At FLO Analytics (FLO), we often work with clients that have large volumes of spatial and nonspatial data that are siloed or located in various databases controlled by other departments. Fortunately, Esri ArcGIS Enterprise geodatabase users typically have a database management system that natively supports spatial operations, such as Microsoft’s SQL Server or PostGIS. These databases offer spatial and nonspatial SQL functions that can be used to quickly investigate and check data quality; perform analyses; generate buffers and do selections; and customize data sources for map services, dashboards, reports, or data automation tasks. Many of these functions can be performed using a view, which provides a live query of the data each time it is accessed. This allows source data changes —such as a permit status being updated—to be instantly seen as soon as the map is refreshed. 

Figure 1: Selecting parcels that are within a specific zoning area within a SQL view using geometry functions automatically keeps the selection up to date with changes in either dataset.

FLO has worked with several clients to provide SQL views that combine enterprise geodatabase data with other inspection, permitting, financial, and site sampling databases. The views allow each system to manage its own data of record and reduce or remove the need to process data before displaying it on a map or dashboard. Examples include combining parcel or address geometry with permit information, matching sample site locations to a sample results table, or viewing the latest inspection result for a property. When these data are published as a service through ArcGIS Server they can be easily added to a map or dashboard. This reduces the need to duplicate attributes in the GIS or have people update two systems.

Figure 2: An Esri dashboard that consumes SQL views customized for the audience and tool requirements can simplify data management, in this case a table of results and a location dataset are combined to support map and time interactions.

SQL views can also be used in automation efforts—an approach that FLO used when tasked with creating an efficient, high-level summary dataset representing over one million individual sample results. Views and functions were also a crucial part of automating the contaminant sampling collection and reporting workflow of a major fire recovery effort, allowing us to generate property reports as soon as results were confirmed, which was important for tracking status and insurance claims. Spatial functions further expand what is possible—converting geometry types, generating a buffer, or partitioning data by location. For a cemetery database integration, FLO matched GIS plot polygons with a burial data table managed in a separate system. Each polygon was converted to a point, resulting in a stack of burial records that appear in the center of the plot on the map, without the need to manually create the points themselves.

The use of SQL tools and views can make data investigation and evaluation easier and faster, helping with quality control. SQL can quickly generate a list of unique values, count the occurrences of values, calculate dates and differences, concatenate fields, or even conduct spatial queries such as counting the number of address points within a parcel. FLO can set up these tools to help reduce the effort in creating specialized datasets from existing ones, identify data issues, and allow you to bring in data from other systems of record. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us.

Thanks to Flo-Analytics for this article and for their continued support and sponsorship of WAGISA.

You probably would not be reading this if you didn’t already know that GIS is a great tool for parsing information and representing it in a spatial format.  But what if I said that GIS is too good at it… and that GIS makes it too easy to misrepresent your data.  And what if I said that all the amazing data interpretation tools at our availability make it too easy to tell a story with data, rather than to let the data accurately represent reality. 

Ok… example time, right?  Imagine it’s the spring of 2020 again (sorry), and you have been tasked with identifying COVID regulation compliance problem areas in the state and where they might overlap with vulnerable populations.  You are provided with the most recent copy of the Governors COVID compliance complaint data, some limited English proficiency data layers, and the ACS demographics data.  Go forth and do.  Now, what does your analysis look like?  I can tell you what mine looked like.  It was a beautiful heat map with a nice color ramp from purple to green (my favorite) and it very accurately showed… where people live in Washington State.  Turns out, overlying data reliant on the general population is very likely to just show you where the most people congregate.  It was mostly useless (hence there not being a nice pic of it here).  Looked great, told us nothing.  There were a few interesting tidbits in the data.  But, if you had relied on the nice map I had originally produced, you could have confidently held it up and proclaimed that “All cities in Washington are exhibiting high levels of COVID regulation non-compliance!” 

 

Fig.1: The probably all too familiar John Hopkins Covid Dashboard for Washington State.

But that wouldn’t really be true. Say you start over and normalize the compliance complaint data by population statistics?  What might the data say then?  It won’t tell the same story that’s for sure.  Normalizing that data wasn’t exactly easy…  Since the data was open to the public and it was clearly labeled “complaint” well, you can probably already imagine the abundance of inappropriate entries. Political complaints against a certain federal facility had to be filtered out as did anything else that obviously had nothing to do with COVID regulations.    So, after filtering and normalizing the data per capita it returned nothing near as interesting.  A few outliers remained, some of which were almost certainly just exacerbated by population density and job dissatisfaction.  All in a day’s work.  I reported what I found and moved on.

  Fig. 2: A very official looking map to make up for the one I deleted years ago.  This one also just shows where people live.

               So what should I have done instead?  It was a rush job right?  Take data, make map.  Got it.  Well… provided I’d had the time to think it over properly, I should have written out an analysis hypothesis.  Yes, a hypothesis.  Given the available data, normalized for population and filtered for erroneous entries, is there an overlap of areas which have a low COVID Compliance rate and a large LEP population.  Easy enough right?   Essentially, you need to create an analysis plan, and stick to it.  No changing things up because your data returned nothing interesting.  (AKA Data Dredging, it’s bad.)

               I feel like that was a fairly innocuous example (and yes there is more to that story...)  I saw my mistake, corrected it and moved on.  But what if I had wanted to make a statement about low compliance levels? Or even just thought less about what my results meant.  I could have left the map as is, submitted it to the response team and let them sound the alarms (or not).  In his now infamous (at least to geographers) book How to Lie with Maps Mark Monmonier basically spells out all the ways you can purposely or not, deceive with your maps.  Which brings me to example 2:  Do you know which cell phone company has the best coverage area?  They all do, just ask them.  They have the maps to prove it.

   

Fig. 3: Cell phone coverage maps and one 2010 map showing google search comparisons for pizza, guns and strip clubs.  I can’t tell the difference at this scale anyways. Credit to FloatinSheep.org. At least the fun map used an appropriate projection for their data.

        And this is the heart of the problem.  Modern GIS is so powerful, so complex you can easily misrepresent your data either purposefully or not, just by how you symbolize it.  Say you were tasked with presenting sensitive population demographics for your city.  Depending on your color ramp alone you could highlight diversity or deemphasize it.  Take a look at Figure 4.  In this example the exact same data with the exact same color ramp is served up using three different classification models.  Equal interval suddenly looks far more uniform than it sounds. 

  

Fig. 4: Percentage of Populace in Age Dependent Groups (Children and Seniors) symbolized 3 ways.

               So what do you do when your map suddenly comes out as one mono-chrome blob?  Is it ethical to fish around for a histogram classification that highlights the differences in your data?  What if your analysis just doesn’t show what you want?  These are the types of questions a good GIS analyst should be able to parse before beginning an analysis.   Understanding classification methods, data normalization and understanding the nature of your data and more specifically when to employ which classification/normalization method… these are the basics for effectively framing your data to accurately represent reality.  The answer might also involve lots of explanatory text.

     

Fig. 5:  What a map looks like when it really doesn’t say what you want it to. Or, “How to lie poorly with a map”.

       When I was a graduate student, a large part of our early curriculum was based around the discussion of GIS vs GIST.  Geographic Information Systems, vs Geographic information Science and Technology.  Science being the operative word in that debate.  GIS involves a lot of Science, and it is the application of those scientific principles that I felt really gave weight to the argument for Geographic Information Science.  Those principles can and should be applied in the day-to-day work of a GIS Analyst.  Without which, you might just be showing were people live in your next analysis.

Clint Lusk is a Senior GIS Analyst Technical with the City of Tacoma.  He was probably left alone in a basement room full of maps for too long before writing this article and he freely admits that he has to look up histogram classification methods before using them most of the time.

 

About the DTA

The Richard “Dick” Thomas Award (or DTA) was established to honor the Washington state GIS pioneer and mentor, Richard ‘Dick’ Thomas, who passed away in 2006. This award is intended to memoralize Dick’s legacy by continuing his work of encouraging students to excel in their studies and to transition successfully into careers in GIS. The award and competition is held annually at the Washington GIS Conference. WAGISA’s objective is to inspire students to present their original work related to GIS, geography, or geographic research at the annual Washington GIS conference.

Note from DTA Coordinator

The 2024 Washington State GIS Conference was a resounding success, showcasing the innovative spirit and collaborative efforts of the geospatial community. One of the highlights of this year’s Washington GIS Conference was the highly anticipated DTA competition, where four exceptional student presentations took center stage in a conference room full of GIS professionals. Each project demonstrated cutting-edge applications of GIS to address real-world challenges. Attendees were captivated by the creativity, technical expertise, and potential impact of these projects, sparking vibrant discussions and inspiring future collaborations.

We had 10 student presenters in four groups this year. Projects were chosen in a competitive selection process among many impressive submissions.

The 2024 DTA Results:

First Place: HarleyJo Holman, Washington State University, with a project titled, Mountain Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) Habitat in the South Selkirks: Zonal Shifts in Dynamic Landscapes. First place prizes include a check for $500, prize certificate, free one year WAGISA membership,, free entry to the 2025 WAGISA GIS conference, one year ArcGIS personal license, WAGISA tote bag, and an opportunity to submit an article to WAGISA’s blog, The Summit Scoop.

Second Place: Jennifer Hunt and Cameron Berrens, University of Washington - Tacoma, with a project titled, ADUtopia: Unlocking Infill Housing Potential Through GIS. Second place prizes include a check for $250, prize certificate, free one year WAGISA membership, WAGISA tote bag, and an opportunity to submit an article to the Summit Scoop.

Third Place: Christean Jenkins, University of Washington - Tacoma, with a project titled, Investigating a Spatial Relationship Between Air Quality and Low Birth Weights in Tacoma: A Granular Approach. Third place prizes include a check for $125, prize certificate, free one year WAGISA membership, WAGISA tote bag, and an opportunity to submit an article to the Summit Scoop.

Fourth Place: Henry Kessler, Diana Li, and Reed Scott, University of Washington - Seattle, with a project titled, Smoke Ventilation Index Map. Fourth place prizes include a prize certificate, WAGISA tote bag, and an opportunity to submit an article to the Summit Scoop.

2024 DTA Competitors with their prizes during the conference closing session

• A big thanks to this year’s  judges:
•    Ken Charm, 2023 DTA Presenter
•    Shane Dang, TRAC-UW, 2023 DTA Winner
•    Peter Keum, King County DNRP, Wastewater Treatment Division
•    Alex Kirchmeier, UW Department of Geography, 2023 DTA Winner     

Keep reading to view project abstracts, access presentation slides, dashboards and StoryMaps and learn more about the competitor’s experiences with the project!

First Place

Presenter: HarleyJo Holman

Project Title: Mountain Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) Habitat in the South Selkirks: Zonal Shifts in Dynamic Landscapes

Link to Presentation Slides:     DTA_Presentation_Holman.pptx

Abstract:

The ‘deep-snow mountain caribou’ is an ecotype of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) native to northeastern Washington and northern Idaho. These animals use isolated environments with high snowpack levels to forage for typically inaccessible lichens. Due to this specialization, these animals face significant pressure to adapt to climate change and human development. With the relocation of the last individual from Washington state in 2019, mountain caribou are considered a species of greatest conservation need. In this project, a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) was developed for mountain caribou using a scale-dependent ecology and multi-criterion evaluation. In this context, an HSI is a model used to determine the capacity of a habitat to support mountain caribou based on available resources and constraints. By implementing this index with a Geographic Information System, this study aimed to identify the present size, location, and climate of suitable habitat within four national forests in the South Selkirk region. We predicted that suitable habitat is limited to mountainous environments with elevations over 1800m and climate suitability of at least 75% as these areas lack significant human footprint and retain cooler climate conditions. Results from the suitability analysis estimate that ~12500 ha is >75% suitable for mountain caribou, which is only 0.5% of the total study area. Within these areas, elevations under 1800m have an expected frequency of > 10%. Additionally, climate suitability in these areas display a mean value of 83.4%. These findings support a zonal distribution shift by mountain caribou, where accelerating environmental change causes species to move upwards in elevation to escape less favorable conditions. This upward movement promotes habitat fragmentation and undesirable ecological consequences. Application of this model may provide a starting point for more effective habitat restoration efforts in the South Serlkirk region, and provide insight into other cold-adapted species' distribution.

Second Place

Presenters: Cameron Berrens and Jennifer Hunt

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Project Title: ADUtopia: Unlocking Infill Housing Potential Through GIS

Link to Dashboard: Seaside Solutions: A DADU Capacity Analysis of Eastham (arcgis.com)

Abstract:

In response to the urgent lack of year-round housing in seasonal towns across the U.S.,  ADUtopia introduces a means to find infill housing opportunities in the form of detached Accessory Dwelling Units—a smaller, cheaper, more flexible housing type that can be placed within currently-developed parcels. The project focuses on Eastham, a popular summer town in Cape Cod, Massachusetts as a prototypical model. The town is apt for ADU implementation due to the surge of seasonal second home purchasing and the erosion this has caused not only on the year-round housing stock, but consequently to its year-round population as many of its residents are unable to compete with the outsized purchasing power of out-of-town second home buyers. The model, integrated into an ArcGIS Online Dashboard, accurately determines ADU locations and sizes based on each parcel’s individual specifications, including environmental constraints and zoning regulations. With housing affordability and community resilience in mind, this tool offers a beacon of hope for Cape Cod and any region grappling with a growing scarcity of year-round housing options. While the current dashboard analyzes Eastham, the adaptable model can be replicated for the nuances of any municipality nationwide by tailoring it to the constraints and zoning bylaws of any jurisdiction.

Solving housing crises requires more than just numbers and algorithms—it requires putting tools in the hands of everyone to visualize the future. ADUtopia empowers both residents and planners, providing them with the ability to envision how ADUs can effectively increase housing capacity. This dashboard empowers informed decision-making and facilitates meaningful action by synthesizing the complexities of current zoning regulations and environmental considerations in one dynamic tool. At its core, it isn’t just about building ADUs—it’s about leveraging technology to bridge the gap between aspiration and action, turning backyards into housing opportunities.

Project Reflection/ Experience:

Why was the project chosen?

This project stemmed from my summer internship in Eastham on Cape Cod, MA last year,   where my family resides year-round. Working as a housing intern at the   town hall’s planning department, I discovered the critical role of Accessory Dwelling U nits (ADUs) in expanding affordable year-round housing stock, an acute need due to the purchasing of second homes in the sought-after summer destination and the resulting scarcity of affordable housing options for year-round residents. Witnessing numerous inquiries from town residents at the planning department desk about ADU feasibility highlighted the need for a rapid, accurate visualization tool integrating zoning and the ADU bylaw requirements specific to Eastham. Upon returning to Washington in the fall, I undertook this dashboard as my final project for the GIS certificate program to create a tool with this real-life application. 

What “life lessons” did the student(s) come away with? 

Through this project, I gained firsthand experience in addressing real-world challenges in a community I deeply care about through technical skills I gained in my GIS education. Embarking upon this project also taught me the importance of meticulous attention to detail and understanding nuances of zoning bylaws. Moreover, I learned the transformative potential of coding in elevating GIS projects, thanks to Cameron’s implementation of code in the project to identify the maximum contiguous areas per parcel.

Anything funny or really unexpected happen during the project?

While it isn’t funny per say, it was gratifying to learn from my former boss at the Town Hall that the planning department of Eastham actually uses the dashboard today when residents inquire about ADU eligibility!

Third Place

Presenter: Christian Jenkins

Project Title: Investigating a Spatial Relationship Between Air Quality and Low Birth Weights in Tacoma: A Granular Approach

Link to story map and web application: https://arcg.is/4uLSH

Abstract:

Low birth weight (LBW) is defined as weight at birth that is less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that for singleton babies born in the United States during 2021, 6.93% were LBW. LBW babies may face challenges early in life and are at a greater risk of experiencing long-term health problems associated with this condition. Environmental factors, particularly maternal exposure to air pollution, have been linked to an increased risk of LBW.

Typically, researchers study the correlation between LBW and air quality in geographic regions such as cities or census tracts. My research project aimed to explore this relationship amongst small areas, focusing on census block groups in Tacoma, WA. To make air quality more granular, urban tree canopy, impervious surface areas, exposure to heavy traffic, and exposure to toxic releases collectively made up an air quality analog. This analog was transformed into an index, which allowed for the ranking of block groups based on their likelihood of experiencing poor air quality. Additionally, block groups were ranked based on the percentage of LBW births that occurred in 2020 and 2021 within each block group.

Cluster and outlier analyses were conducted on air quality and LBW ranks; ArcGIS Experience Builder was used to visualize the results. The Experience Builder application allows users to switch between air quality and LBW layers and select individual census block groups to access their rankings, including rankings of air quality index components. Furthermore, filtering options based on rankings are available for users who want to focus their attention on specific areas of interest.

While this research did not reveal a clear spatial relationship between air quality and low birth weights, it could provide valuable insights that contribute to our understanding of low birth weight occurrences in Tacoma.

Project Reflection/ Experience:

During my time as an Environmental Studies student at the University of Washington Tacoma, I developed an interest in environmental justice, public health, and the built environment. Since graduating, my passion for these subjects has only grown. When I was recently given the opportunity to pursue a research project in UW Tacoma’s GIS Certificate program, I eagerly chose to focus on environmental health.

Before starting my certificate, I worked in urban forestry, where I encountered research linking high tree canopy coverage to better birth outcomes. This sparked my curiosity about other environmental factors that might affect birth outcomes and ultimately led to my project on the relationship between air quality and low birth weight rates.

Finding relevant and useful data for this project was challenging at times. I faced three major hurdles: underestimating the time required to find the right data, encountering data limitations, and needing special access from external sources to obtain data. Despite these obstacles, my genuine interest in this research kept me motivated.

Although my results didn’t show a clear relationship between air quality (as I represented it) and low birth weights, the outcome was fascinating. It prompted me to consider if socioeconomic and other environmental factors are confounding variables or are more influential on low birth weight risk than air quality.

The purpose of my research was to identify specific areas of Tacoma for targeted outreach, preventative care, treatment, and advocacy if there was a spatial relationship between air quality and low birth weight prevalence. With air quality at risk of worsening due to climate change, resilience is crucial, especially for underserved and overburdened communities. I would like to expand my research to include social determinants of health, such as race and household income, to gain further insights, address inequities, and find opportunity gaps.

Fourth Place

Presenters: Diana Li, Reed Scott, and Henry Kessler

Project Title: Smoke Ventilation Index Map

Link to Presentation Slides: Developing a Washington State Smoke Ventilation Index Map-1.pdf

Abstract:

Based on a proposal sent by Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we’re creating a smoke ventilation index forecast map to help with wildland fire smoke management. Our map will help DNR staff visualize whether or not the air conditions are acceptable for smoke to dissipate with negligible impacts on surrounding communities.

Using the DNR’s prescribed burn site data, we created a layer of burns where the proposed tonnage exceeded 500. Next, we obtained WA air quality monitor data from the EPA. We wrote a Python script to gather the dates of large burns, and created a new feature class with those dates. We then developed a model to interpolate the monitor data from each date and ran a weighted overlay analysis on the output rasters. This demonstrated historical smoke ventilation patterns and served as the basis for the airshed delineations.

The NOAA National Blend of Models provided our ventilation index forecasting data. Every forecast is drawn from 72 multidimensional raster datasets, so we developed Python script to automate the process of downloading and referencing files. We then used ModelBuilder to automate spatial analysis tools, particularly Zonal Statistics calculations, to find and display the highest daily average ventilation rate within each airshed. Afterwards, the symbology is updated to reflect if a burn is permissible in the airsheds over the forecasted period.

Finally, we compiled all this information into a web application map using ArcGIS Experience Builder. This allows the DNR and the general public to use it, for DNR staff to receive permits for prescribed burns or general education. It also aims to allow for easy access and understanding of burn viability based on historical data and upcoming weather patterns. Additional resources will also be included in the map to explain further the project and other supporting online resources.

Stay Connected/ Learn More/ Get Involved:

The Dick Thomas Award is brought to you by the WAGISA Community Engagement Committee (CEC). Check out some other CEC offerings below:

WAGISA Young Professionals Initiative (YPI): https://wagisa.org/Young-Professionals

●     Join a network of young (< 5 years exp.) GIS professionals in Washington

●     Get access to mailing lists, social/ learning events, and a Slack Channel

●     Fill out the YPI Interest Sign-Up Form to get in the loop!

DTA web page: https://wagisa.org/DTA

●     Learn more about the DTA, see past events, and submit a project abstract when the submission form opens again in 2025

Thank you to the students, judges, volunteers and everyone else who made this event possible. Finally, a special thanks to my partner in crime and DTA co-coordinator, Dan Miller.

I look forward to another great year of DTA in 2025!

Sincerely,

Micah Gelber

WAGISA Community Engagement Chair

Unlocking the Power of Precision: The Impact of 1-Inch GSD Imagery on GIS

In the realm of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), precision is paramount. The ability to accurately map, analyze, and manage geographic data is what separates good decision-making from great decision-making. As the demand for high-quality geospatial data continues to rise, GIS professionals are turning to advanced technologies to meet these needs. One such innovation is 1-inch Ground Sample Distance (GSD) aerial imagery, a game-changer that offers unprecedented clarity and detail.

Why 1-Inch GSD Matters for GIS

At its core, 1-inch GSD imagery means that each pixel in an image represents a 1-inch square on the ground. This ultra-high resolution translates into a ninefold increase in data density compared to 3-inch GSD imagery. For GIS professionals, this level of detail unlocks new possibilities in data analysis, model accuracy, and project planning.

Enhanced Data Accuracy and AI Integration

The leap in data density with 1-inch GSD imagery is not just a matter of visual clarity; it’s about the integrity and precision of the data that GIS professionals rely on. More detailed imagery provides a richer dataset, which is crucial for developing and refining AI models. These models, trained on high-resolution data, deliver more accurate predictions and analyses, whether for urban planning, environmental monitoring, or disaster response.

For instance, in disaster recovery scenarios, the ability to discern fine details—such as the condition of individual structures or the exact boundaries of flood zones—can dramatically improve response strategies. A GIS coordinator in Iowa, after receiving post-disaster imagery captured at 1-inch GSD, remarked, “The quality of 1-inch is super helpful. I'm usually indifferent to resolution, but this is a time when seeing all the details is very beneficial.”

Streamlining GIS Workflows with High-Resolution Imagery

GIS workflows benefit immensely from the integration of 1-inch GSD imagery. The increased data granularity reduces the need for supplementary data collection, such as on-site surveys, by providing all necessary details directly within the imagery. This not only speeds up project timelines but also enhances the accuracy of spatial analyses, from asset management to infrastructure development.

Consider an example in asset management: 1-inch GSD imagery clearly shows the text on a road sign, such as “Speed Limit 35,” eliminating the need for a physical visit to verify this information. When managing thousands of assets, these efficiency gains are substantial, freeing up resources and reducing operational costs.

Driving Innovation and Adoption in GIS

While the benefits of 1-inch GSD imagery are clear, widespread adoption among GIS professionals has been gradual. Concerns about cost and the technical challenges of handling such large datasets are common. However, the return on investment—measured in enhanced data accuracy, efficiency gains, and improved outcomes—often far outweighs these initial barriers. As more GIS professionals experience the transformative power of 1-inch GSD imagery, its adoption is expected to accelerate.

Conclusion: Elevating GIS with 1-Inch GSD Imagery

1-inch GSD aerial imagery is more than just a high-resolution tool; it’s a catalyst for innovation in GIS. By providing an unprecedented level of detail, it empowers GIS professionals to deliver more accurate analyses, develop better models, and ultimately make more informed decisions. As the technology continues to evolve, the applications for 1-inch GSD imagery in GIS will only expand, setting new standards for precision and reliability in the field.

Thanks to EagleView for this article and for their continued support and sponsorship of WAGISA. 

Joanne Markert and her sons, Ryan and Joe

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to congratulate Joanne on her well-deserved Summit award.  I have worked with Joanne in her role as the GIO at the State of Washington for several years.  The following is my interview with Joanne.

Congratulations on being the 2024 Summit Award winner!  Can you describe your response to receiving the award?

Surprised!!  Also flattered and humbled.

Where do you plan to keep the statue?

It is in my home office.

Can you describe your start in the GIS industry, and any important initial lessons you experienced for our Young Professionals? 

I bumped into GIS when I started my career as a environmental planner and never looked back.  I was lucky enough to have support from my supervisors to pursue it as on-the-job training and a terrific mentor, that I can still count on today for help and advice – Elizabeth Lanzer with the Washington Departmet of Transportation. 

Can you describe how has your journey progressed?

I originally started out in applying GIS to environmental planning challenges such as noxious weed control.  After a couple of years, I was able to get a fulltime gig doing GIS with the primary focus being analyst type of work for environmental projects.  I then went to work for a private consulting company and did the work as well as learned Project and Program/ Team Management.  I returned to (working at) the state 7 years ago as the Geographic Information Officer (GIO) and love my job thoroughly.  Now the emphasis is on describing GIS to non-GIS people, encouraging cooperation across the state, and advocating the use of GIS to solve challenges our state faces, such as climate change and equity.

I know being a strong advocate for GIS at the State Level is a big part of your current job.  What kind of tips do you have for communicating the value of GIS to those outside of the field?

I try very hard to understand where the audience is coming from and then describe GIS in terms that can be more easily understood.  It is easy to be complicated with explanations, but it is hard to be direct, simple, approachable.  I bounce ideas off others that I work with and look for reactions from the people I’m talking with to see if I’m hitting the mark.  I prefer personal interactions for that reason – I can gauge better how the conversation is going.  Never underestimate enthusiasm for your subject matter!

While I know you have many still to come, can you describe any exciting or interesting GIS projects you have worked on?

Ialways like the archaeological predictive model that I worked on, but I like working on all aspects of GIS including seeing the relationship with AI.  I think the game changer that is about to come is integration with traditional IT data systems (SQL, etc.).  That will help bring GIS to the forefront!

When you are not working on your job, what do you do for fun and relaxation?

Of course, spending time with my family and friends take priority, but mainly I like to stay curious about the world around me and explore this great state through hiking and driving the back roads.  I just got back from a weekend trip out to Forks, WA and was able to go on some relaxing hikes enjoying the Hoh River and out to the coast to see the sea-stacks and plenty of the marine layer fog.  What a treasure we have right here in WA!  And there are so many of them that I have yet to explore!

I know collaboration is a key part of your role as the GIO for the State of Washington.  What advice to improve collaboration do you have for younger, less experienced GIS professionals?

It’s a small world after all.  You will see people again and again throughout your career.  Ultimately, we are all on the same team, so it makes sense to try to work through differences in a way that solves the problems, improves collaboration in the future and makes everyone happy to work with you the next time they see you.  You are not always right, and neither are they.  Humility and an open mind goes a long way.

Do you have any final thoughts on your experience as the Summit Winner?

It is really an honor to be nominated by my peers for this award and I am very grateful for that.  I’m also very grateful to be able to serve the state of Washington in the capacity of the GIO.  It is an incredible job and responsibility and I try very hard to represent the entire profession well so that doors will be open for those that come after me.

Thanks so much to Joanne for providing me with this information and a well deserved congratulations!

Hope those who attended this year’s Washington GIS Conference are still reflecting on the relationships, connections, and ah-ha moments they made over the course of our 2 or 3 days together! If you were there, you had the opportunity to identify yourselves as a Young Professional (less than 5 years GIS experience) or as a seasoned veteran using a gold or purple star sticker. The purpose of this constellation was to invite people to chat and introduce themselves encouraging cross generational networking and meaningful conversations. But this was just the start of our Young Professional focus.

This month we are officially announcing the launch of our Young Professional Initiative (YPI), designed to connect and empower emerging talent in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Whether you're just starting your career or navigating your first few years in the industry, this initiative is crafted with you in mind. At WAGISA, we recognize the invaluable contributions of young and seasoned professionals to the GIS community. Our initiative is built on two primary goals:

1. Connecting young professionals with jobs resources

2. Increase the long term participation of young professionals in volunteer and board positions.

Throughout the year, we have curated a series of engaging activities tailored specifically for young professionals. Our efforts kicked off with a dynamic Young Professionals Workshop led by WAGISA Board Member and Young Professional Micah Gelber (Navy Region Northwest) and Seasoned Veteran and WAGISA President Christina Chelf, where attendees participated in speed networking, group discussions, and enlightening panel talks. This event not only provided valuable career insights but also fostered a sense of community among the twenty-five enthusiastic participants. Huge thank you to our volunteers and panel members: Dan Miller (Washington Military Department), Tamara Davis (King County GIS Center), Bill Keller (King County GIS Center), Harvey Arnone, (City of Seattle), Kim Rogers (Floyd|Snider), Leslie Carman (Thurston County GeoData) and Josh Popelka (King County GIS Center).

Looking ahead, we are excited to continue our efforts with Virtual Coffee Sessions where young professionals can interact informally with WAGISA board members, gaining advice on career development and industry trends. Additionally, our Lunch and Learn Job Series will offer quarterly discussions on topics ranging from resumes to personal branding, providing practical guidance for professional growth. Our First Lunch & Learn will be hosted by Peter Keum (King County) in July and broadly be about how to network, so those attending the ESRI UC have some opportunity to practice! Finally we are planning an end of year in person social event. We hope all you young professionals out there can attend one or more of these events.

To stay updated on these events and opportunities, we encourage all young professionals to visit our YPI webpage and sign up for email reminders. Whether you're exploring new career avenues or seeking to expand your network, the Young Professional Initiative at WAGISA is here to support you every step of the way. If you are interested in helping plan these events email theboard@wagisa.org.

Let's build the future of GIS together—one connection, one opportunity at a time. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events and witnessing the positive impact of our community's vibrant young talent.

Christina Chelf

WAGISA President

Join us in June!

Hello WAGISA Members!

We are ecstatic about this year’s Washington GIS Conference. The Board and the Conference Planning Committee are working nonstop to ensure we have the best workshops, presentations, competitions, and social events that will grow and sustain our Washington GIS Community.

Update on our Conference Planning:Registration is open, our venue is secured, food is being ordered, our website is up-to-date with conference details, our workshops are finalized and open for registration, and presentation abstracts are still pouring in (Submit yours!). Something new for this year’s conference is our Young Professionals Initiative! At the conference, this will include a Young Professionals workshop, a Young Professional Social, and other small, useful tidbits like a job postings and resume table. 

This year, we have Dan Coe as our Keynote Speaker, who has been visualizing and presenting PNW spatial data in the most amazing and beautiful ways. You won’t want to miss his breathtaking images.  

What sets our conference apart from your average GIS training session or a giant nationwide conference is the genuine and lasting relationships that WAGISA Members find at our events. From our perspective, the people we have met through WAGISA have become some of our more rewarding and fulfilling friendships. We genuinely look forward to the time WAGISA affords us to spend together.

If you haven’t yet attended our conference or if it’s been a few years since your last conference, please consider joining us this year at the beautiful UW Tacoma Campus! We are excited to have you!

Additionally, if you’re looking to be more involved in the conference, please reach out to our Conference Coordinator: Candice Plendl

Thank you for your time! We are so very excited to see you this June in Tacoma!

LINKS:

Conference Details

Registration

The first annual drone special interest group summit was held on the 14^th of February 2024 at the new Muckleshoot community center in Auburn Washington.  Thanks to Grant Timentwa of the Muckleshoot Tribe for coordinating the space for this event. We had 54 members registered and 46 in attendance including a few students with roughly 10% tribal members, 70% local government and education, 15% state government, and 5% private sector.  The schedule included 3 sessions of formal presentations on software and statewide drone data projects and programs, plus included two additional sessions of group oriented discussion moderated by Peter Keum and Greg Lang.   There were two flight demos during the day, and ample time for members to interact and network.  Thanks to WAGISA for starting off the morning with coffee and light fare which was enjoyed by all.

To get involved in the Drone Special Interest Group in WAGISA please visit:  https://www.wagisa.org/Drone-Special-Interest-Group

Keisha Chinn and Jesse Alton presenting the WSDOT environmental drone program

By: WAGISA Community Engagement Committee

The 2023 Dick Thomas Award or ‘DTA’ was back in person for the first time since 2019 this year’s competition exceeded all expectations. The student presentations made for an edge of the seat experience showcasing innovative analysis and real-world application. The event really drew a crowd! In fact, the DTA was the most attended session at the conference! The competition was held on June 14^th at the University of Washington during the annual WAGISA Washington GIS Conference.

For those not familiar with he DTA, this award was established to honor a Washington state GIS pioneer and mentor, Richard ‘Dick’ Thomas, who passed away in 2006. The intent of this award is to honor Dick by continuing his work of encouraging students to excel in their studies and to transition successfully into careers in the field of GIS. WAGISA’s objective is to inspire students to present their original work related to GIS, geography, or geographic research at the annual Washington GIS conference.  We were lucky to have four fabulous judges:

• Tonya Kauhi – Washington State Department of Health
• Peter Keum – King County Department of Natural Resource and Parks
• Ashlee Llewellyn – Esri
• Bruce Schneider – Washington Department of Natural Resources

We had 10 wonderful student presenters in four groups this year. The student projects were top notch and were chosen in a competitive selection process among many impressive submissions.

         

Students on the main stage with their award certificates.   Students share a table for some conversation and laughs

This year’s Winners are:

1. First Place: Alex Kirchmeier and Shane Dang with a presentation titled An Informal Geovisualization of Tea Shops in Seattle’s International District. Alex and Shane are students at the University of Washington Seattle and will receive a check for $500, free one year membership to WAGISA, free entry to the 2025 WAGISA GIS conference and an opportunity to submit an article to WAGISA’s blog, The Summit Scoop.
2. Second Place: Andrew From and Ken Charm with a presentation titled King County Fish Passage Barriers: A Method for Multiple Agencies to Combine Efforts for the Greater Good. Andrew and Ken are student at the University of Washington Seattle and will receive a check for $250, free one year membership to WAGISA and an opportunity to submit an article to The Summit Scoop.
3. Third Place: Nicholas Conway, Salomé Frévol, Paige Hosman, Candice Magbag Plendl with their presentation titled Investigating Chinook Spawning Patterns in the Face of Changing Climate and Surveying Challenges in Eastern Oregon. Nicholas, Salomé, Paige and Candice are students at the University of Washington Seattle and will receive a check for $125, free one year membership to WAGISA, and an opportunity to submit an article to the Summit Scoop.
4. Honorable Mention: Byron Alvarenga-Beech, Ian Berndt, and Jeff LeDoux with their presentation titled Age Friendly Seattle Discount Directory. Byron, Ian and Jeff are students at the University of Washington Seattle.

Please continue reading to learn about the experiences, insights, and project details from the competitors.

First Place

   

Presenters: Alex Kirchmeier and Shane Dang

Project Title: An Informal Geovisualization of Tea Shops in Seattle’s International District

Abstract:

The Seattle Chinatown-International District is a vibrant hub of Asian culture and heritage, epitomized by the diverse abundance of tea shops scattered throughout. To visualize this unique aspect of Seattle, we created a radial dendrogram overlaid upon a neighborhood-scale map. Our goal was to represent human-spatial experiences characterizing tea shops in the International District using non-cartesian data visualization methods. Our diagram provides keywords associated with various tea shops in the particularly tea-dense International District and the relative frequency of these words in our data, allowing our audience of Seattle residents and visitors to explore the relationships between tea shops and the community. Our map component provides spatial context for the diagram, serving to place our diagram in the real-world space of the International District. Using review data from Yelp, we were able to collect recurring keywords from 15 reviews of each of 10 selected tea shops in the International District. These 10 shops were selected first based on our field observations, with the remaining slots then filled in the order they were given by Yelp and filtered manually to ensure that the selected locations provided tea as a fundamental service. We determined the top 15 keywords for each shop based on the overall frequency of words in the combined 15 reviews for each shop and represented each word’s frequency with a proportional symbol. We completed the diagram by adding a map created in QGIS using the OpenStreetMap layer and the coordinates of the tea shops. This project was inspired by the book Seattleness: A Cultural Atlas, by Tera Hatfield, Jenny Kempson, and Natalie Ross, and completed in the course GEOG 495: Visualizing Seattle offered at the University of Washington, Seattle (Winter 2023).

Reflection

This project came about in quite an impulsive manner; we were prompted to put it together in a class that sought to promote creative approaches to data visualizations, and as two valiant tea enthusiasts, our theme was clear from the start. We were both familiar with tea shops in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, making it clear that it would be the ideal location for our project. We decided to embrace the creative mission of the course and make our project unique and whimsical while incorporating a theme that brings joy to tea drinkers from all over the area.

The foundation of our project was built upon field observations in the Chinatown-International District. We had sketched out a few key locations, making notes of our spatial experiences. What could we see? Hear? Smell? What kind of activity was there? Tea was purchased–by us–as we found ourselves staying longer than intended and looking for an excuse for restroom access. The primary takeaway from our excursion was an appreciation for the range of tea shops within the area, prompting us to begin thinking about the rich spatial significance of these shops. This diversity within the tea community, as well as our reflection on the spatial history and culture that tea shops represent, was the inspiration for exploring the unique features of each shop in our project. As we continued to research the Chinatown-International District, we realized that there were rising

         Seattle International District sketch

concerns about displacement in the neighborhood; this suddenly added a layer of urgency to our work.

Our project quickly took form from there, and we presented an initial visualization to our classmates. A few months later, we were encouraged by our professor, Gunwha Oh (for whom we are immensely grateful), to submit an abstract to the DTA competition. We were positively flattered that our project had made such an impression in class, and we felt honored to have the opportunity to continue sharing it with others. This opportunity did indeed materialize, as we were fortunate enough to be selected to present at the competition.

And… we won? It was so incredibly validating to see the support that others had for our creative mapping project. To have inspired others to support the local shops in the Chinatown-International District, and to have encouraged the adoption of creative and accessible approaches to mapping and visualizing data, is truly wonderful. Neither of us had previously presented in a professional setting; being able to have this experience is invaluable to our professional confidence. We are grateful for the opportunity to have our work recognized, but even more so for the chance to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for harnessing geospatial information for positive change.

This unique opportunity to engage with the Washington GIS community was a remarkable experience as undergraduates and one that we are immensely thankful for. For Alex, this competition directly inspired further academic engagement with creative maps and visualizations as he finishes his final year as an undergraduate in 2023-24. For Shane, this competition was not just a showcase of GIS skills and knowledge to prove the outcome of his college education, but also a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the power of collaborative effort with a reminder that GIS is more than just a tool; it's a gateway or lens to understanding the world around us and solving real-world problems.

As we move forward from this competition, we carry with us not only a winners’ trophy but a renewed sense of purpose and a deep appreciation for the incredible community that exists within the realm of GIS. This competition was an unforgettable milestone in our academic journey, and we are excited to see how the skills and connections forged here will continue to shape our path and contribute to the meaningful use of geographic information systems in the years to come.

Final project visual

Second Place

       

Presenters: Andrew From and Ken Charm

Project Title: King County Fish Passage Barriers: A Method for Multiple Agencies to Combine Efforts for the Greater Good

Abstract:

The King County Fish Passage Restoration Program (FPRP) was launched to address the issue of fish passage barriers to satisfy a key component of King County’s Clean Water Healthy Habitat initiative. Three salmonid species are listed as threatened and federally protected under the Endangered Species (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Puget Sound Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). These species have declined far below historic population levels thus limiting the preferred food for the Puget Sound Southern Resident killer whale (Orcinus orca). As a result, O. orca was listed as endangered under the ESA in 2005.

By removing key barriers to historic upstream habitat for salmon spawning and rearing, the FPRP offers an excellent return on investment for restoring salmon abundance. By 2032, FPRP’s goal is to remove enough fish passage barriers to increase accessible salmon habitat by at least 50% relative to 2022.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the other major owner of fish passage barriers in King County, is working towards correcting 90% of the barriers they manage by 2030.relative to 2013.

The final GIS will show subwatersheds defined and color coded by each individual barrier. Using the plans published by FPRP and WSDOT, the GIS will visualize the increase in accessible watersheds over time resulting from barrier removal plans. Further, the GIS will show areas where collaboration with other entities could significantly increase the amount of accessible fish habitat than would be created with just the FPRP and/or WSDOT proposed projects. In the end, this GIS will create a visual demonstration of areas within King County where collaboration between FPRP, WSDOT, and other entities could combine to make significant improvements to salmonid access within King County.

Third Place

Presenters: Nicholas Conway, Salomé Frévol, Paige Hosman, Candice Plendl

Project Title: Investigating Chinook Spawning Patterns in the Face of Changing Climate and Surveying Challenges in Eastern Oregon

Each year, spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) return to the Grande Ronde watershed in eastern Oregon to spawn; however, the population is declining, and the species is currently listed on the federal Endangered Species list. In response to the decline, there have been massive efforts to stabilize and increase the populations of Chinook salmon through different means. Over the past 18 years, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has amassed an impressive geospatial dataset of redd locations in the watersheds and more recently, ODFW has begun collecting data on carcass locations and their origins (hatchery vs wild). During this time, private land ownership, budget cuts, and forest fires have limited ODFW’s ability to consistently survey each previously sampled site, so it is imperative to present the data visually in order to understand whether lack of data in a stream for any given year is due to an absence of salmon activity or an inability to survey, and to identify preliminary trends in Chinook salmon habitat use based on environmental variables.   

Our team developed a web application that would allow ODFW and their co-managers to visualize, by year, their surveying efforts and the characteristics and spatial extent of redds and carcasses within a stream network, with additional maps on generational data. To ensure project longevity, we streamlined data importing directly from Excel, automated processing, and created easy-to-follow documentation so that ODFW will be able to continue using the tool for years to come.   

Through this process, our team not only accomplished skills in GIS like cartographic design, using Model and Experience Builder, and knowing the importance of being cozy and familiar with your data; we also forged a strong team relationship, highlighted each other’s strengths, recognized how to support any shortcomings, and turned lessons learned into transferable skills in any circumstance.

Honorable Mention

Presenters: Byron Alvarenga-Beech, Ian Berndt, and Jeff LeDoux

Project Title: Age Friendly Seattle Discount Directory

Abstract:

The Human Services Department within the City of Seattle is looking to reimagine its current Age Discount Directory, a database that collects special discounts for those aged 65 and older and/or adults living with disabilities. Our project aims to build a better, more age-friendly Seattle community through strengthening customer relations and expanding access to goods and services to underserved groups or those who may need extra assistance.

The current tools that support the directory are limited and do not encourage a user-friendly experience. In order to make the directory more useful for both businesses and our community of older adults and people living with disabilities, we have built the following:

•  A Discount Directory Map that arranges the businesses into five different categories with matching color distinctions to maintain cartographic integrity and increase map usability. Users are able to view categories one-by-one using a filter widget and will also be able to find directions to businesses from their current location.
• An upgraded Directory List for those that do not wish to use the interactive map and for Seattle businesses that have online exclusive discounts. Similar to our map, this list has filterable categories to help narrow down searches. Additionally, we have included options that can display a chosen business over on the Directory Map or to Google Maps with the destination already filled out. In order to align with our goals of accessibility, this list can be downloaded as a printable pdf document.
• Finally, we have included an updated Directory Business Submission Form for businesses wanting to join the Age Discount Directory. Using Survey 123, this form geolocates the submitted businesses and will automatically categorize, color, and implement the businesses onto the Directory Map after its location is approved by an administrator.

At the 2023     Washington    GIS Conference one of the highlights was the awarding of the Summit Award.  The Summit Award is for the GIS Person of the year and is awarded to a Washington State GIS Professional who has changed the profession in some significant way, been practicing GIS at least 10 years in the state, made a significant contribution to the GIS profession and community and is known for their excellent work and successful projects in GIS.  Generally, they will have volunteered significant time for the profession.   The 2023 awardee, Maria Sevier, is just such a person. Maria has dedicated significant effort to the GIS Community and WAURISA/WAGISA for over 20 years.  Everyone who has worked or volunteered with her knows her energy and enthusiasm towards her profession and it’s community.  I was fortunate to be able to interview Maria in light of her recent award.  Here is that interview:

Congratulations on being the 2023 Summit Award winner!  Can you describe your response to receiving the award?  I was quite surprised when my name was announced and I felt overwhelmed and happy.  I’ve always seen this award as one that goes to people that have made what I see as a big impact on our local GIS community through their hard work and contributions and I’ve never quite seen myself in that same category.  To know that others do is quite humbling.  I feel so blessed to be part of this amazing community and have learned so much from all of you.

Where do you plan to keep the plaque?    The plaque is in my office.

How did you start in the GIS industry and can you describe your GIS journey?  I began my GIS career as an intern for the NW Indian Fisheries Commission during my senior year studying at The Evergreen State College where I completed my degree.  During my final year at university I had the chance to take a yearlong GIS course and was so excited by what I was learning that I knew it was what I wanted to pursue.  After my internship I moved to Vancouver, WA where I then worked for a contract company that managed the GIS for the BLM in Oregon and from there I went on to work for Clark County WA.  A few years later I moved back north to begin working for the City of Lakewood where I stayed for 13 years.  During my tenure at all of these agencies I was able to grow my skills and move from technician to analyst and then a GIS coordinator.  When I left the City of Lakewood I started a small consulting company where I had the chance to work with non-profits, small businesses and government agencies.  In 2020 I started working at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department supporting their COVID response team and where I continue to grow their GIS today.

What kinds of tips do you have for communicating the value of GIS to those outside of the field?  When I talk about the value of GIS I like to focus on sharing a story about how GIS can support making connections and helping to educate people so that they are able to make educated decisions. I’ll often reference all of the different ways in which everyone already uses GIS and then tell a story about how it might have been used to support their work or community.  For me it’s all about sharing in context to the person I’m speaking with and how it might benefit them and their work or life.”

Can you describe an exciting or interesting GIS projects you have worked on?   Working on the COVID response team for TPCHD has been one of the most challenging and exciting experiences that I’ve had in my career.  It was a dynamic and challenging experience with 10-12 hour days 7 days a week.  I had the chance to build a GIS from the ground up during a dynamically changing situation.  I gained new skills, created new friendships and supported my community.

When you are not working on your job, what do you do for fun and relaxation?  I love to travel, garden, knit, work on puzzles, hike, workout and spend time with friends.  In the next year I hope to add music concerts to the list of fun.

What advise do you have for young professionals trying to break into the field?  I always recommend volunteering as a great way to learn and network to help you grow your GIS career.

Do you have any final thoughts on your experience as the Summit winner?  I’m humbled by the recognition and look forward to continue to give back to our GIS community through the coming years.

That ends our interview with Maria Sevier, 2023 Summit Award Winner.  

The Summit award is an annual award presented every year at the Washington GIS Conference, if you know someone who you would like to nominated please Click Here to review the criteria and nominate someone you know.