This page is an archive of older, but relevant announcements and other chapter information. 

The California GIS conference to be held in Sacramento on April 06-09, 2009, provides an excellent opportunity to educate each other on how we all use GIS... California's Geospatial Future - Opening doors for New Opportunities!. 

Abstracts Date Has Been Extended:
They are now due by January 9, 2009!  Click here to submit your abstract.

Click here for a Flyer.  Click here to go to the Registration page.

Keep checking http://www.calgis.org for the most up-to-date information !

The February URISA Workshop on GIS Program Management
 Sponsored by Kleinfelder was a great success!!

Feel free to give us feedback on what other URISA workshops you would like to see at our next workshop.  You can send your comments to workshop at norcalurisa dot org.

Check Out the Chapter's GIS Day Write-up in ArcNews

The Planets Are Aligned on GIS Day
Sacramento, California
 http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter0607articles/gis-day-brings.html

The Northern California Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (NorCal URISA) along with the City of West Sacramento partnered to celebrate GIS Day in November at the West Sacramento Civic Center. The event, which included a wide variety of participants encompassing professionals from federal, state, and local governments as well as environmental consulting firms, GIS equipment vendors, and local GIS educators, treated its guests to a special hosted lunch and a GIS Day cake for dessert.

Visiting the transportable Topcon Satellite Theatre was the highlight for many attendees, as GIS moviegoers interested in positioning technologies were able to view a movie on the inside of a 360-degree planetarium dome. The movie, titled Celestial Connections—Guiding GIS Solutions, was a fictional characterization based on a real-life story of a GIS professional attempting to collect GPS position data, attributes, and digital photographs who experiences frustration dealing with multiple pieces of hardware, as well as buildings and tree canopy that block the GPS signals. The movie showed viewers how spatial technologies could be used to overcome these obstacles to achieve project success.

"Going to the Topcon Satellite Theatre as part of our GIS Day really made the event special," says Anthony Arieas, City of West Sacramento GIS specialist and GIS Day event organizer. "GIS is not just about making maps; it is also about data and data collection. The theater gave our attendees the chance to have fun learning about GPS in GIS—how it works, how satellites work—and they were able to walk away with a better grasp of what GIS really is."

Joint Press Release Issued By:
-Association of American Geographers (AAG)
-GIS Certification Institute (GISCI)
-Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA)
-University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)
-Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)

Geography, GIS, and Mapping Communities Support Court Ruling in MAPPS Lawsuit


June 15, 2007 -- Washington-The U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, last week ruled against special interest groups seeking to strictly limit government contracting for mapping and GIS activities. In the matter of MAPPS, et al., v. United States of America, Judge T.S. Ellis III issued a summary judgment in favor of the government based on the MAPPS plaintiffs' failure to "establish that an injury in fact was suffered by the individual surveyors or their firms."

Several geographic and GIS organizations, including AAG, GISCI, GITA, UCGIS, and URISA joined together to support the government and oppose the MAPPS litigation through educational outreach and the development of an Amicus Brief to the Court on the case. The AAG has also established a Mapping and GIS Community Defense Fund to help defray the cost of legal fees and educational activities related to these issues (see www.aag.org).

The "Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors" (MAPPS) filed the lawsuit earlier this year seeking to limit competition for federal mapping contracts of nearly every type, including GIS services, to firms of licensed architects, engineers and surveyors.

"The federal court's rejection of the MAPPS lawsuit in this ruling will help ensure that all qualified professionals in the mapping and GIS communities can fairly compete for government contracts," said Douglas Richardson, executive director of the AAG.

A ruling in favor of the MAPPS plaintiffs would have had far reaching negative impacts on cartographers, geographers, computer scientists, planners, foresters, GIS specialists, governmental agencies, GIS service companies, and many others who have long been creative, innovative, and productive forces in the mapping and GIS fields.

A copy of the judge's decision and additional background information on the case is available at the following websites: www.aag.org, www.gisci.org, www.gita.org, www.ucgis.org, and www.urisa.org, or by contacting David Coronado at
202-234-1450.

Press Information:
Scott Grams
GISCI
Telephone: 847-824-7768

URISA Workshop in May- Public Data, Public Access, Privacy, and Security: US Law and Policy
 Sponsored by CD-Data, AutoDesk, & Kleinfelder

As data storage and distribution capacities increase, there is increasing tension between the mandates for at cost public access to government records, protection of individual privacy; and protection of public security. There is additional tension caused by changing concepts of what constitutes public service. What is behind our traditions of open access and personal privacy? What data are subject to Freedom of Information laws? What about privacy restrictions and homeland security concerns? May a government raise revenue or defray maintenance costs by charging market prices for the data? What about liability for data errors? This workshop will focus on the critical legal issues and the policy options they frame at the federal, state, and local levels of US government. Specific topics include:
 

Intended Audience: This workshop is intended for public sector managers and administrators, elected officials, policy professionals, database developers and administrators, and GIS professionals.

Cost: CHAPTER MEMBERS FREE!! Non-members pay $50 - or save $$$ by becoming a Chapter member – annual membership fees are: $40 individual, $20 student, $150 corporate (up to 5 employees), Pre-registration is encouraged.

For more information about this event or membership in the NORCAL Chapter, contact Ian McGovern (phone 916.366.1701 or email IMcGovern@kleinfelder.com).  For a Workshop Flyer click here and for a Membership Form click here. 

Thanks to the Northern California AutoDesk Team for being our first Silver sponsor for the year. We are grateful for their support which will allow us to really enhance the Chapter's processes and programs to better serve you. 

Who will be next?

The goal and purpose of GIS Day is to educate children and adults about how geography and geographic information system (GIS) technology make a difference in their lives while highlighting local company or organization's GIS contributions to the community.

This free event was held in the City of West Sacramento at the Civic Center. We would like to thank all the vendors and companies that participated.  We had over 73 people plus 50 others from the participating organizations.  The visitors represented agencies from education, city, county, state, federal and other non governmental organizations.  To look at the pictures taken at the event, please visit our Meetings Page.

The California GIS conference to be held in Oakland April 4-7, 2007, provides an excellent opportunity to educate each other on how we have each been successful in demonstrating the Value of GIS.  Read the latest news here.  Visit the CalGIS 2007 website for more information.

URISA/GISCorps
1460 Renaissance Drive, Suite 305
Park Ridge, IL 60068
(847) 824-6300

Thanks to the Northern California ESRI Team for being our first Platinum sponsor. We are grateful for their support which will allow us to really enhance the Chapter's processes and programs to better serve you. 

Who will be next?

Wednesday, 14 June 2006 Park Ridge, IL - The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) Board of Directors voted unanimously to create a separate contribution point category for volunteer efforts.

The category was added in light of groundbreaking work being done by GISCorps and the encouraging realization that GIS volunteer efforts are becoming more widespread.

"This is a marvelous step towards recognition of our volunteers' noble acts of service," said GISCorps Core Committee Chairperson Shoreh Elhami, GISP. "I commend GISCI for formally acknowledging the value of volunteerism."

The new category within the Contributions to the Profession section of the application ensures that applicants have a clear understanding of how stewardship activities translate to points. Volunteer work has always been worth credit towards professional certification but the program lacked a defined methodology for awarding it. Volunteer work consists of providing any form of uncompensated GIS-related work performed in agreement with a service-oriented organization such as GISCorps, clubs, organizations, schools, or other entities. Documentation must be provided from the entity that lists the nature and duration of the volunteer effort.

Volunteer credit will be awarded in two categories:

1. Volunteer Missions: Providing 72 or more consecutive hours of time, including time for food and rest, in active volunteer status.

2. Volunteer Work: Providing periodic or sporadic volunteer work with a duration of less than 72 consecutive hours in active volunteer status.

Volunteer work is an excellent way for certified GIS Professionals (GISPs) and prospective GISPs to earn points towards initial certification or recertification. Engaging in volunteer outreach is inexpensive and rewarding. It offers GIS practitioners a chance to use their skills to improve the quality of life for communities, interest groups, educational institutions, and the disenfranchised.

There are 1,167 Certified GIS Professionals (GISPs) as of May 25, 2006. The full manifest of certified GIS professionals is on the website. To download application materials or for more information regarding the GISCI certification program please visit www.gisci.org or call (847) 824-7768.

Honorable Mention: This is the first year for the Northern California Chapter of URISA. The energy of their governing Board in promoting URISA is to be commended. With educational seminars and presentations on GIS applications, issues at both the local and State level, participants were introduced to URISA and the response has been overwhelming. For more info on other awardees, visit http://www.urisa.org/pressreleases.htm.

The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is considered to be the premier organization for the use and integration of spatial information technology to improve the quality of life in our urban and regional environments.

Operating under the auspices of URISA, GISCorps coordinates short term, volunteer based GIS services to underprivileged communities.

For more information about URISA and GISCorps, visit www.urisa.org and www.giscorps.org

The GIS Certification Institute Certifies Over 1,000 GIS Professionals

Park Ridge, IL - With the January cohort of certified GIS professionals (GISPs) the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) surpassed the 1,000 GIS professional milestone. There are now 1,016 GISPs as of January 25, 2006. The first group of GISPs was certified in October of 2003 as a result of the pilot program used to test the rigor of the process. The Institute formally opened its doors on January 1, 2004. In two years, GISCI has reviewed and certified the applications of over 1,000 professionals.

"The 1,000 mark is significant as it indicates that we continue to build the broad community necessary to actively guide the GIS profession", said GISCI President Lynda Wayne, GISP. "I encourage these GISPs to become involved in GISCI mentoring and ethics initiatives, volunteering, and, most importantly, local opportunities to contribute their skills and coordinate with allied geospatial data professionals."

Initial GISCI estimates had the Institute having between 600-700 GISPs at the start of 2006. The windfall can be attributed to the active network of GISPs who continue to promote the program and themselves through sound and ethical practice.

ESRI has renewed its generous offer to donate training and materials to the next 1,000 GISPs. These materials are an added bonus for successful applicants and demonstrate industry support for the program.

Applications are processed individually but receive certification as part of a monthly group. This makes it impossible to determine the identity of the 1,000th GISP. All members of the January 2006 cohort can take pride in knowing it was their application that helped GISCI attain this important achievement. Credit also goes to the hundreds of GISPs who preceded them.

The full manifest of certified GIS professionals is on the website. To download application materials or for more information regarding the GISCI certification program please visit www.gisci.org or call (847) 824-7768.

Congratulations to our first official Board of Directors!

Elections for the 2006 Board of Directors have concluded and we have one new member on the Board. The candidates for the officer positions ran unopposed and will be filled by the incumbents. We had five candidates for the four member-at-large director positions. To establish on-going director rotations, the 2 candidates getting the highest number of votes will fill the 2-year terms and the next 2 highest vote getters will fill the 1-year terms.

Congratulations go out to the following:

 President:
Geney Terry

President-Elect:
Harold Feinberg

 Secretary:
David Hansen

Treasurer:
Diana Carolan

 2 year Member-at-Large Directors:
Lorri Peltz-Lewis and Robert Thomas

1 year Member-at-Large Directors:
Linda Wright and Charmaine Yeung

URISA/GISCorps
1460 Renaissance Drive, Suite 305
Park Ridge, IL 60068
(847) 824-6300

NorCal URISA
P. O. Box 660602
Sacramento, CA 95866-0602