Welcome to the first edition of State GIS Solutions, a quarterly ESRI newsletter to keep you informed about GIS and state government news.
To receive future issues please subscribe to State GIS Solutions.
In This Issue
State of the States in 2007
The 2007 legislative year for state governments has started with a bang. From every vantage point, you should be able to see subtle but definite changes in the interests and priorities of the states' policies and directions. Both the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) are predicting strong budgets and stable funds in most states. Pent-up demand for programs previously cut will create healthy conditions for technology initiatives. To date, 41 governors have delivered their State of the State addresses, and performance management and cross-boundary coordination between agencies and levels of government received mention in almost every address. Governors are pressing their CIOs and IT departments for enterprise solution and server consolidation, service-oriented architecture (SOA) services, and Web applications as means to reach their goals. The exciting news is that state GIS practitioners and their coordinating bodies are well poised to address these issues. The big legislative trends won't change much from last year: the aging of America, immigration, shifting populations, and the transformation to a knowledge economy. In 2007, GIS will play a bigger role in describing and supporting these policy discussions.
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Call for Case Studies
GIS for Decision Support in Public Policy Making
The ESRI government industry team is compiling a book for government executives, managers, and elected officials that will make a compelling case for using GIS technology as a strategic tool in decision making. This book will feature case studies submitted by federal, state, and local government GIS professionals and GIS consultants and developers. ESRI invites you to share your success stories through the online submission page. Share your story.
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Grants and Training
Grants
Did you know you can register to receive e-mail notification from ESRI concerning future grant funding opportunities? Take advantage of this notification system to hear about grant opportunities to further develop your GIS.
No-Cost Live Training Seminars
Did you know ESRI Training and Education routinely holds complimentary live training seminars? View upcoming seminars. View other no-cost training options. Listen to instructional podcasts.
Take your GIS skills to the next level through ESRI Training and Education.
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Software News
2010 MAF/TIGER Partnership Add-on for ArcGIS
In support of our government clients, ESRI is partnering with CityGate GIS in the development of the 2010 MAF/TIGER Partnership add-on for ArcGIS. The add-on will be made available at no cost and will support state and local governments participating in the Census Bureau's Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Partnership Software Program. The 2010 MAF/TIGER Partnership add-on for ArcGIS will replicate the tasks and functionality of the MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) requirements in an ArcGIS Desktop environment.
Districting for ArcGIS Add-on At No Cost
The Districting for ArcGIS add-on allows you to create defined groupings of geographic data, such as census tracts, ZIP Codes, and precincts, by creating a districting plan.
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Special Interest Groups and Summits
Join the Public Works Special Interest Group
Special interest groups (SIGs) are about sharing and networking with those in your industry including users, vendors, and U.S. or international administrators. Membership is open to all ESRI users, user organizations, and business partners. Join the Public Works SIG.
Save the Date
The Public Works SIG will hold its first meeting, Tuesday, June 19, 2007, during the ESRI User Conference (UC) in San Diego, California
Cadastral SIG
Last year's Cadastral SIG meeting was a strong beginning. Now continue sharing your successes and needs at the 2007 Cadastral SIG meeting. The group will meet at the ESRI UC during the lunch period on Tuesday, June 19, 2007. Sidwell will be sponsoring the event. Please watch the Cadastral Industry page and ESRI UC Web site for more information.
Fifth Annual Survey & Engineering GIS Summit 2007
Both the surveying and engineering industries rely on geographic data, making GIS technology a valuable resource. The Survey & Engineering GIS Summit 2007 is an opportunity for engineers, surveyors, and GIS professionals to learn about the most current applications and solutions. The summit taking place June 16–19 in San Diego will run concurrently with the ESRI International User Conference.
For more information about the Survey & Engineering GIS Summit 2007, visit www.esri.com/surveysummit or e-mail surveysummit@esri.com.
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Case Study
Web-Based Maps Encourage Safe Navigation of Waterways—Using Mobile GIS to Map Derelict and Sunken Vessels along the Coast of Georgia
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been struggling with mapping abandoned and derelict vessels for several years. Based on recent estimates, there are as many as 100 sunken vessels along the coast of Georgia that are potential hazards for boaters. Read how Georgia DNR is using mobile GIS to solve this problem.
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ESRI Employment Opportunities
Engineering Industry Marketing Specialist
Utilize your years of experience in the engineering field to provide assistance, coordination, and some independent management of ESRI's marketing efforts related to products and services within this market.
Search for additional employment opportunities at http://careers.esri.com/.
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