GIS Called Key to California's Future

To successfully integrate comprehensive GIS solutions across state agencies, an enterprise GIS strategy, coupled with strong executive leadership, was deemed California's best hope for dismantling state IT silos and facilitating cross-agency data sharing at the Conference on California's Future. Also vital to the mission is getting the public to better understand the role GIS can play in the state's success. READ MORE

California Appoints Geospatial Information Officer

California now has a Geospatial Information Officer, GIO. The CA GIO is responsible for ensuring that the state receives the benefits associated with geospatial data, specifically, increased data access and sharing; reduced duplication and costs; development of technology standards; centers of expertise; public outreach and increased collaboration in state and local governments. READ MORE

Geospatial Coordination Web Site Launched by California Natural Resources Agency

The Cal-Atlas site facilitates the coordinated and sustainable development, maintenance, licensing and sharing of geospatial data and web map services by California government agencies, partners and stakeholders. California government agencies work with the California GIS Council, regional GIS collaboratives and the broader California GIS community to define the data architecture, systems, standards, agreements and processes for a fully integrated and effective California Spatial Data Infrastructure. GO THERE

The new Web site will centralize a variety of data and information. Cal-Atlas provides a number of important Web accessible services. These include:

* A catalog for use by organizations to categorize and share information about their geospatial information resources (e.g., maps and geospatial data, Web services and applications)
* A library from which interested parties may obtain Geographic Information System (GIS) data and where agencies can place their data to share with others
* Tools to make it easy to find GIS data and services
* A "gallery" of maps and mapping sites contributed by Cal-Atlas users
* A portal to help organizations work together on GIS data and share the costs of acquiring imagery and other kinds of geospatial data.