GPS World

Author: Tracy Cozzens

  • LandWorks Tightens Integration with Esri in Land Management Software Upgrades

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    LandWorks Inc., a developer of innovative land management solutions, has introduced Release 5.20 of its three primary software suites — LandWorks Property Management, LandWorks GIS, and WebMaps Enterprise GIS. All three have been re-written for easier use, enhanced industry-specific functionality, and tighter integration with Esri GIS solutions.

    “In Release 5.20, we rebuilt the software from the ground up with a combination of C# [Sharp] .NET and a service-oriented architecture,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “This modern architecture allows for integration of live Esri GIS maps and builds a foundation for hosting in the cloud.”

    Deployed extensively for land asset management and mapping in the oil and gas, utility, mining, pipeline, renewable energy and government sectors, the upgraded LandWorks software suites are expected to appeal to an even wider audience. In addition, their applicability within organizations will expand beyond land management to project planning, acquisition and development.

    The flagship LandWorks Property Management (LPM) suite is a complete solution for land asset management designed for easy storage and retrieval of data relating to any type of land right. In the new LPM version 5.20, clients may open an oil and gas lease or right-of-way agreement and instantly access a live GIS map displaying the relevant polygons. Direct integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Server gives the client full web-based GIS functionality from within the LPM interface and the ability to update the live map with new information on the fly.

    “LPM is the only land asset management software with embedded live access to Esri GIS maps,” Bramwell said.

    The LandWorks suites, used worldwide, also have been internationalized to support the language, date, currency and measurement formats preferred by individual end users based on their locations. A large mining company with operations in multiple countries, for example, may deploy the LandWorks suites across its enterprise. End users in Portugal, Spain and Canada are able to view the same information presented in Portuguese, Spanish or English.

    In addition to a more intuitive interface with a modern look and feel, LandWorks has added new functionality to the software products designed for greater ease-of-use in specific industries. The ability to make land royalty payments for mining and wind energy operations has been expanded. LPM and LandWorks GIS have been enhanced to better manage and present linear-based land rights.

    “The enhancement of our products to better manage land rights associated with linear assets will make the LandWorks suites more attractive to transportation and telecommunications industries,” said Bramwell.

    LandWorks has built new modules to the LPM suite to extend its usability across the entire land management workflow. LPM now manages land-related projects of any type or size including acquisition, surveying and encroachment investigation.

    The three LandWorks suites comprise a total of 18 individually licensed software products, many of which can function alone or interface with LPM. LandWorks GIS integrates the Esri GIS functionality into LPM. WebMaps Enterprise GIS Suite extends web-based mapping via ArcGIS Server across the enterprise to all departments, not just the land department.

    “All LandWorks software products currently reside behind the client’s firewall, however, we will soon offer hosting in the cloud as an additional licensing optional for our clients,” said Bramwell.

  • Google Maps Takes Street View Camera through Amazon

    The Street View Trekker on a zipline in the Amazon Rainforest.
    The Street View Trekker on a zipline in the Amazon Rainforest.

    New imagery of the highest canopy in the Amazon rainforest is now available on Google Maps. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, with many species high in the canopies of the forest still undiscovered.

    “Starting today, with the help of our partners at the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), you can begin to unlock some of the wonders of the forest, by traveling from the upper canopy to the forest floor with Google Maps’ first zipline Street View collection,” wrote Karin Tuxen-Bettman, program manager, Google Earth Outreach on a March 1 blog.

    The project is part of Google’s partnership with FAS, who three years ago invited Google Maps to the Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve. “Their hope is that sharing the imagery of their local communities, rain forests and rivers with the world will raise awareness and support for their efforts to conserve these areas,” Tuxen-Bettman writes.

    The imagery was collected through Google Map’s Trekker Loan Program, which loans out the Street View camera and technology to tourism boards, non-profits, universities, and research organizations to help collect imagery of remote places.

    The Amazon map imagery was gathered through boat travels on 500 kilometers of rivers, hiking on 20 kilometers of forest trails and ziplining through forest canopies.

    “We hope it inspires you to embark on your own virtual expedition of the Amazon (you can leave the bug repellent at home!),” Tuxen-Bettman writes.

    The map on this page  shows where Google Maps has yet to collect Street View imagery.

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  • Harris Offers Geiger-Mode Lidar Sensor

    Harris Corporation has developed a commercially available Geiger-mode lidar sensor. The Harris IntelliEarth Geospatial Solutions Geiger-Mode LiDAR sensor will provide customers with the ability to collect high-quality, wide-area elevation data faster and more affordably than before, Harris said.

    Additionally, the company’s fully automated, high-volume production capabilities allow for rapid processing of large amounts of raw sensor data and automates quality control. Thousands of square kilometers of data can be processed in a few hours.

    Harris is applying technology and processing methods it has perfected over the past 15 years in support of the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver superior, LiDAR-based data and derived products to commercial users at cost-effective prices, the company said.

    With 10 times the collection speed and resolution of today’s best traditional lidar sensors, the Geiger-Mode lidar sensor makes wide area collections affordable for the first time.

  • Report: Esri Has 43 Percent Share of GIS Market

    ARC Advisory Group reports that Esri has a 43 percent share in the geographic information system (GIS) market, compared to an 11 percent share from the second-largest supplier. ARC Advisory Group published its findings in an October market study and forecast through 2018.

    “Esri is, without a doubt, the dominant player in the GIS market,” the Geographic Information System Global Market Research Study authors stated.

    The Esri business model relies on a constantly improving core GIS, on which more than 2,000 partners develop Esri industry-specific solutions, Esri said. In electricity transportation and distribution, Esri’s partner-driven solution model, which combines Esri and Schneider Electric software, amounts to a total market share of 29 percent.

    “Our success in the utility sector stems from Esri’s platform technology, which makes it easy for companies to share, communicate, and collaborate on location information throughout their businesses,” Esri utilities solutions manager Bill Meehan said. “Partner solutions, such as those Schneider Electric provide, add additional capability to an already powerful platform.”

    Esri’s core GIS is used by more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, helping businesses add a location strategy to operations, Esri said. Esri’s ArcGIS platform has grown during the past 45 years to include cloud, mobile, server, dashboard, and firewall components in addition to desktop applications.

    Partner products target utility-specific issues (such as regulatory compliance or critical-infrastructure management). Partners include Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Dell, HP, Citrix, and Lenovo.

    Esri — with its partners — plays a leading role in more than 10 industries: electric power transmission and distribution (with partner Schneider Electric), engineering and business services, government, public health and safety, health care, natural resources, oil and gas refining, retail, telecommunications, transportation and logistics, and water/wastewater.

    Esri is privately held by founders Jack and Laura Dangermond. ARC Advisory Group is a separately owned and operated business and is not affiliated with Esri.

  • Air Pollution Monitoring Rocket Set for Second Launch Attempt

    air_pollution_rocket_blueskyScientists at the University of Leicester will make a second attempt to launch a rocket equipped with air pollution monitoring equipment on June 11 at the university’s Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire. The first launch attempt on Feb. 4 failed, according to airqualitynews.com.

    As part of a wider air pollution mapping project supported by Bluesky, an aerial survey company, a pollution monitoring system was developed by scientists at the University of Leicester to record how dangerous gases such as nitrogen dioxide dissipate with vertical distance from the earth. The micro sensors will be integrated with other technologies and launched into the atmosphere using Starchaser Industries‘ Tempest Research Rocket. The launch follows previous work mapping air pollution across entire cities from planes, cars and ground sensors.

    “We have already had great success mapping air pollution from an aerial survey plane giving us a better understanding of how dangerous gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, operate in the vertical plane,” says James Eddy, Bluesky’s technical director and industrial associate at the University of Leicester. “However, we hope this launch will take air pollution monitoring to another level.”

    The Tempest is a 14-foot-tall rocket that can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and will hit an altitude of 3,000 feet on its flight before being safely recovered via parachute. In addition to the air pollution monitoring sensors, Tempest will also be carrying vital electronic systems that will be used aboard Starchaser’s future Space Tourism Rockets, an experimental GPS package with video cameras.

    “Air Quality continues to be a critical issue in our urbanising society, requiring us to explore novel solutions for monitoring, management and damage mitigation. We are grateful to Starchaser Industries for the opportunity to test our novel air quality monitoring techniques as part of this spectacular launch event,” says Dr. Roland Leigh, academic supervisor at the University of Leicester. “This project builds on work to date of Starchaser Industries, key academic expertise in instrument design and data manipulation, and once again benefits from a strong industrial partnership with Bluesky.”

    The latest phase of the Bluesky supported air pollution monitoring project will add to results already obtained from trials of the University of Leicester’s Compact Air Quality Spectrometer. Originally mounted on a dedicated aerial survey aircraft, the device monitors visible light and measures how much light is lost at specific wavelengths absorbed by nitrogen dioxide. The technology has previously been used as part the CityScan project with devices mounted on tall buildings in Leicester, Bologna and London during the Olympics to build 3D maps of pollution across the cities, according to the company.

  • ASPRS Releases New Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data

    The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) has released new Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data. The PDF is available here.

    The new ASPRS accuracy standards fill a critical need for map users and map makers alike. For centuries, map scale and contour interval have been used as an indication of map accuracy. Users want to know how accurately they can measure different things on a map, and map makers want to know how accurate maps need to be in order to satisfy user requirements. Those contracting for new maps depend on some form of map accuracy standard to evaluate the tradeoff between the accuracy required vs. how much time and expense are justified in achieving it, and then to describe the accuracy of the result in a uniform way that is reliable, defensible, and repeatable, ASPRS explains in a statement.

    The new ASPRS standards address recent innovations in digital imaging and non-imaging sensors, airborne GPS, inertial measurement units (IMU) and aerial triangulation (AT) technologies. Unlike prior standards, the new standards are independent of scale and contour interval, they address higher levels of accuracies achievable by the latest technologies (such as unmanned aerial systems and LiDAR mobile mapping systems), and they provide enough flexibility to be applicable to future technologies as they are developed. Finally, the new standards provide cross references to older standards, as well as detailed guidance for a wide range of potential applications.

    No prior U.S. accuracy standard comprehensively addresses the current state of mapping technology, which is why the new ASPRS standards were developed. The National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS), developed in 1947, are still used because they are simple, but there is no scientific correlation between those standards and current mapping methodologies.

    The ASPRS 1990 Standards were an improvement over NMAS; however, they did not do well in representing the capabilities of LiDAR, orthoimagery, digital mapping cameras or other current technologies in wide-spread use today.

    The National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) is a reporting standard that references the old ASPRS 1990 standards and is cross-referenced in the new ASPRS standards.  NSSDA provides no accuracy thresholds and does not by itself provide any new or updated guidance on how to select or specify an appropriate accuracy for intended applications.

    The new ASPRS standards were developed by the ASPRS Map Accuracy Standards Working Group, a joint committee under the Photogrammetric Applications Division, Primary Data Acquisition Division and LiDAR Division, which was formed for the purpose of reviewing and updating ASPRS map accuracy standards to reflect current technologies. A subcommittee of this group, consisting of Qassim Abdullah, David Maune, Doug Smith, and Hans Karl Heidemann, was responsible for drafting the document.

    Draft versions of the standard underwent extensive review, both within ASPRS as well as through public review by other key geospatial mapping organizations, prior to final approval by the ASPRS Board of Directors on November 17, 2014.

  • Agency9 Brings WebGL Streaming of 3D Cities to iOS and Android

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    Agency9, a provider of online 3D visualization, is extending its 3DMaps WebGL support to iOS and Android devices. Large, highly detailed 3D city models can now be streamed to web browsers on both tablets and smartphones with both high performance and visual quality, the company said.

    Mobile support substantially improves reach in GIS and planning applications, Agency9 said. Using WebGL and HTML5 improves usability with plugin-free viewing of 3D directly in a web browser, eliminating the need to download and install dedicated apps.

    Most WebGL 3D solutions on the market are pure “model viewers,” limited to show a CAD model and its closest surroundings or simple untextured LOD 1,2 models. Agency9 3DMaps is capable of smoothly visualizing large scale terrain and detailed textured building models on a national or global basis. For example, huge photorealistic 3D models created with tools such as Smart3DCapture by Acute3D, recently acquired by Bentley Systems, can now be published online using WebGL without limitation in size or resolution, the company said.

    Agency9 3DMaps supports common 3D scenery in common GIS formats (including ArcGIS and CityGML) and is also validated with output from tools as Smart3DCapture, PhotoScan from AgiSoft, and StreetFactory from Airbus Defence and Space, as well as LiDAR/imagery tools from TerraSolid.

    Agency9-1

    The Agency9 3DMaps developer platform enables the customization of portals as well as integration into existing applications to leverage ubiquitous support for streaming large 3D data to users across all formats including tablet, mobile, Windows and MacOS.

    Rendering substantial 3D data sets in the browser using 3DMaps with advanced gaming effects such as ambient occlusion, real time sun and shadows, and god rays ensures the finest realism and user experience, the company said. 3DMaps also supports integration of spatial data and databases for intelligent models and visualisation of statistics. Visit the 3DMaps developer portal at http://developer.agency9.com.

    Mobile support will also be available in Agency9 CityPlanner, the cloud service for creating and sharing 3D project information and citizen dialogues in urban development. Smart Cities can more easily reach citizens and stakeholders on the web with interactive visualisation of projects in 3D. An example of a large project model created in ESRI CityEngine and visualized in the huge photorealistic 3D scene above.

    Photos: Agency9

  • UN, DigitalGlobe Sign Agreement on Satellite Imagery, Geospatial Solutions

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    Screenshot from DigitalGlobe.

    DigitalGlobe, a global provider of high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial solutions, has signed of a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations.

    Under the agreement, DigitalGlobe and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) will take stock of their combined expertise in the use of earth observation technologies for economic, social, and scientific development and improved decision-making, particularly in developing countries.

    UNOOSA and DigitalGlobe will work to develop an online platform to provide easy access to imagery catalogues as well as data and analytical services specifically tailored for the needs of the United Nations. Under the agreement, DigitalGlobe will provide advisory services on remote-sensing imagery and geospatial analytics, working with UNOOSA to advance and accelerate adoption of geospatial and satellite imagery-based analytics across the entire United Nations System.

    The cooperation will also extend to DigitalGlobe’s participation in relevant UNOOSA-supported events and activities, including those of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) and of the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG).

    “Cooperation and collaboration in the area of geospatial information and analytics will improve how the United Nations, including its member states and its system of organizations, can address global economic, environmental, geopolitical, and societal issues,” said Simonetta Di Pippo, director of UNOOSA.

    “DigitalGlobe is thrilled to partner with UNOOSA, the United Nations body that promotes international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space,” said Jeffrey R. Tarr, DigitalGlobe president and CEO. “The arrangement provides an ideal platform to explore how high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial analytics can be more efficiently and effectively shared across the entire United Nations System, thus propelling us toward our purpose of ‘Seeing a Better World.”

    Watch a video of the Seeing a Better World project.

  • CoreLogic: Wildfires Pose Big Risk to 900,000 Western U.S. Homes

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    Data Reveals Homes Most at Risk in California, Colorado and Texas

    According to new data released today by CoreLogic, nearly 900,000 single-family homes across 13 states in the western U.S. are currently designated at “High” or “Very High” risk for wildfire damage, representing a combined total reconstruction value estimated at more than $237 billion. Of the total homes identified, just over 192,000 homes fall into the “Very High Risk” category alone, with total reconstruction cost valued at more than $49.6 billion.

    The CoreLogic Wildfire Risk analysis designates risk levels as “Very High,” “High,” “Moderate” and “Low.”

    Two additional categories, “Urban” and “Agriculture” indicate homes at even lower risk. Homes designated as “Urban” are located in areas with a dense concentration of buildings and infrastructure to such an extent that little natural vegetation exists to support a wildfire. Homes designated as “Agriculture” are located in areas comprised of row crops, orchards/vineyards or other specific land use that is typically irrigated. Even if it is not irrigated, the crops are nourished and healthy with no ground litter present, and therefore, the vegetation is unlikely to support or enhance a wildfire.

    The analysis also assigns a numeric risk score to each property, ranging from 1 to 100. This separate score indicates the level of susceptibility to wildfire, as well as the risk associated with the property being located in close proximity to another high-risk property or area. The score designation is important since wildfire can easily expand to adjacent properties and cause significant damage even if that property was not originally considered high risk.

    When expanding the analysis to include the numeric score, more than 1.1 million homes fall under the highest Wildfire Risk Score segment (81-100), representing a combined potential reconstruction value of more than $268.5 billion.

     

    Total U.S. Properties at Risk and Reconstruction Values by Risk Category

    Wildfire Risk Level Total Properties Reconstruction Cost
    Very High 192,242 $49,608,484,867
    High 704,860 $187,661,388,760
    Moderate 1,351,313 $292,811,373,342
    Low 1,378,104 $334,120,053,463
    Agriculture 993,580 $244,167,729,666
    Urban 23,778,799 $6,094,873,170,789
    Total: 28,398,898 $7,203,242,200,887

     

    Total U.S. Properties at Risk and Reconstruction Values by Numeric Risk Score

    Wildfire Risk Score (1-100) Total Properties Reconstruction Cost
    81-100 1,101,131 $268,549,008,333
    61-80 1,193,814 $338,395,410,748
    51-60 487,013 $131,081,392,801
    1-50 25,616,940 $6,465,216,389,005
    Total: 28,398,898 $7,203,242,200,887

    The states most commonly associated with wildfires also contain the most properties at risk — California, Colorado and Texas have the largest number of residential properties categorized as “Very High Risk,” with a combined reconstruction value exceeding $36 billion. Including homes located in the “High Risk” category, the reconstruction value is more than $188 billion for these three states. When analyzed by risk score, 816,515 homes with reconstruction costs valued at more than $206.5 billion fall into the highest risk segment of 81-100.

    Limiting the evaluation to property-level risk strictly in the “Very High” category, California tops the list of states analyzed with a total of 50,905 homes falling into that group. Comparatively, when assigning the Wildfire Risk Score, Texas takes the top spot with 451,848 homes scoring in the 81-100 highest-risk range.

     

    Total Properties at Risk by State and Risk Category

    State Low Moderate High Very High Agriculture Urban Total
    AZ 43,273 4,443 8,488 8,089 5,332 1,910,771 1,980,396
    CA 221,104 169,468 255,023 50,905 146,013 8,208,625 9,051,138
    CO 70,935 38,628 50,009 49,667 66,876 1,482,352 1,758,467
    ID 37,352 22,968 15,197 11,078 86,542 384,018 557,155
    MT 60,588 18,903 9,601 10,218 22,516 194,927 316,753
    NV 17,845 20,520 8,653 281 3,166 816,975 867,440
    NM 55,969 19,554 25,766 9,481 16,200 483,282 610,252
    OK 165,009 88,642 187 0 33,225 968,210 1,255,273
    OR 37,137 41,160 51,872 13,788 157,749 938,664 1,240,370
    TX 332,766 829,457 261,855 35,016 175,691 5,960,221 7,595,006
    UT 11,185 13,590 3,441 68 31,825 681,016 741,125
    WA 308,066 72,069 12,509 1,997 219,334 1,625,394 2,239,369
    WY 16,875 11,911 2,259 1,654 29,111 124,344 186,154
    Total 1,378,104 1,351,313 704,860 192,242 993,580 23,778,799 28,398,898

     

    Reconstruction Values by State and Risk Category

    State Low Moderate High Very High Agriculture Urban Total
    AZ $9,641,256,308 $976,410,271 $1,758,550,435 $1,572,563,175 $1,143,819,360 $366,495,664,312 $381,588,263,861
    CA $75,842,726,208 $61,916,244,431 $89,354,295,530 $16,103,052,587 $49,993,071,641 $2,787,437,974,226 $3,080,650,364,623
    CO $18,625,174,701 $11,531,765,722 $14,580,510,822 $13,914,663,160 $17,325,198,320 $341,298,432,193 $417,275,744,918
    ID $9,201,487,848 $5,563,694,301 $3,712,505,829 $2,620,564,770 $19,821,299,748 $81,602,075,191 $122,521,627,687
    MT $14,629,451,956 $4,430,244,606 $2,287,179,138 $2,395,322,719 $5,408,564,612 $40,511,274,596 $69,662,037,627
    NV $4,236,711,357 $5,193,363,455 $4,565,346,511 $164,097,900 $804,282,891 $209,146,367,671 $224,110,169,785
    NM $11,654,726,259 $4,622,802,292 $7,067,786,311 $2,461,741,365 $3,238,850,020 $98,567,625,878 $127,613,532,125
    OK $31,924,967,489 $16,773,531,745 $32,840,233 $0 $6,781,088,763 $175,933,722,480 $231,446,150,710
    OR $8,237,043,811 $9,489,672,570 $11,913,602,274 $3,198,334,352 $37,257,178,708 $213,002,484,645 $283,095,316,360
    TX $59,531,714,789 $147,682,544,644 $48,259,080,738 $6,333,237,927 $32,857,921,476 $1,201,265,765,342 $1,495,930,264,916
    UT $2,849,584,240 $3,928,155,203 $768,151,716 $14,155,093 $8,343,607,261 $157,244,129,873 $173,147,783,386
    WA $84,067,607,674 $18,078,389,368 $2,876,053,207 $505,435,568 $54,701,823,116 $397,645,668,540 $557,874,977,473
    WY $3,677,600,823 $2,624,554,734 $485,486,016 $325,316,251 $6,491,023,750 $24,721,985,842 $38,325,967,416
    Total $334,120,053,463 $292,811,373,342 $187,661,388,760 $49,608,484,867 $244,167,729,666 $6,094,873,170,789 $7,203,242,200,887

     

    Total Properties at Risk by State and Numerical Risk Score

    State 1-50 51-60 61-80 81-100 Total
    AZ 1,919,351 14,308 27,159 19,578 1,980,396
    CA 8,286,708 133,654 367,457 263,319 9,051,138
    CO 1,454,787 52,823 122,509 128,348 1,758,467
    ID 476,310 9,554 27,868 43,423 557,155
    MT 243,990 13,114 27,301 32,348 316,753
    NV 848,682 2,337 9,184 7,237 867,440
    NM 523,755 14,487 32,139 39,871 610,252
    OK 1,250,888 1,431 2,219 735 1,255,273
    OR 1,091,300 22,616 46,655 79,799 1,240,370
    TX 6,458,363 197,548 487,247 451,848 7,595,006
    UT 693,256 14,713 24,311 8,845 741,125
    WA 2,192,567 8,662 17,001 21,139 2,239,369
    WY 176,983 1,766 2,764 4,641 186,154
    Total 25,616,940 487,013 1,193,814 1,101,131 28,398,898

     

    Reconstruction Values by State and Numerical Risk Score

    State 1-50 51-60 61-80 81-100 Total
    AZ $369,191,090,202 $2,781,562,044 $5,612,822,008 $4,002,789,607 $381,588,263,861
    CA $2,785,871,424,591 $53,258,974,686 $153,067,995,013 $88,448,970,333 $3,080,647,364,623
    CO $333,552,521,110 $13,769,558,737 $33,846,313,158 $36,107,351,913 $417,275,744,918
    ID $102,894,072,845 $2,426,687,082 $6,899,872,812 $10,300,994,948 $122,521,627,687
    MT $52,685,950,526 $2,997,541,855 $6,338,603,322 $7,639,941,924 $69,662,037,627
    NV $216,436,292,731 $624,126,373 $3,860,921,144 $3,188,829,537 $224,110,169,785
    NM $105,891,175,664 $3,334,262,905 $7,919,619,903 $10,468,473,653 $127,613,532,125
    OK $230,716,181,496 $235,452,854 $370,084,424 $124,431,936 $231,446,150,710
    OR $248,596,738,298 $5,247,235,235 $11,061,921,922 $18,192,420,905 $283,098,316,360
    TX $1,276,614,038,497 $39,753,699,730 $97,535,512,589 $82,027,014,100 $1,495,930,264,916
    UT $159,359,659,455 $4,309,214,977 $7,363,299,947 $2,115,609,007 $173,147,783,386
    WA $547,066,785,312 $1,964,631,216 $3,905,374,051 $4,938,186,894 $557,874,977,473
    WY $36,340,458,278 $378,445,107 $613,070,455 $993,993,576 $38,325,967,416
    Total $6,465,216,389,005 $131,081,392,801 $338,395,410,748 $268,549,008,333 $7,203,242,200,887

     

    At the CBSA (Core Based Statistical Area) level, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo. ranks first for the most number of homes at “Very High” risk out of the 258 CBSAs analyzed. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. comes in a close second, followed by Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, Calif.

    When ranking CBSAs based on Wildfire Risk Score, Riverside-San-Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., takes the top spot for the most number of homes that fall under the highest risk segment of 81-100, followed by Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, Calif., and Austin-Round Rock, Texas.

     

    Top 10 CBSAs Ranked by Homes at Very High Risk

    CBSA Very High # Homes Home Reconstruction Value
    Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 17,860 $5,358,513,217
    Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 14,249 $4,233,998,840
    Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 9,698 $3,351,781,562
    Bend-Redmond, OR 9,128 $2,328,466,791
    Colorado Springs, CO 7,296 $2,086,189,220
    Durango, CO 6,052 $1,776,710,340
    Fort Collins, CO 4,609 $903,336,600
    Truckee-Grass Valley, CA 4,569 $1,430,020,245
    Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,219 $917,157,644
    Flagstaff, AZ 4,109 $753,176,500

     

    Top 10 CBSAs Ranked by Numerical Risk Score

    CBSA 81-100 Risk Score Home Reconstruction Value
    Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 50,605 $14,805,549,511
    Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 42,042 $15,875,023,943
    Austin-Round Rock, TX 35,807 $9,019,956,767
    Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 35,174 $10,807,628,461
    San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 31,350 $7,097,211,479
    Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 17,006 $8,654,562,030
    Chico, CA 15,103 $3,754,593,902
    Colorado Springs, CO 14,990 $4,408,080,237
    Truckee-Grass Valley, CA 14,671 $4,945,547,724
    Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 14,092 $3,063,417,604

    *Additional CBSA-level data may be available upon request.

     

    To enhance accuracy, the CoreLogic wildfire analysis has been expanded from prior annual analyses to encompass additional categories of single-family residential structures including mobile homes, duplexes, manufactured homes and cabins, among other non-traditional home types. The values represent estimates of reconstruction costs, taking into account labor and materials, and are based on 100-percent or total destruction of the residential structure. Depending upon the size of the wildfire, there may be less than 100-percent damage to the residence, which would result in a lower realized reconstruction cost.

     

  • TerraGo Partners with RazorTek on TerraGo Edge

    TerraGo is partnering with RazorTek, a GIS and remote-sensing consulting firm specializing in design, development and automation of complex systems for spatial data display and analysis. RazorTek will deploy TerraGo Edge for customers looking to replace GPS handhelds with a mobile app that integrates directly with Esri’s ArcGIS.

    “We see a great opportunity to help our customers utilize TerraGo Edge for field data collection on their smartphones and tablets,” said Dan Rodriguez, CEO, RazorTek. “The nice thing about TerraGo Edge is that it replaces proprietary GPS handhelds with a simple mobile solution at a fraction of the cost, and it works seamlessly with Esri ArcGIS out of the box.”

    “RazorTek is an industry expert for deploying advanced remote sensing and GIS solutions,” said John Timar, vice president,  TerraGo. “TerraGo Edge gives the RazorTek team a cost-effective mobile solution that can deliver cm-level accuracy or whatever the RazorTek customer needs, while leveraging their existing ArcGIS investment.”

    RazorTek is an authorized reseller of TerraGo products and also offers a range of geospatial technology software and services including GIS services, aerial photography, satellite imagery and LiDAR.

  • COGO: National Spatial Data Infrastructure Should Be High Priority

    At a news briefing on Monday, former Wyoming Governor James Geringer highlighted the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations’ (COGO) Report Card on the U.S. National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) released on February 6.

    The NSDI Report Card describes the condition of the nation’s information about roads, water, land, air, bridges, dams, topography, and more. It highlights the poor condition of the nation’s information about our infrastructure at a time when the National Governors Association Chair, Gov. Hickenlooper of Colorado, is calling on states to lead the way in “delivering results” on government promises, COGO said in a statement.

    The report card encourages government agencies to improve the national spatial data infrastructure to better support efficient government operations at all levels. “The goal of the report card evaluation is to bring attention to the need for current and accurate geospatial data for the nation,” Geringer said. Geringer is chair of the panel that drafted the report card for COGO.

    “Governor Hickenlooper’s ‘Delivering Results’ initiative with the National Governors Association is dependent on this information to make state governments work in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible,” Geringer said. “Government agencies at every level are dependent on this data, as are private-sector businesses.”

    The report card is the first of a series of periodic report cards by COGO. “We did not include cost estimates for completing the NSDI or bringing it to a specified level,” Geringer said. “We need state and federal government to make improvement of the NSDI a high priority so the nation can make significant, rapid progress on jobs, education, economic growth, public safety, energy, natural resource management, health care, agriculture, transportation and other areas. This information will also allow us to track and manage our progress in all these areas, reducing duplication and ensuring sustainability of our efforts over time.”

    “On a daily basis, most people encounter and understand the need for maintenance of the nation’s roads, bridges, dams, power lines, pipelines, telecommunications network, and all the rest of our physical infrastructure,” COGO said in a statement. “The local, state and federal government agencies along with private companies that maintain the infrastructure must know where maintenance is needed, when it’s needed, and what needs to be done to plan it out in the most cost effective manner. There are millions of miles of roads, pipelines, and the like to maintain. That means a lot of information is needed and that information must be accurate and up-to-date.”

    In addition to maintenance, COGO said accurate and up-to-date information about the nation’s infrastructure is essential for:

    • getting ambulances to emergencies faster and evacuating people in the path of natural disasters.
    • monitoring and treating public health and environmental issues.
    • responding to the need for jobs, health care, foster homes, and other social services.
    • planning the location of schools, shelters, retail stores, and promoting economic growth.
    • managing traffic flow, and expansion of mass transit and utilities.

    COGO member organizations represent 170,000 professionals who develop and use spatial information about the nation’s physical infrastructure. Member Organizations include: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), Association of American Geographers (AAG), Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS), Geographic and Land Information Society (GLIS), Geographic Information Systems Certification Institute (GISCI), International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS), National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), and Urban Regional Information Systems Association (URISA).

     

  • MAPPS Fall Conference Planned in Conjunction with Drone Expo

    Drone World Expo, an event for commercial drone technologies and applications, is partnering with MAPPS to bring together stakeholders, constituents, and all levels of government in the surveying, mapping, and geospatial fields. The MAPPS Conference will be held as a part of Drone World Expo, set for November 17-18 at the San Jose, Calif., Convention Center.

    “With all of the exciting developments taking place in the UAV industry, we are thrilled to bring the breadth and depth of knowledge from MAPPS to our event,” said Joel Davis, CEO, JD Events, producers of the show. “Attendees to the MAPPS conference will have free access to the Drone World Expo trade show floor, general sessions and networking events, and we look forward to welcoming their members to this must-attend event.”

    The MAPPS Conference will be a forum for discussion on issues and policies, sharing of information and provision of education, and collaboration, specifically related to the geospatial applications of UAV technology.

    “MAPPS is thrilled to be part of Drone World Expo,” said John Palatiello, MAPPS executive director. “We believe UAVs will play an integral role in the future of surveying and mapping, and it is vitally important we lead the discussion in terms of investment, technology, applications and regulations.  MAPPS looks forward to presenting quality content on the geospatial market for UAVs at Drone World Expo.”

    In addition to the MAPPS Conference, Drone World Expo will also offer a two-day conference that will feature sessions and case studies addressing data collection and processing, sensors, piloting and safety management, FAA updates, certification standards, and commercial strategies, and will offer informative sessions on the impact drones are having on geographic information systems (GIS), Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT).

    The Drone World Expo Conference is being developed with the help of an advisory board on which Palatiello serves.