Notes from Forest Service/BLM Joint GIS Coordinators Meeting

October 18-19, 2000


World Construction Set: Jeff Nighbert from the BLM has started a World Construction Set users group. World Construction Set is a visualization program that allows you to do animation, 3D views of GIS data, create pictures, etc. Jeff researched the visualization software options and chose this software package. Jeff would be willing to come to the lab and talk about why he selected this package and his experience so far. You can go to to preview this software. You do need a pretty good computer to run this: recommends 384 megs RAM, 600 mh processor, Open GL Video Card, and at least a GIG of swap space.


The BLM has a new regional ownership layer for Oregon and Washington and a 1:24k Roads layer. I will try and get them and put them in /data/fordata


BLM is working on developing a layer for Sage Grouse Habitat.


There was a lengthy discussion on lessons learned from the 2000 fire season. There is a new website for fire called GEOMAC which is an ArcIMS product. It’s hosted by the USGS and is for wildfire suppression support. The website is

You can track wildfires around the country from this site.



Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is developing 1:24k fish distribution data for Oregon (includes anodromous and resident salmon excluding cutthroat trout). They will begin in NE Oregon and will be updating the 1:100k data they currently have. They will not change 1:100k information unless they have proof of the change. They are looking for input on the priority areas after they do NE Oregon.


They need help in the following areas:

  1. getting the 1:24 k hydrography layer completed

  2. providing existing data and metadata

  3. specialists available for questions

  4. looking for sources to print hard copy maps

  5. looking for assistance with on-the-fly technology (updating on screen) with dynamic segmentation

  6. migrating point data to event tables

  7. spreading the news about the update


Their web site is look for the 1:24 fish distribution link on the side bar. They are planning a one day workshop on November 29th, all day, place to be announce. Check the website for more information. Target completion day is fall of 2002.




5th and 6th level Watersheds:

Look at the web site for information on the update process for these watershed boundaries. They have a status map and will have a clearinghouse that will manage updates in the future.


Hydrography Framework:

There was a large amount of time spent on discussing the Hydrography framework effort. There was a demonstration of the hydrography clearinghouse, and what different agencies were doing and were going with hydrography. The clearinghouse will be housed at the Regional Ecosystem Office in Portland.


ESRI Update:

John Steffenson talked about the new technologies, ArcIMS and ArcGIS being the two big efforts. He explained how things fit together and said that ESRI would still support ArcView 3.2 and that there wasn’t going to be an avenue converter (convert avenue over to Visual Basic). He said basically to try out Arc 8 if you can get it. Nothing really new here.


Forest Service GIS Coordinators Meeting Notes:


We received an overview of the NRIS project (National Resources Information System).

This system involves national applications for ecosystem management. I was not sure how research fit into this project or if there was any relationship. I did find out that Keith Reynolds was working with the group on decision support. You can go to their web page for more information.


Remote Sensing: Forest Service has released Imagine 8.4 for their machines. It does not include the ability to read Mr. Sid images (was removed from the software for FS release). There are several projects going on including mapping of several forests in the region, the interagency veg mapping project, and a fires/fuels mapping project for the region. The RO has a lot of imagery. I asked for an inventory of what they have and will pass that information on when I get it.


Fire Money. There is a ton of money going toward fire projects because of the last fire season. Somewhere around 1.6 billion dollars. $32,000,000 for applied research. Looks like over 8,000 new jobs in the forest service.


IBM Contract: The regional office handed out the GIS Road Map as of October 2000 which shows that ArcView Extensions will be added to the contract (you don’t have to pay for these on FS IBM machines: Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, and Network Analyst).

ArcInfo 8.01 is in testing and should arrive First Quarter 2001 (although there was discussion to go directly to 8.02) and same schedule for ARC/INFO 8.1 (although it hasn’t been released yet, so not sure how their schedule will run). ArcIMS is also scheduled for First Quarter 2001 as is SDE. I have a copy of the schedule if anyone is interested. Also Round 18 is supposed to have IBM machines on contract that contain Windows 2000 and ARC 8.1. It is supposed to have an option for higher end machines that could support GIS work. No one knew what that looked like.