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Alaska Geographic Data Committee (AGDC) Introductions Mark Shasby welcomed the attendees and introduced Marilyn Myers, Tom DiNardo, and Bill Flynn from the USGS’ Rocky Mountain Mapping Center, Denver, CO; Karen Irby, Civil Applications Committee, Reston, VA; Peter Colvin, ERIM International, Ann Arbor, MI; Paul Bourget, DOD, Falls Church, VA; and Lisa Warnecke, GeoManagement, Syracuse, NY. Kerry Kirkpatrick, AKDOT/PF; and Ron Skillings, USFS, were participating from Juneau via teleconference. Workshop Announcement Doug Mutter, OEPC, announced that there will be a one-day workshop on November 17 in Anchorage, in order to begin developing an approach to incorporating detailed Geographic Response Plans (GRP) into the oil spill and hazardous substance release subarea contingency planning process. Site-specific GRP’s identify environmentally sensitive areas, response tactics, and priorities for protection at a scale more detailed than the subarea level. Mutter distributed a one-page flyer outlining the Workshop. People interested in participating are asked to fill out the flyer and fax it back. Questions can be directed to Doug or Vik Chaobal at (907) 271-5011. The Greater Yellowstone Clearinghouse Project Shasby introduced Charlie Barnwell, Office Manager, ESRI Alaska, who gave an overview of ESRI’s work in developing this Clearinghouse. Barnwell noted that the time is right for product changes at ESRI. He presented several areas of interest, including changes to ESRI data and software; and introductions to Internet Map Server (IMS), ESRI products, and ArcData Online out of ESRI headquarters in Redlands, CA. Barnwell discussed the role that CD-ROM technology will play as a data dissemination tool with the Internet. ESRI Alaska’s Home Page can be accessed through the AGDC Clearinghouse under the ‘Members’ link. Alaska Case Study for the Global Disaster Information Network Shasby introduced Paul Bourget, DOD, who gave a brief overview of the activities of the Disaster Information Task Force (DITF). This task force was created in response to a request by Vice President Gore in 1997. Gore sent a letter to key Federal departments and agencies requesting that senior officials "discuss the feasibility of establishing a global disaster information network". The DITF was created to evaluate the needs and issues, examine the feasibility, and outline a phased, integrated approach to collect and disseminate all-source data and information to appropriate users. Interagency working groups were formed by the DITF and meetings were held to baseline current capabilities and to identify the management information needs. The needs and findings identified by the DITF were provided to a workshop of disaster experts that convened in July, 1997. The workshop built a consensus for the Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) based on the work resulting from the DITF working groups. Bourget distributed a questionnaire to ascertain the information flow in Alaska in support to emergency management. Bourget requested that the AGDC meeting participants complete the questionnaire and fax it back to Peter Colvin, ERIM International, at (734) 994-5825 by October 5. DOI High-Priority Digital Base Data Program Status Report Tom DiNardo, RMMC, gave an overview of the status of the DOI High-Priority Program work in Alaska. All of the digital raster graphics (DRG) and the digital elevation models (DEM) have been completed for the State as prioritized by the AGDC. The digital line graph (DLG) hydrography revisions are nearing completion. The remaining hydro DLG’s will be put into production through the Cartographic Services Contract (CSC) and will be completed next year. Data is continuing to flow into the Alaska Geospatial Data Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse can be accessed at <http://agdc.usgs.gov>. The AGDC defined the digital orthophotoquad (DOQ) specifications for Alaska last year. At present, there is a pilot project of 19 quads over the Anchorage vicinity in work. A CD-ROM will be distributed through the AGDC DOQ subcommittee to interested agencies to review and comment on several DOQ’s being produced through this pilot project. The CD’s will be available shortly and can be obtained by contacting Gust Panos, DOQ Subcommittee Chairman, BLM, at (907) 271-5063. DiNardo noted that work on the National Hydrography Database (NHD) in Alaska has been delayed due to the effort to complete the lower 48. A software test has been scheduled for November which will determine if the blind and visual passes can be completed through this newly developed software. If the test is successful, production of the Alaska NHD will commence in January 1999. Subcommittee and Working Group Reports Clearinghouse Jim Haga, AGDC Webmaster, reported on the status of the AGDC Clearinghouse. There have been several hardware upgrades recently, including adding additional disk space. The AGDC Clearinghouse is a mirrored site of the FGDC Clearinghouse. Haga showed an overhead which listed the new USGS GeoData which was recently added to the Alaska Clearinghouse. There are 2,776 new 15-minute DEMs; 39 7.5-minute DEM’s; and 680 DLG’s of revised hydrography files currently residing in the Clearinghouse. He noted that the DOI High-Priority Digital Base Datasets are now password protected. AGDC members can obtain the password by emailing A.C. Brown at <acbrown2@usgs.gov> with the request. The list of AGDC member agencies and organizations can be viewed through the Clearinghouse. Dorothy Mortenson, AKDNR, noted that the State of Alaska is getting close to opening their Clearinghouse. Alaska Data Base Standards/Management Workgroup Shasby reported that there is a long range vision to create and develop an Alaska Arc Coverage Data Base. This data base will consist of the different base data layers that can be accessed through the Clearinghouse, but will have been extracted, ported into Arc, enhanced, and then put back into the Alaska Arc Coverage Data Base. Hydrography Dennis Tol, BLM, gave an update of the activities of the AGDC Hydrography subcommittee. Tol noted that the subcommittee has not been very active recently, but have sent their recommendations on the Alaska NMD to the AGDC Steering Committee to be forwarded to the USGS. As mentioned above, the Alaska NHD production should commence after the first of the year following a software test scheduled for November. The common standard identifier for Alaska remains the water body. Transportation USGS staff along with Rich McMahon and Larry Tuck, AKDNR, met in Denver earlier this week to discuss revising the transportation layer in Alaska. The AGDC had identified 190 quads for revision for the 1997 DOI High-Priority Program. An effort is underway to obtain and assess transportation data from various Boroughs throughout the State to ascertain if this data can be used for the revision process. An initial pilot project of 6 quads will begin in early 1999. Map Revision Greg Durocher, USGS, reported that he had sent out an email to the AGDC membership requesting comments and suggestions regarding revising the USGS topographic maps in Alaska. He received 7 responses to date, these individuals will make up a ‘de-facto’ working group. Additional comments and suggestions can be sent to him at <gfdurocher@usgs.gov>. Digital Orthophotoquad Shasby reported for Gus Panos, BLM. Please see the DOI High-Priority Base Data Program status report above regarding the DOQ pilot project and associated CD. Earth Cover and Vegetation Sara Wesser, NPS, reported that a proposed classification standard has been developed for Alaska through the Earth Cover Working Group. There is a national meeting in November and the Working Group wants to assure that Alaska classifications are included in the nationwide schema. New Business None to report. Next Meeting The next general membership meeting of the AGDC is scheduled for the November-December timeframe and an exact date and time will be determined and announced at a later date. The meeting will be hosted by the USFWS at 1011 East Tudor Road. |
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