September 2006 Newsletter
Call for Abstracts
2007 Indiana GIS Conference
March 13-14, 2007
Crown Plaza Hotel and Conference Center
Downtown Indianapolis
You are invited to submit an abstract for presentation to share your knowledge, ideas and project case
studies with your colleagues and peers. Presentation submissions are due by November 1, 2006.
In your abstract submittal, please include:
- Presentation Title (no more than 10 words)
- Presentation Description (no more than 100 words)
- List of any Special Requirements
Along with your abstract, please supply all presenter names and email addresses, as well as a short biography for
each presenter (no more than 25 words per person.) Each presentation proposal must also include a primary presenter
contact. For the primary contact, please supply the following contact information: Name, Phone, Fax, Address, and Email.
Presentations will be approximately 25 minutes in length, with 5 minutes for questions. There will be a maximum of 4 of people
allowed for each presentation, except for panel presentations.
If accepted by the selection committee, you will be notified by email and your presentation will be assigned to a
specific moderated session. Projectors/standard AV setup will be provided for every session.
Please submit your abstracts by November 1, 2006 in Microsoft Word format by email or by mailing a CD to:
Brooke Gajownik
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office
18100 Cumberland Road
Noblesville, IN 46060
(317) 776-2461
bmg@co.hamilton.in.us
We require that all presenters register for the conference in which they wish to participate. Acceptance as a
paper presenter does not register you for the conference, and registration fees are required. The registration
deadline is February 3, 2007.
The purpose of paper presentations is to educate your peers about new and effective ways of using GIS. At no
time is it permissible for a paper presenter to use his/her time slot to advertise or promote a product, service, or
company. This rule will be strictly enforced.
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Place Matters: Geographically Enabling Government
Announcement from the Center for Digital Government
"The Center for Digital Government is pleased to present our newest strategy paper, Place Matters:
Geographically Enabling Government. This paper examines geographic information systems and how they can significantly
improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of government service delivery. The importance of integrating
location-specific components into government systems of all types is increasing. By incorporating specific
data about when and where an event has taken place, geospatial systems are able to literally create a picture
of the current situation and offer alternative scenarios for the future."
Visit
www.centerdigitalgov.com to download the full paper.
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GIS Stalwart Receives Award from Governor
Longtime GIS champion and founding member of IGIC Roger Koelpin has received the Public Service Award from
Governor Mitch Daniels. The honor, presented in a public ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse August 31st,
was the result of Roger's tireless work on the 2005 statewide orthophotography project.
"Roger was able to accomplish a minor miracle arranging funds from a multitude of local, state and federal sources and
gaining support for the project in two administrations. The award is richly deserved," stated IGIC President, Jim Stout.
Because of his determination and support, State and local emergency management officials now have consistent, high-quality
map data at their fingertips for use in all phases of emergency management. Through the $7.6 million project, Roger
provided top-quality information while realizing cost savings to Indiana taxpayers of nearly $2.25 million. Congratulations, Roger!
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IndianaMap for Economic Development
Digital Maps can be a powerful tool for economic development, presenting complex information in an easily understandable
and compelling format. And now there's an opportunity for economic development professionals to learn how to use these robust tools.
IGIC has developed a digital map package, the IndianaMap. It is a set of DVDs that contain the 2005 orthophotography for
one county, simple viewing software, plus statewide data on cities and towns, demographics, agriculture, transportation, and more.
The IndianaMap package allows individuals to create relevant, specialized maps for specific clients. It also
helps counties and regional groups work together better by providing a single frame of reference. All the
information is public domain, and the included viewing software is free, which means the packages themselves
can be copied and distributed freely.
IGIC has partnered with economic development professionals around the state who have trained on the IndianaMap
package. They will be presenting what they've learned to others in economic development. These informal,
half-day sessions will provide attendees with the basics of digital mapping and using the IndianaMap.
Through support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, copies of the IndianaMap packages will be
provided to up to six participants free of charge. The sets are also available to be checked out from more
than 100 libraries around the state. To register, send your contact information (name, address, phone and email)
to info@gic.org or call 317.234.2924.
Thursday, October 12, 2006 10:00am-12:00pm
Ivy Tech
500 Industrial Drive
Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
FREE
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 1:30pm-3:00pm
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
Tippecanoe County Office
3150 Sagamore Parkway South
Lafayette, IN 47905
FREE
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Into the 21st Century
IGIC is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of our eCommerce site. Visitors will be able to sign
up for classes and seminars, purchase data and IndianaMap packages, and register for the 2007 conference.
Look for the new pages beginning September 18th.
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Hazards US Multi-Hazard Tool
Hazards US Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH), is a nationally applicable standardized methodology and software program
that estimates potential losses from earthquakes, floods, and hurricane winds. HAZUS-MH was developed by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under contract with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
Estimating losses is essential to decision-making at all levels of government, providing a basis for developing
mitigation plans and policies, emergency preparedness, and response and recovery planning.
Hazards US Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH) uses state-of-the-art GIS software to map and display hazard data and the
results of damage and economic loss estimates for buildings and infrastructure. It also allows users to
estimate the impacts of earthquakes, floods, and hurricane winds on populations.
The latest release, HAZUS-MH MR2, is an updated version of HAZUS-MH that incorporates many new features
which improve both the speed and functionality of the models.
Potential loss estimates analyzed in HAZUS-MH include:
- Physical damage to residential and commercial buildings, schools, critical facilities, and infrastructure
- Economic loss, including lost jobs, business interruptions, repair and reconstruction costs
- Social impacts, including estimates of shelter requirements, displaced households, and population exposed to
scenario floods, earthquakes and hurricanes.
Federal, State and local government agencies and the private sector can now
order HAZUS-MH free-of-charge from the
FEMA Distribution Center. Visit the
FEMA website for information on obtaining a copy.
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Explaining the Potential
ESRI has released 12 videos showing how GIS technology can help in everything from fighting wildfires to planning for a
possible avian flu pandemic. The CD is available free from ESRI to GIS Day event organizers. The 4- to 8-minute
videos on the "GIS Day Video Kiosk" CD will help presenters explain the important roles of GIS in analyzing and
mapping data in fields such as public safety, firefighting, health care, and retail marketing.
Using slides or video of maps or GIS users at work, narrated segments show, for example, how:
- Scientists and other researchers use GIS to map outbreaks of avian flu in birds and humans and mark flyways to decide where
to set up sites to monitor for infected birds.
- Fire agencies use the technology to map wildfires and show where the blazes may potentially spread.
- Law enforcement officers use GIS to map and analyze crime patterns, helping to decide, for instance, where to increase patrols.
For more information about ordering a CD, visit
www.esri.com or contact GIS Day
coordinator Maria Jordan at mjordan@esri.com.
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Fall Conference Season
SAVI User Conference
September 22, 2006
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis
www.savi.org
SAVI is a community information system that provides a web-based interface to access, map, and analyze a wealth of
information on demographics, health, education, economy, welfare, community assets, and more. The free SAVI Users
Conference provides an opportunity for users to:
- Learn about new tools in SAVI
- Discover how other users have harnessed the power of SAVI through new approaches
- Participate in discussions about how SAVI can help your organization better understand its community
This will be a very INTERACTIVE conference with opportunities for everyone to learn more about SAVI! Choose from several
interactive and hands-on breakout sessions throughout the day and learn how SAVI can help you. Visit www.savi.org for more information.
Communities at the Crossroads IX
Balancing Land Use for a Prosperous State
October 31, 2006
Indiana Government Center South
402 W. Washington St., First Floor
Downtown Indianapolis
www.indianaplanning.org
The Indiana Land Use Consortium is pleased to present its ninth conference. Communities at the Crossroads IX:
Balancing Land Use for a Prosperous State is focused on the connections between land use, economic development, and
quality of life for Indiana and its neighboring states. This year, the program includes four plenary sessions. The two
morning sessions are focused on land use activities at a state level. The session following lunch will provide
several perspectives on out-of-the-box development options, and the closing session will provide a call to action
for Indiana's local communities.
2006 Association of Indiana Counties
"Red, White and Blue - Americana"
September 18-21, 2006
South Bend
www.indianacounties.org
2006 Indiana Association of Cities and Towns
September 24-27, 2006
The Westin and Indiana Convention Center
Downtown Indianapolis
www.citiesandtowns.org
Join the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns for the 2006 IACT Annual Conference & Exhibition in
Indianapolis. This year's conference theme is Playing to Win, which is what municipal officials in
Indiana are doing for their communities. By keeping up to date on the latest legislation, trends and
technology officials can lead their community to victory.
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Water Quality Atlas
Local watershed groups need current, comprehensive information to evaluate water quality in their areas.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management proposed and funded a project to give these groups tools
and data to help them combat nonpoint source pollution. The Indiana Water Quality Atlas provides a mechanism
to acquire data and analysis tools that are easy to both locate and use.
The Water Quality Atlas website includes maps, water quality data, query and charting tools, and download
capabilities. It also allows users to save their workspace, essential for groups with limited storage space.
An educational component was added to help familiarize users about how watersheds work.
Several data layers are streamed in from other sites, like the Indiana Geological Survey. Data is maintained
by the originators or "librarians" so all users will have access to the most current versions of the data. Users'
data can also be added to the application so locally driven monitoring activities can accompany the available data for better results.
To find the Atlas, go to
www.in.gov/idem/publications/maps/iwqa.html.
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Free Seminars
Addressing Do's and Don'ts - REPEAT PERFORMANCE
Tuesday, September 12th,1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, Room 401, Indianapolis
Addresses are vital to nearly everyone in Indiana - government, private sector and
public alike. But finding and knowing which ones are "correct" can pose a problem.
Find out what's going on in the effort to create a statewide address database, where you
can go in the meantime, and how to use the data intelligently once you get it. Speakers will include
Larry Stout of Hamilton County, Brooke Gajownik of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and
Jill Saligoe-Simmel of IGIC.
IndianaMap for Economic Development
IGIC has partnered with economic development professionals around the state who have
trained on the IndianaMap package. They will be presenting what they've learned: the basics of
digital mapping and how to use the IndianaMap.
Through support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, copies of the IndianaMap
packages - orthophotography for one county, free viewing software, and 70 additional statewide data
layers - will be provided to up to 6 participants free of charge. Other attendees may purchase the
packages for $30, or check one out from their local library.
To register, send your contact information (name, address, phone and email) to info@igic.org, or call 317.234.2924,
or visit www.igic.org after September 18th.
Thursday, October 12, 2006 10:00am-12:00pm
Ivy Tech
500 Industrial Drive
Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
FREE
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 1:30pm-3:00pm
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
Tippecanoe County Office
3150 Sagamore Parkway South
Lafayette, IN 47905
FREE
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Happy Trails
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) administers approximately one million dollars annually
in federal Recreation Trails Program funds. Those funds are redirected as grants to Federal, State, and local
government, and nonprofits for trail acquisition and development. Annually, requests for these grants exceeds
the amount of available funds. Using Federal Highway Administration guidelines, Indiana's Statewide
Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, and Indiana's state trails plan, IDNR developed rating criteria
designed to distribute funds to those trail projects best meeting the needs of Indiana citizens. Two of
those criteria are directly related to the geographic location of the proposed trail projects: 1) projects
that develop trails close to home, and 2) projects in counties with fewer existing trails per capita.
Using geographic and Census data, IDNR is able to quickly and accurately calculate the population within 5
miles of each proposed trail. Projects receive points in proportion to that population sum. IDNR is also
able to calculate and display in a map the miles of inventoried trails in each county in proportion to that
county's population. Proposed trail projects receive points in inverse proportion to how well the county's trail needs are being met.
Using GIS, IDNR is able to fairly and consistently evaluate proposed trail projects. Using rating criteria
based upon the location of proposed trails and the surrounding population enables the department to ensure
that funds are distributed to build trails close to where people live, and in counties that have fewer existing trails.
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