to meeting theregion’s education and training needs as itadvances the quality of life of the regionthrough an educated, globally aware, andtechnologically engaged citizenry. TCCstudents do as well as the native universitystudents when they transfer to four-yearschools, and area employers consistentlyregister high levels of satisfaction with theperformance of their employees who are TCCgraduates.

Figure 2. Instructor McLeod assists a GIS student

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Thanks to the efforts of RTC staff andvolunteers, more than 12,000 miles of trailshave been collected. In an effort to providethis data to the public, RTC has launched atrail-finder Web site, www.traillink.com,which allows users to search for trailsanywhere in the U.S. (Figure 3). The spatialdata, when available, is provided to usersthough the implementation of the GoogleMaps API (Fig. 4). The API allows RTC touse custom markers to denote the locationof the various trail waypoints in addition tothe trail itself, as well as allowing users toget customized driving directions to eachtrail. TrailLink.com also provides a detailedtrail description of each trail and allows usersto upload trail reviews and photos from theirtrips.

In addition to the public face of RTC’s traildata, TrailLink.com, the creation of this high-quality dataset allows for detailed analysisto be performed in-house. This dataset iscritical as RTC begins to assess its goal ofhaving 90 percent of Americans living withinthree miles of a trail network by 2020. RTC is

Rails-to-TrailsConservancy

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also able to use this data to help build aconvincing case for more trails through thedetailed demographic analysis ofpopulations surrounding trails, as well asillustrating key “missing-links” in existingtrail networks.

RTC recently partnered with thePennsylvania Department of Conservationand Natural Resources (DCNR) to collectdata for all of the rail-trails in Pennsylvania.RTC staff spent hundreds of hours collecting

GPS data and preparingit for the DCNR. The datawas delivered to DCNRfollowing their specifieddata dictionary. Uponreceipt of the data, onemember of the DCNR GISteam proclaimed the data“should serve as a modelfor others working on alltypes of trailseverywhere!”

The FutureRTC continues to growthis dataset and hopes tohave all 15,000+ miles ofrail-trails collected soon.RTC recently launched anew interactive trail-mapping tool onTrailLink.com that allowsusers who do not have

Figure 3. TrailLink.com is the Public Face of the Dataset

Figure 4. The Data is Displayed using the Google MapsAPI

GPS units to help map trails by providingus with lines and points sketched off of theGoogle Maps interface. This data is stillchecked for quality and accuracy, but allowsparticipation from a much wider audienceof trail users.

This trail dataset is critical for encouragingActive Transportation. ActiveTransportation is the act of walking andbiking for transportation, in addition torecreational uses. The economic benefits ofActive Transportation have recently beenquantified in the report ActiveTransportation for America (available at:http://www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/ATFA/index.html). Byproviding potential trail users access tolocational information, we hope to see anincreased shift from car-orientedtransportation to increased investment inwalking and biking at the local, state, andfederal levels.

To find out more about Rails-to-TrailsConservancy and its mission, visitwww.railstotrails.org. To locate a trail in yourarea, visit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’strail-finder Web site, www.traillink.com.

Making the Data Public

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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.

2009 Virginia GIS Conference, Sept 21-23, 2009, Richmond, VAHosted by VAMLIS and VAPDC

Theme - Virginia GIS: A New Spirit of CollaborationFor more information, stay tuned to www.vamlis.org & www.vapdc.org

ESRI International User Conference (ESRI UC), July 13-17, 2009, San Diego, CATheme: GIS: Geography in Action

For additional information - http://www.esri.com/events/uc/index.html

ESRI Education User Conference (EdUC), July 11-14, 2009, San Diego, CATheme: Explore the Power of Spatial Thinking

For additional information - http://www.esri.com/events/educ/index.html

Intro to GPS for Virginia Cooperative Extension, March 16, 2009, Abingdon, VA

Southwest Extension District - Open to Extension Agents & Specialists

For additional information please contact Kathy Thomas

Intro to GPS for Virginia Cooperative Extension, April 8, 2009, Madison, VA

Northern Extension District - Open to Extension Agents & Specialists

For additional information please contact Christine Kastan

VAMLIS Annual MeetingMay 2009 (TBA)

Intro to GPS for Virginia Cooperative Extension, March 6, 2009, Holiday Lake, VA

Central Extension District - Open to Extension Agents & Specialists

For additional information please contact Dan Goerlich

22nd Annual Towson University Geographic Information Sciences Conference (TUgis),March 16-17, 2009, Towson, MD.

Theme - WebGIS:New Tools for Data Sharing and CollaborationFor additional information and registration - http://tugis.towson.edu

Loudoun GIS Forum Connecting GIS, March 12, 2009, Loundoun, VATheme - Resource Conservation: How we allocate our environmental, fiscal, and human resources

For additional information please contact Susan Hembachat susan.hembach@loudoun.k12.va.us or call (571) 252-1154

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

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

Cooperative Extension.

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