maryland Archives - Maryland State Geographic Information Committee

Next Steps on Next Generation 9-1-1

October 5, 2016

In some systems we accept faults, but when it comes to safety we expect perfection. In Baltimore last month, officials met to discuss how our emergency 9-1-1 system could be upgraded along side our rapidly growing technology, in the pursuit of that ideal. Part of this includes using GIS to accurately locate a caller in need. Here is an article reporting on Maryland’s round table discussion about Next Generation 9-1-1, which took place in September. ____________________________________________ County Emergency Managers, Public Safety…

GIS Blunts Winter’s Threat in Maryland – County Tracks Snow Operations in Real Time

July 20, 2016

MSGIC Blog

Data, News

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If you’ve been following weather forecasts, this August is gearing up to be one of the warmest on record in Maryland. Though you may have some sunburn from your summer activities, (sunscreen is an everyday essential at this point) it’s best to appreciate summer before it’s gone. I for one would take beach traffic on my commute over dangerous icy roads any day. To remind you of cooler thoughts, here is an article about GIS being used to dispatch snow…

The Grave-Site Map – A Presentation at The Robbins Heritage Center

June 16, 2016

Alison Banks

Events, News

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Given a map of your area, could you indicate where the historical family plots, churchyards, and cemeteries reside? MSGIC’s very own Ashley Samonisky could, with her comprehensive map of grave-sites in Dorchester County. After over six months of data collection in the field, she presented her findings at the Robbins Heritage Center in Cambridge this week. The project began when she was inspired by her grandmother to research her own family history. Starting with local records, and using a combination of…

Esri Receives Champions of the Chesapeake Award

February 8, 2016

MSGIC Blog

Events, News

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Chesapeake Conservancy Honors Esri for Providing GIS Software and Support Benefiting Restoration and Conservation of the Chesapeake Bay Annapolis, Md. – Last night, the Chesapeake Conservancy presented Esri with a Champions of the Chesapeake Award at the second annual Champions of the Chesapeake Awards and dinner celebration. “The Chesapeake Conservancy is pleased to honor our partner Esri; for their innovative GIS software and staff support that helps propel the Conservancy’s work in GIS mapping and precision conservation to the forefront…

Easy-to-Open: Launching an Esri Open Data Site

August 31, 2015

Marc Weinshenker

Data, News

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At the 2015 Esri UC I put the Open Data application on my agenda to attend technical sessions and ask questions of Esri staff. I learned a lot, I learned what I needed, and I came home inspired to plan out and fire up new services and a new Open Data site. Within a short matter of days I had everything I wanted in place and was able to retire a burdensome and feature-bare GIS download page on the City…

Update on various lidar projects around Maryland

April 28, 2015

Roger Barlow

Data, News

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I wanted to keep everyone posted on the most recent updates on the lidar collection in Maryland. I have seen the projected delivery schedule for the NCR QL2 Sandy lidar which includes: DC, most of Fairfax, Arlington County, Alexandria VA, PG, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. The contractor has completed the Pilot Data phase and USGS QA has approved that phase. This includes Fundamental Vertical Accuracy reporting of unclassified .las points, and 5 sq mile of sample classified points in…

Thoughts On TUGIS 2015

March 23, 2015

Bill Dollins

Events, News

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I spent yesterday at TUGIS, Maryland’s GIS conference. It is an annual, one-day event, held at Towson University. As such, it is a bit of a sprint, especially when bracketed on either end by a double-beltway commute. The day started with the plenary which included a brief talk by Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, who reaffirmed the new administration’s commitment to the importance of data and metrics in decision-making. Julia Fischer, the current MSGIC Chair, also gave an update…

Updates from Maryland’s Open Data Council

November 24, 2014

Elliott Plack

Data, News

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The second meeting of the Maryland Open Data Council was held Friday, October 3rd at the Governor’s Reception Room at Maryland’s State House in Annapolis. Topics ranged from whether it is still acceptable for local governments and municipalities to charge a fee for GIS data, streamlining state Public Information Act requests, to a lengthy discussion on Montgomery County’s Open Data portal. Background “It is the policy of the state that open data be machine readable and released to the public…

I Applied for My GISP and You Should Too!

October 10, 2014

Ryan Mello

Getting to Know, News

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There are two types of GIS people in the world, those who have their GISP’s and those who don’t. (Technically a third group exists for those in the process of applying, but let’s include them in the latter.) Gaining your GISP certification is an invaluable way to advertise your talents and can set you ahead in the competitive GIS field . Surveys have shown that those with GISP’s have been able to gain promotions, raises, and better jobs because of this certification. A GISP…

State Planning Department Offers Property Maps through Open Data Initiative

August 22, 2014

Julia Fischer

Data, Events, News

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Digital property maps and parcel information now free For the first time since offering digital maps depicting property maps and parcel data 19 years ago, the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) today launched a free set of digital map data for Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City under the state’s open data initiative. People interested in probing the wealth of MDP’s parcel geographic information systems (GIS) data can now download the files at no cost. To make data sought after…