Qntfii & Harkin Work Together to Provide Reality Capture Services and Education to the New York State Geospatial Community

The two New York State-based firms focus on drone and Lidar technology including SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) applications.

The growth of UAV technology in New York State – particularly the Central New York (CNY) corridor is well documented and has the subject of eSpatiallyNewYork blog articles over the past couple years.  The region is home to a recognized UAV start-up incubator and there have been several news and market analysis articles covering the staggering growth of the industry, including a recent one (sample article available upon request) from Newswires

Two New York State firms in this space doing business together, albeit on the outskirts of the CYN region – one in Albany and the other Long Island:  Qntfill and Harkin.

History

The two initially crossed paths a couple years ago when tasked together on a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) project to map telecom infrastructure within the subway tunnels. However, the project was unfortunately scrapped before the two firms got to doing any actual (drone/laser/what kind) scanning – but it did serve as an introduction to each other’s services and laid the groundwork for many future collaborative efforts. 

Bill Gutelius is the principal at Qntfii who began his journey in the field of reality capture more than 25 years ago.  He transitioned from working with environmental engineering companies to working directly with the manufacturers of LIDAR equipment which at the time was a very emergent remote sensing technology.  He has founded a couple of startup business focused on LiDAR tools for reality capture, most recently starting Qntfi in 2014.  Qntfi is currently partnered with Emesent out of Brisbane Australia, the makers of the Hovermap SLAM LiDAR scanning tool.  Qntfii is an authorized Hovermap LiDAR sensing technology distributor.

Educated as an engineer, Scott Harrigan has served as President of Harkin Aerial since 2016 specializing in data visualization services to engineering, construction, and architectural clients, as well as custom engineered aerial solutions for a variety of industries.   His career path also included serving as a Product Specialist at Virtual Surveyor supporting clients on workflows to create quality CAD data from drone mapping.  He also served as Assistant Director of Long Island Group’s (LIG) Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, overseeing training, recruitment, logistics, and continuing education in UAS technologies for Civil Air Patrol members on Long Island.

Hovermap offers revolutionary advantages to challenging above ground, underground and GPS-denied environments. Underground mines, tunnels, bridges, telecom and transmission towers and many more can now be mapped and inspected safely, without putting staff at risk.

The different, but similar, individual focus and expertise uniquely augments their mutual business development.    Qntfii primarily focuses on handheld/ground level laser scanning, including indoors while Harkin brings drone and aerial data capture to the business equation.  Harrigan also coordinates training and education services as part of their joint work. Even though areas seem uniquely distinct, their services overlap on many projects.  One of their shared goals is to introduce drone, photogrammetry + LIDAR technology in a way that is both easy and cost effective for small-to-medium AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) firms, as well as municipalities at the local town/village level to adopt. 

Selected Projects

Downtown Troy

This was a proof-of-concept project employing a truck-mounted Hovermap to collect street level 3D data of a portion of downtown Troy, NY at 4 AM.  This work was then followed by a couple of short drone flights during the day to collect well-lit imagery that was then processed in a standard photogrammetric software package.  The two datasets were then merged to colorize the LiDAR data from Hovermap. 

Cohoes Power Plant

Power plant operators were  interested in documenting the entire site (including a penstock tube) using LIDAR.   Hovermap played a critical role obtaining 3D data of parts of the plant which would have been impossible or very costly to collect.  In one application, Qntfill and Harking were able to place the Hovermap (secured in a protective aluminum cage) through an insertion point in the penstock tube and then lower it 50-60 feet inside the tube, mapping the geometry and condition of the penstock interior. 

Site Development

A DJI M300 drone with L1 LiDR was utilized by Harkin to produce bare-earth surface and contours for a new development in the Tri-State area.  Data was processed using DJI Terra (LiDAR) and Agisoft Metashape Photogrammetry software to provide up-to-date orthomosaics of the site.

By using the LIDAR-acquired surface, a 3D model was produced from excavation plans to determine the amount of cut and fill of earthwork required onsite.   The 3D model and volume calculations provided by Harkin allowed the site engineer to quickly adjust excavation plans to balance the earthwork onsite, greatly reducing the amount of trucks needed to bring in fill material, or take away excavated material. Cut/Fill calculations, contours, and surface were produced using Virtual Surveyor.  (Both images generated from Virtual Surveyor).

Harbors and Ports

In the Baltimore Harbor, U.S. Navy and commercial port operators were interested in knowing the condition of port/pier infrastructure as very little existing documentation (as-built plans) were available for facility planning purposes.  Qntfii flew a Hovermap drone to identify available space for vessels and equipment, as well as to establish the general configuration of the port(s) and arrangement of vessels currently berthed in the harbor.

Additionally, the two firms have combined on a wide-range of projects in government and industry including, but not limited to, the following: NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Village of New Paltz, NY, Town of Oyster Bay, NY,  U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), and The New York Times.

The drone market will most definitely continue to grow across the New York State, particularly as professional groups continue to come together and work together on common goals”, notes Harrigan who serves as Secretary for the NY chapter of AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International).  The chapter represents unmanned (drones, ROVs, robots) operators and businesses across the state and is probably the largest “drone” specific organization across the U.S.

Summary

“So much of this industry is geared towards “enterprise”,  big cities, and large – systems which requires a lot of manpower, IT, and intensive training to use. Our partnership focuses on bridging the gap to the small and mid-size organizations”, adds Harrigan.  

The two believe users don’t need to be large engineering/surveying firms or a state level department to have a successful drone and reality capture programs.  Both Gutelius and Harkin believe the best impact the UAV technology has is when it is working for smaller organizations.   

Contact

Bill Gutelius
Qntfill, Inc
1-518-406-0055
www.qntfii.co
info@qntfii.com

Scott Harrigan
Harkin Aerial
1-516-584-3035
www.harkin.io
info@harkin.io

Editor’s Note:  The 2024 IEEE Systems and Technologies for Remote Sensing Applications Through Unmanned Aerial Systems (STRATUS) is May 20-22, 2024 in Syracuse, New York

New York State Thruway Authority Drone Program Continues to Soar

Trained and certified operators work closely with state and local agencies in a myriad of data collection and inspection programs

Over the past three years, the New York State Thruway Authority‘s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program has been expanding the application of drone technology across multiple areas of state governments. With support and encouragement from executive leadership coupled with dedicated staff in operations, the program has grown quickly and the benefits continue to be realized. The program is based on a commitment to safety, innovations, and increased government efficiencies.

The use of drones reduces the cost and time of bridge inspections significantly. This image shows the Skydio S2+. Here is a great/short Skydio video on bridge inspections.

From Bridge Inspection to Bird Boxes: A Diverse Program

While the program began by exploring applications for UAS in bridge inspections, opportunities to apply the technology have grown agency-wide. Efforts by the UAS team in 2023 lead to a $1.5 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing
Transportation (SMART) Grant U.S. Department of Transportation as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to update workflows and inspection procedures, and develop exciting capabilities like structural monitoring and digital 3D modeling.

Done missions in the last year has included the UAS team traversing the State of New York to inspect bridge mounted falcon boxes, searching for the presence of beaver in flooded areas, verifying the condition of rock in drill holes more than 40 feet deep for bridge piles, gathering data for corridor mapping along the right-of-ways, and covering commemorative events for media relations.

The drones offer a fast and safe way to survey locations of bird boxes located on Thruway bridges across the state. The process can be done without disrupting the birds versus having an inspector do the work. Using drones for the inspections is much more efficient and cost effective. This bird box is on the Castleton on Hudson Bridge outside of Albany.

Building a Skilled Team: Rigorous Training and Certification

The Thruway’s UAS team of FAA licensed, Part 107 pilots, which now exceeds a dozen, originate from a wide array of professional backgrounds including Land Survey, Environmental Planning, Traffic Management, and Highway Design. The program is currently refining the agency training program, while adhering to Federal, State, and local regulations, offering in-house practice opportunities, and live flight training across the system.  Additionally, the program benefits from the exceptional training programs supplied to state agencies by the NYS Department of Homeland Security. This includes equipping the team with advanced skills and knowledge from Part 107 Test Prep, Basic Flight Operations, Night-Flight Operations, Drone Thermography, and certification classes for Remote Pilot Proficiency Evaluation. With some of the T-pilots certified as Level 1 Thermographers, staff can utilize infrared cameras to analyze concrete and pavement as well as provide support for emergency services for search and rescue and Haz-Mat detection. The Thruway trains along with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Troopers, County Sheriffs, and other first responders at the NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services mostly at the State Preparedness Training Center (SPTC) in Oriskany.

Drone cages have evolved to help protect device propellers in confined spaces, particularly inside structures and infrastructure systems. Here, the Thruway is using drones as part of the inspection process during the construction of bridge footings.

The team also works closely with representatives from Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR). The not-for-profit drone research coalition provides subject matter experts as consultants to ensure that the program keeps up with evolving regulation, as well as testing and showcasing for new drone technologies.

Drone thermal imaging can also be used in a myriad of public safety applications including search and rescue operations.

Tech Exploration: Choosing the Right Tools for the Job

With more and more manufacturers entering the market, hardware options are becoming more specialized for individual tasks. And with the greater availability of hardware and technology options comes the increased scrutiny required to select the right tool for drone-related work. Much of the Thruway drone fleet consists of domestically produced, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant aircraft, in conformance with the Buy American Act. The program also have a specialized drone designed for confined spaces with fully caged rotors and supplemental lighting added. Training drones are inexpensive, durable, in-door only drones that have no flight stability assistance or GPS which new pilots use to develop “stick skills” before progressing to live outdoor flights. The Thruway UAS pilots are always on the look out for the next aircraft which will improve efficiencies in data collection and continue to promote user safety.

Data Acquisition and Processing: After the Landing

While flight time in the field remains the most exciting draw to the program – it’s the data processing portion of the job where the real work is done. Just as hardware options expand, so does the software. As such, Thruway drone staff continue to explore various software platforms for mapping and modeling. Packages like Bentley’s iTwin, and Pix4D are currently in use while the team looks to expand knowledge of other options provided by companies like ESRI’s Site Scan for ArcGIS. The UAS team also continues to collaborate with the Thruway’s internal IT department and the GIS team to create effective data handling solutions for the large datasets created and associated with drone technology.

Summary

Upon creation of the program, the NYS Thruway Authority discovered a coalition of state agencies in New York and beyond which routinely gather and communicate to share experiences and knowledge about the UAS industry. All state agencies operating drone programs meet to train together and explore different aircraft and software platforms. Along the way building a team of drone experts which will promote safe and efficient inter-agency operations. NY State Fire, NY State Police, NYSDEC, NYSDOT, several county sheriffs, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and many other agencies all work together to provide drone support state-wide. In doing so, benefiting from the collective experience and shortening the learning curve. “In addition to reducing costs in data collection and mapping efforts, drones offer new efficiencies and safety benefits to our organization”, notes UAS Department Director and Senior Surveyor, Andrew Kosiba, “Thruway staff continues to identify new uses and applications of the technology as our program branches out wider than we originally thought possible.

Contact:

Joel Kayser, PLS
Land Surveyor & UAS Remote Pilot
NYS Thruway Authority HQ
200 Southern Boulevard
Albany, NY, 12209
Joel.Kayser@thruway.ny.gov

 

10 Questions: Elisabetta (Lis) DeGironimo

Earlier this month it was announced that Lis DeGironimo was appointed New York State’s Geographic Information Officer (GIO). Quite a accomplishment having started her geospatial journey over three decades ago with a copy of MapInfo.  I initiated a conversation with Lis at the end of 2023 which is summarized in the following questions and answers.  The NYS geospatial community is fortunate to have her in this new statewide leadership role.

eSpatiallyNewYork:  How did you get started in geospatial technologies?  

DeGironimo:  My undergrad is in Landscape Architecture from SUNY ESF, so I was very familiar with McHargian overlay analysis for site suitability.  I also always loved computers.  Soon after I started working in the site planning group of a large A&E firm,  I was handed a box of MapInfo software to use for space planning for a military base master plan.  I loved it!  It was my introduction to GIS.  From then on, I started taking courses and eventually went to grad school – also at SUNY ESF –  to pursue a career is GIS.

 eSpatiallyNewYork:  You were with the Mohawk Valley Water Authority for over 20 years.  What were some of your responsibilities there?  

DeGironimo:  At the Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA), I was the GIS and Watershed Coordinator.  Besides being responsible for the GIS/GPS program, I also was responsible for emergency management and water withdrawal reporting.

eSpatiallyNewYork: How did the connection to the NYS GIS Program Office begin?

DeGironimo: At the 2006 NYS GIS Conference in Lake Placid, I was approached by Tom Hart & Dennis Wishman.  They asked if I’d be interested in serving on the NYS GIS Coordinating Body (the precursor to the GAC (Geospatial Advisory Council).  For the next eight years, I attended the quarterly meetings and participated in GIS strategic planning workshops.  The GAC was definitely my favorite professional committee role.  During my GAC tenure, I participated in state-wide GIS strategic planning, and I was blessed with the opportunity to meet some of the legends of the NYS GIS community, such as you!

 eSpatiallyNewYork: What was the biggest challenge stepping into both the Acting GIO and Director of the GIS Program Office position,  and for the most part, managing and directing the program on your own for almost a year and a half? 

DeGironimo: The biggest challenge was learning the scope of the GPO’s involvement.  I’ve been here for 18 months and I’m still learning all the systems in place at NYS.  Building a network within NYS ITS – an organization of over 3,400 people, is a challenge but I’m excited for the opportunity.  Our team expanded about six months after my arrival to include the ITS GIS team that was organizationally located in Shared Data Services.  That part of our GIS team supports many state agencies such as DOT, DEC, Parks, Ag & Markets, and many others.  So in many ways, we are a new organization with an expanded focus.  I’ve spent most of my time focusing on our organization and operations. 

With my recent promotion to GIO, the Deputy GIO (formerly GIS Program Office Director) position opened and we were able to promote Tim Ruhren into the Deputy GIO position.  With Tim’s promotion and his assistance, I look forward to having the time to work more outwardly with our stakeholder community. 

eSpatiallyNewYork:  The GIS Program Office was recast as Geospatial Services in 2023.  What was/is behind this change and name?

DeGironimo:  As I mentioned in my response above, in 2023, the GIS Program Office grew to include all the GIS teams within NYS ITS.  In June 2023, our team moved from a Section in the CTO (Chief Technology Office) to a Bureau with three Sections in the CDO (Chief Data Office).  Our GIS leadership team collaborated on developing a new name and identity.  Our three Sections are: Geospatial Enterprise Services, Geospatial Client Services, and Geospatial Data Services – which houses the framework data programs that comprised the GIS Program Office.

eSpatiallyNewYork: Do you see any changes in the focus of the program over the next several years?  Any movement to become more involved in building additional online applications? (vs publishing data/content)

DeGironimo: We are working on completing a three-year Geospatial Strategic Plan.  Our mission is to deliver geospatial information and capabilities to benefit all of New York – a broad and exciting mission to be sure!  One of the areas we will be bolstering is our governance (organizational, data, web).  We also directly serve many NYS agencies and are working on improving our intake procedures for state agencies requesting services.  I also expect we will publish additional datasets of statewide importance and develop additional public-facing applications.  One of our recent additions is to add a bookmark to our Basic Viewer App.  This bookmark loads a curated set of layers for the surveyor community.

 eSpatiallyNewYork: Any other new major initiatives planned for your office over the next 18-30 months? 

DeGironimo:  We are embarking on a major GIS enterprise architecture modernization project beginning in April.  We are looking to improve physical address geocoding and are exploring address validation.  We also will be modernizing CIRIS (Critical Infrastructure Response Information System) and the Discovery Data NY app.  Internally, we are developing a geospatial service catalog for NYS agencies.

 eSpatiallyNewYork:  Several years ago there was considerable  outreach and promotion by the State GIS program office on NextGen911.    What’s become of this effort?  

DeGironimo: Our team is very active in supporting the NYS entities shepherding NextGen 911 implementation.  Jason Baum, from our team, is co-chair of the GIS Working Group of the State Interoperable & Emergency Communication Board.  Jason also leads our Public Safety GIS Program which serves NYS agencies.  Since GIS is central to NextGen 911, our office will be involved with the implementation. 

eSpatiallyNewYork:  In your new position, what role do you see the Geospatial Advisory Committee (GAC) contributing towards impacting the direction of the services and products offered by your office? 

DeGironimo:  GAC was very involved with our recent Geospatial Strategy workshops and the development of the draft plan.  The GAC will continue to be the voice of our stakeholders.  We are considering adding representatives from the surveying and open-source communities.  We are only scratching the surface of what we can do with the new NYS GIS Clearinghouse.  We will be engaging the GAC to help steer the direction of the Clearinghouse.

eSpatiallyNewYork:  You’re involved with the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) – you having designed the new Institute logo adopted earlier in 2023 – as a board member and involved in their outreach programs.  What’s your sense of the future of the GISP in New York State compared to other certifications and licenses?  

DeGironimo: I think the GISP credential will continue to gain popularity and recognition.  The December 2023 exam had the largest group to sit for the exam.  Our current GISCI Board Chair is another New Yorker,  Dr. Jochen Albrecht.  Jochen is spearheading exploring the development of a “Pre-GISP” credential for new college graduates.  I am a proponent of both of these credentials because of the rigor of the exam ensures a strong GIS knowledge base and commitment to the profession.

eSpatiallyNewYork: Before your career path drifted into the direction of GIS/geospatial, what were your other professional interests?  Ever think of another profession or job that might have been fulfilling as a career?

DeGironimo:  My first love (and college major) was architecture.  I also considered majoring in biomedical engineering.  I do a fair amount of architectural design (2D & 3D), construction, and carpentry.  I love designing and building things, so I’m sure I’d find that fulfilling.  I wish robotics were more of a thing when I was younger – though I may be a UAV pilot for my retirement gig.

 eSpatiallyNewYork:  Sorry, but others want to know – how’s your golf game?

DeGironimo:  Not as good as I’d like it to be, but I hope to remedy that in 2024 as time and weather allow!

Contact:
Elisabetta (Lis) DeGironimo, GISP
NYS Geographic Information Officer
New York State Office of Information Technology Services

 

 

 

5 Barriers to Building GIS Programs in Small Governments in New York State

Some barriers instead might be considered missed opportunities but there continues to be specific issues which stifle geospatial growth

Over my 30+ years of managing the Westchester County GIS program, I worked extensively with local governments across the County.  Forty-three in all, ranging from Yonkers, now the third largest city in New York State to several villages which are little more than one-square mile in size such as Buchanan along the Hudson River with a population of 2,302 (2020 Census). All uniquely different in their attempts – and interests – to build geospatial capacity.  Some have been successful while many others have struggled for a myriad of reasons.  This is particularly true among the 23 villages.

Now “on the other side of the firewall” (thanks, Sue Knauss) and working for myself, I’ve been able to see and work further into the organizational framework of these smaller governments.  Confirming many of the observations I made while working with Westchester County that I believe inhibit the development of building geospatial programs at this level of government. Admittedly, the small Westchester County village just north of the Bronx is different in many ways from a small village in Chemung County and one could argue the sample size is too small to be reflective of the entire state of New York, but I would suggest these obstacles to geospatial development are conceptually very similar across the state.   Furthermore, the term “Village” is not necessarily synonymous with small government as the Village of Port Chester 2020 population here in Westchester County was 31,581 – larger than many towns across the state.  So as a point of reference for this article small governments generally mean those with a population of less than 5,000.  Plus or minus.

GIS implementation “how-to” articles, management and primer books, and cautionary experiences shared by software vendors and consultants often include recognized issues such as budget constraints, limited technical expertise, or the lack of a realistic, phased implementation plan, as major culprits in initiating geospatial efforts.   I experienced and witnessed many of these same reasons, though the following are five specific barriers which I believe have a major impact in building GIS programs in small governments across New York State. 

In no particular order:

  1.  Staff Continuity: On the urban fringes, professional staff, particularly in the front offices, turn over at an amazing rate.  Assistants to Village Administrators, Managers, and department heads/commissioners – those who are often tasked to coordinate or serve as a liaison to special projects covering several departments such as GIS implementation – are often on the move.    And it’s not just in the administrative offices where staff turnover is impactful, but also throughout key program offices and departments which touch on GIS implementation such as planning, assessment, public works, and water departments, among others.     Any successful GIS Manager will tell you one of the most important factors in building the program, or any new government initiative, is staff continuity.  Including those who are in charge of managing consultants involved in helping build the GIS program.  Losses in these areas are often a major setback and derail any progress that may have been made in the GIS effort.  In some cases, losing years of work.  It doesn’t matter how good the implementation plan was or the technology being deployed.  

2.  IT Support:  Many small governments often do not have full-time IT staff and normally contract out for this support.  And with it, much of the focus is on infrastructure items such as the network, desktop and peripheral hardware components, client software installations/upgrades and as is the case in all governments and businesses now – maintaining the firewall and supporting cyber security efforts. These contracts, which are often with smaller IT firms, rarely include the support or guidance on multi-department applications such as geospatial programs which increasingly include mobile applications and its peripheral components.  This is not to say smaller IT firms cannot support GIS, it’s just not normally in their wheelhouse.   In small governments, needed GIS support from IT resources for a “government-wide perspective” is often extremely limited.

3.  Software Application Silos:    In small governments where there is often an absence of an overarching “IT committee” and/or the like, as well as combined with the lack of full-time IT staff as noted above, it is not uncommon for individual departments to be left to themselves to make their own business software decisionsAnd as software vendors continue to push for and offer cloud-based/browser only solutions for their software products, it is even easier for individual departments and programs to go rogue and operate further in obscurity from the primary or seemingly “adopted” computing environments in the organizationIn fact, it’s not uncommon for IT support in small governments (I’ve even seen this at the City level) to not even know what browser-based business solutions some departments are using on a day-to-day basis.

What makes this difficult in the GIS space is that practically all business software solutions now include some kind of “mapping” component –  if only to render the application data on some form of generic base map.  Most often Google Maps.   Often the user interface even includes the term “GIS” when simply viewing program data on a map – this being the extent of the “GIS” functionality.  And if and when the broader discussion of a GIS for the government is ever started, these same departments are slow, if ever, to join the effort.  Not knowing the larger intricacies and benefits of a shared, multi-department GIS program – the response is normally  “We already have a GIS“.  Little interest in the shared data model, to say the least of a common address file which most business software products normally ship  to support geocoding.  This cloud-only software application delivery model (mobile apps, too) is very common now in local government permitting, code enforcement, inspections, and even public safety disciplines to name just a few.

If it’s not broken, they are not going to try and fix it.  Let alone spend more money.  Making it very difficult to garner interest for a government-wide discussion on a unified GIS solution.  

4.  VIPs with an Attitude:    That may sound a little harsh, but the fact of the matter is that  just one dominant personality in small governments can impact the  decision making process over a wide range of internal technology issues – not just GIS.  Such individuals exist in all levels of government, but in smaller ones, where staff are few in numbers and  VIPs normally being senior staffers – frequently with decades of service – his or her opinion is often unquestioned.  Your first onsite meeting with folks who are genuinely interested in the GIS goes well – that’s why you’re there in the first place.  But during the second or third on-site meeting which is held to take a deeper dive into the concept – the VIP with an Attitude shows up out of nowhere acting like Lord Vadar.  Often packing a lightsaber.

Because of their decades of institutional knowledge, they have been ordained to know what is best for the good of the order.   Even if he or she isn’t even directly involved in geospatial.  Like a good defense lawyer, raising just an iota of doubt on what is deemed such a good idea by so many others.

Magically the VIPs have the ear of the Budget Director, Comptroller, Finance Director, fellow high ranking directors, or highest elected official.  Or the Town Board.  And so forth.  Across the municipal landscape they can be found in one of many program areas:  Public Works, Finance, Building Department, maybe a small Planning office, or even a long standing consultant who isn’t even on the payroll.  For whatever reason, he or she feels threatened by the technology which is being considered and increasingly adopted elsewhere.    Particularly if the VIP has not taken the time to understand the benefits that geospatial programs can bring.

But it’s not going to happen while they are still around and/or have something to say about it.  In my hometown, early GIS efforts were thwarted by the Receiver of Taxes.  Yes, Receiver of Taxes.  Largely because this office was responsible for “computer related” expenditures.  And nothing was going to compromise his/her annual computer software and hardware needs.  To this day, the program has never gotten on track.

There is really no good solution for the VIP with an Attitude problem in small governments. Sometimes retirement and attrition takes care of the problem though this may take years.  A change in administration sometimes helps, but in small governments new administrators rarely question long standing, senior staff members.  If anything they embrace the input and advice of VIPers.

And the beat goes on.  

5,  Consulting Engineers: Small governments often do not have a professional engineer on staff and normally contract out needed engineering services.  Engineering firms, whether small or large, which secure these services can have a profound impact on the use and development of GIS in small governments.  Though many small governments today do not see or consider their consulting engineers in this capacity.  Most aren’t even aware of the possible connection.

Back in the day of desktop/client GIS solutions, such support by consulting engineers was unrealistic.  But now, with easy-to-use cloud-based offerings such as ArcGIS Online, consulting engineers, along with their arsenal of AutoCAD related products and technologies, can simply envelope this “GIS service” into annual support services contracts.  At many levels of government, and particularly true in smaller ones, consulting engineers come in contact with all types of municipal geospatial data.   While infrastructure data (storm, sanitary, water distribution systems) are often the most obvious, consulting engineers duties also often include staffing local Planning Boards, serving as a liaison to utilities and a myriad of regional, state, and federal programs which include geospatial connections, as well as being involved in a host of local surveying and land/property record issues.    Depending on the in-house GIS resource capacity the consulting engineer maintains and the licensing agreement with the software vendor,  consulting engineers can offer a range of GIS capabilities to get small governments started for minimal investments. 

The reasons are many why this connection is not more common, but this “barrier” is more of a business relationship that more small governments should try and leverage with their consulting engineers.  There are positive and long term benefits for each party.   

Summary

At the end of the day, yes, the scale of small government operations and the scope of the geographical area covered may not seem to justify the investment in a comprehensive geospatial program.  Leading to a perception among the local elected officials, perhaps even department heads, that the benefits may not outweigh the costs.  Though the path I took in and out local government buildings, a basic lack of education and awareness of the geospatial benefits was still always an issue.  Particularly among the highest elected official and governing boards.  But it doesn’t stop there as I believe there still continues to be a significant lack of awareness or understanding of the broad spectrum of geospatial technologies among elected state representatives as well.    

For years, I’ve passively monitored the websites of New York State Association of Towns and New York Conference of Mayors as a source of ideas for articles for this blog.  Both organizations represent elected officials (including council members, boards, clerks and other municipal staff members as well) and are an excellent source of advocacy for small government programs and funding where geospatial technologies can be applied (i.e., transportation, infrastructure, public safety, environmental protection, etc).   Even New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) for the most rural of our state counties serves in this capacity as well.  If one takes the time to drive around and research each of the association websites, including using key word search tools, there is little reference to GIS or geospatial technologies.  Or for that matter, little of the technologies that geospatial is wrapped into. 

These organizations would be an excellent source of geospatial awareness at their newly elected training programs or annual conferences – which are extensive.  Helping connect geospatial to the programs they fund and how the tools are applied locally.   (For this article I looked for similar training sessions for newly elected New York Assembly members but could not find any specific programs).  Perhaps an opportunity for organizations like the NYS GIS Association or our emerging academic programs to provide training session/seminars to these associations.

There will continue to be exceptions, but until the opportunities and awareness of geospatial technologies are better understood, small government GIS programs in New York State will continue to struggle.

GIS and Mapping Activities at Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains

While traditional trail maps (hardcopy and digital) are still paramount and important, Mohonk Preserve uses GIS for environmental and facility management purposes as well.

 Mohonk Preserve is a nature preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains in Ulster County consisting of over 8,200 acres of cliffs, forests, fields, ponds and streams, and a wide range of unique environmental habitats. It also has over 70 miles of carriage roads and trails for hiking, cycling, trail running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. It is also a major destination for rock climbers in the eastern United States. The Preserve is New York State’s largest nonprofit nature preserve with an estimated 300,000 visitors annually.

Map making and cartography are still particularly important skillsets at Mohonk
Preserve given the focus on trail use and rock-climbing activities. This is the
wayfinding or locator map that is on the ground (board attached to post) at the intersection of
Crag Trail and Northeast Trail, near the base of the Bonticou Crag Scramble.

Due to its rich biological diversity, New York State’s Shawangunk Mountains (a.k.a the “Gunks”) is one of the most important sites for conservation in the northeastern United States. Because of the many rare natural communities and species found here, the New York Natural Heritage Program ranked the Shawangunks highest in biological diversity. The northern Shawangunk Mountains support 42 state rare species, eight state rare ecological communities, and three globally rare ecological communities in a forested landscape surrounded by residential housing and agricultural uses. Geospatial technologies have supported many government and non-profit-led scientific efforts and studies in the region for years.

Current GIS Applications

Since the early 2000s Preserve staff have been using GIS to inventory and map rare species and habitats in ArcGIS, as well as a wide range of recreational trail maps and related products. Leading the current and most recent use of GIS at Mohonk Preserve is Ed Pestone who serves as Land Protection and GIS Manager. Pestone’s geospatial toolbox includes: ArcGIS client (Map/Pro), ArcGIS Online, Field MapsSurvey 123, and Quick Capture.  Helping support higher accuracy field data collection, support staff also use Bad Elf GNSS Surveyor with real time kinematic (RTKpositioning. For the final rendering of maps and cartographic products, staff use several of the apps found in the Adobe Creative Cloud platform.

In recent years, Pestone and the entire Preserve staff have embarked on a major redesign of the preserve-wide map which was a nearly 20-year-old, hand drawn map by artist Jack Fagan. While still functional, the Fagan map was missing several elements both staff and visitors felt needed to be included in an updated map. Approaching the update with a focus on “wayfinding” – in both the hardcopy and digital format – the new map would include new trailheads, new lands acquired by the Preserve, emphasize and better symbolize elevation, and be a product which could be used at trailheads and widely distributed (color and greyscale versions). It was also hoped and intended that the new map would reduce the number of lost hikers. It was an incredibly comprehensive and inclusive redesign effort which is documented in this Hudson Valley online news journal article. A more comprehensive overview of the project is included in the YouTube video from a 2021 inhouse webinarA geo-referenced version of the new map is available for the Avenza app which can be accessed using this link.

At the request of Preserve Rangers, redesign of the new map included the production of a
greyscale fold-up version which is broken into a “Southern Section” on one side and a Northern Section” on the other (not shown). Rangers wanted an easy to reproduce map that could be given out for free on the trails to hikers and other recreationists.

Geospatial Data

The Preserve data catalog includes an extensive range of both
natural/environmental, cultural, and human-made geographic features. Mobile data collection efforts have collected built environment datasets such as culverts, bridges, signage, waterbars, trailheads, buildings, and parking lots. A majority of this current data was collected in Field Maps by our 2021 Scheuer Intern. The Preserve's carriage roads/trails (as well as the Preserve boundary) are publicly available on ArcGIS Online, they are also both on ESRI vector basemaps through the Community Maps Program. Environmental datasets include forest types (including forest health plots) protected lands, deer and land management units, and significant habitats/species (contributed by both NY Heritage Program and Preserve staff). GIS mapping has also been used to document the locations of rock shelters, historic building foundations, and burial grounds, as well as in support of mapping (courses, mile markers, and aid stations) for special events
such as the Shawangunk Grit. Just a sample of the man-made features mapped at the Preserve include, but not limited to, 356 interpretive signs, 288 trail/directional signs, 290 culverts, 43 gates, 156 waterbars, and 148 traffic/parking signs among others.

Two of the many man-made and cultural features inventoried in the Preserve using ArcGIS Field
Maps by seasonal staff: historic building foundations (left) and cemeteries (right).

Local data such as parcel, surface water, and zoning datasets are
obtained from Ulster County GIS.  GIS work at the Preserve also
leverages data from many sources including the NYS GIS Clearinghouse, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conversation, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, as well as CUGIR at Cornell University, U.S.G.S (national wetlands inventory, National Hydrology Dataset [NHD], and digital elevation data), the Nature Conservancy, and Scenic Hudson. Quite a list.

Pin Oaks (Quercus palustris) are an important tree species on the Preserve often bordering some
of the most historic carriage roads. Many of the oaks along carriage roads are at or nearing
their general life span. The Preserve has mapped the location of the Pin Oaks monitoring and
documenting the condition of trees at least once annually (leaf off for photos) using Field Maps.
Work such as cabling, pruning and removing some of the trees is involved in the management
program.

Summary

“Mapping and GIS are integral parts in all aspects of managing the built and natural environment at Mohonk Preserve” notes Pestone. He adds “In the future we see expanding use geospatial technologies by both seasonal and full-time staff and with our collaborating agencies. I anticipate no shortage of uses and applications.”

Contact:

Ed Pestone
GIS and Land Projects Manager
Mohonk Preserve
epestone@mohonkpreserve.org

 

Mesonet Collects High-Accuracy Weather Data for Mapping and Data Visualization Applications

University at Albany Program Hosts Third Annual Symposium September 13-14

Background

In April 2014, the State of New York in collaboration with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services funded the University at Albany to design, install, and operate the NYS Early Warning Weather Detection System. The centerpiece of the system is the New York State Mesonet (NYSM) network of 126 weather stations across the state, with at least one site in every county and borough. Each of the Mesonet’s 126 weather stations collects observations of surface temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, solar radiation, atmospheric pressure, snow depth, and soil moisture and temperature at three depths (5, 25, and 50 cm). Each site is also outfitted with a camera that collects still images.

In addition, several sub-networks of specialty sites have been deployed. A Profiler Network of 17 sites, which leverages LiDAR technology, provides additional atmospheric data in the vertical (up to 6 miles above ground); a Flux Network of 17 stations monitors the surface energy and a Snow Network of 20 sites which measures snow water content. Operated by the University at  Albany, the New York State Mesonet collects, archives, and processes data in real-time every five minutes, feeding weather prediction models and decision-support tools for users across the greater New York region. The NYS Mesonet implementation is part of the larger National Mesonet Program. NYSM is a cross-disciplinary team supporting a standard of excellence in delivering high-quality weather data across the Empire State.

The Mesonet network includes stations in all 62 New York State counties including the five boroughs of New York City

Metadata is provided for each site including lat/long, local landscape characteristics, pictures, elevation, soil classification, among other items.  Adjacent variables, such as obstructions, are reflected in a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) rating which indicates that the site’s surrounding environment may cause uncertainty in the data.

Detailed metadata is available for each station across the Mesonet network which can be used in supporting local weather-related mapping and analysis applications

Data and Geospatial Products

NYSM utilizes these high quality weather data to create end products designed for use by government, academic, and with commercial partners. NYSM supports solving real-world problems in agriculture, emergency management, energy, transportation and protecting public health. Much of the mapping and data visualization products on the Mesonet site is the responsibility of Nathan Bain, Sr. Software Engineer, NYS Mesonet, University at Albany, SUNY.  “The core set of software products I use in publishing content on the website include OpenLayers, python scripting, REACT for website development, and Highcharts for interactive time-series plots and line graphs.”

According to Bain, frequent users of the data are the National Weather Service, New York State Department of Health, New York State Department of Environment of Environmental Conservation, a variety of forensic meteorological companies, and private citizens.  Forty-four maps are updated every five minutes as presented on this page.

24-hour temp change is one of the many maps which is refreshed every five minutes on the Mesonet website

Mesonet field station data can be requested by completing and agreeing to the terms found in the Data Request Form. Data can be delivered in either NetCDF (network Common Data Form) which is a format for storing multidimensional scientific data (variables) such as temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, and direction. Each of the variables can be displayed through a dimension (such as time) in ArcGIS by making a layer or table view from the netCDF file. Data can also be delivered in normal CVS  format. Today’s weather statistics are available here. One interactive mapping application which Mesonet publishes “live” is its Transportation app showing the weather variables from sites along the NYS Thruway.

While many of the Mesonet Thruway weather stations are located in western New York near Buffalo, real-time data is collected as far east as Oneida.

September 2023 Conference

The Third Annual New York State (NYS) Mesonet Symposium will be held on 13-14 September 2023 at UAlbany’s ETEC building. Similar to previous symposiums, this will be a chance for people from academia, government, and the private sector to present on research and operational applications of the NYS Mesonet data. While in-person participation registration has been closed, those interested in participating via Zoom can use this link and a copy of the September agenda including presenters and participating organizations is available here.

Contact:

Nathan Bain
Software Engineer
NYS Mesonet
University at Albany
nbain@albany.edu

Engage New York Puts Nonprofits and Community-Based Service Providers on the Map

Application identifies similar focused programs across the state which can support funding and philanthropic efforts

While the cost and ease of entry into web mapping has come down significantly over the past several years, many organizations – particularly nonprofits and community based programs – still do not have the capacity to create or support their own web mapping program.  While it’s easy enough to create a basic web presence and business profile with Google,  smaller, more community service focused programs can often gain wider exposure as part of larger, more thematic based web mapping applications.  When carefully assembled and exposed to the right audiences, these same mapping services are now serving to reach philanthropic programs looking to support nonprofit efforts and expand their geographic funding footprint.

The 10 Engage New York regions are consistent with the New York State Economic Development Regions

One such web map is Engage New York.  Launched in 2021, this interactive map is intended to constitute and visually represent  the Empire State nonprofit landscape which is critical to foundations and nonprofit leaders in supporting community-based initiatives  The initial map included over 300 organizations which categorizes their services as well as identifying the geographic area where they’re located and working.   It is intended to be used by nonprofit leaders and funding organizations to build relationships, strengthen interregional networking, identify geographic gaps in the nonprofit ecosystem and aid place-based nonprofits to find peers and colleagues working on similar issues in other regions of the state. The map is the work of the organization of the same name – Engage New York (ENY).

After reinvigorating the network in 2018 and focusing on issues including immigration and safe and healthy housing, ENY in 2020 moved to support movements and movement leaders throughout New York State that were organizing communities impacted by injustice. Engage New York Program Manager Lisa Fasolo Frishman comments “We know that all of the issue areas are intersectional and it is more important for us as a network to support leaders and movements that are inclusive of voices that are often excluded from advocacy efforts particularly in underserved and rural areas. Census 2020 and redistricting work has been a pivotal area for us because representation matters, and we are committed to ensuring communities impacted by injustice are seen and heard.”

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10 Questions: ChatGPT for New York State GIS

I thought I was going to get out in front of all the ChatGPT for GIS discussion for the New York State GIS community, but that turned out to be off by a magnitude of sorts.  YouTube is already replete with ChatGPT for GIS tutorials and if we wait until next week there will probably be another ChatGPT alternative.  (I found the Matt Forrest YouTube video a good ChatGPT for GIS intro – actually formed a question after one of his examples).  Even Amazon jumped into the frey recently with their Amazon Bedrock option.  Take your pick, Bing Chat, Chatsonic, YouChat, Google Bard (available via a waiting list) and a whole host of others on the market in 2023. 

No, the robots aren’t taking over and I suspect we won’t see any of the early Terminator Cyberdyne Systems androids applying for your local GIS Analyst position anytime soon – though it might be a solution for those long dreadful digitizing jobs in the cart lab.  One way or another, Chatbot AI technology is definitely here to stay, evolve, and become another piece of the geospatial toolbox.  

Nothing specific or implied in any the questions.  Just random chains of thought though it does take a little getting used to putting the questions together vs. a basic Google search.  And it does seem to help to refresh and ask the same question twice – or even three times – to get more detailed results.  Never was a programmer, so a little short on questions in that space.

A lot here.  Actually 17 questions in all.  Straight copy and paste. Skim through as you want – find a topic/question you might be interested in.  There are tons more which could have been included.

Without any further adieu, my first machine interview: 

eSpatiallyNewYork:  What freshwater fish datasets are best for mapping fish population based on water depth in the Great Lakes?

ChatGPT:  There are several freshwater fish datasets that can be useful for mapping fish populations based on water depth in the Great Lakes. Here are a few options:

  1. Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS) – This dataset provide information on the movements and behaviors of tagged fish in the Great Lakes.  It includes data on depth, temperature, and location, which can be used to create maps of fish populations based on water depth.
  2. Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) – The GLFC maintains a database of fish populations in the Great Lakes.  This dataset includes information on fish specifies, size, and location, which can be used to map fish population based on water depth.
  3. Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA) – GLENDA is a comprehensive database of environmental data for the Great Lake region.  It includes information on water depth,  temperature, and environmental factors that can be used to map fish populations.
  4. USGS Great Lakes Science Center – The USGS Great Lakes Science Center conducts research on fish populations in the Great Lake and maintains a database of fish surveys.  This dataset includes information on fish species, abundance, and location which can be used to map fish populations based on water depth.

Ultimately, the best freshwater fish dataset for mapping fish populations based on water depth in the Great Lakes will depend on the specific research question and the type of analysis being conducted.

eSpatiallyNewYork:  To what degree of accuracy can I map features from New York State orthophotography?

ChatGPT:  The degree of accuracy with which you can map features from New York State orthophotography depends on various factors such as the resolution of the imagery, the accuracy of the ground control points used for georeferencing, and the skill and expertise of the analyst.

New York State orthophotography typically has a resolution ranging from 0.5 to 1 meter, which means that individual features such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure can be identified and mapped with a reasonable level of accuracy. However, mapping smaller features such as individual trees, shrubs, or small structures may be more challenging, as these features may not be visible at this resolution.

The accuracy of mapping also depends on the quality of the georeferencing. The accuracy of the ground control points used for georeferencing should be of a similar or higher resolution than the orthophotography itself. This ensures that the imagery is correctly aligned with the ground, allowing for accurate measurements and mapping.

The skill and expertise of the analyst are also critical factors in the accuracy of mapping features from orthophotography. A trained analyst with experience in image interpretation and feature extraction techniques can accurately identify and map features with a high degree of accuracy.

Overall, mapping features from New York State orthophotography can provide a reasonable degree of accuracy for larger features such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. However, mapping smaller features may require higher resolution imagery or other sources of data. It is always important to validate and verify the accuracy of the mapping results through ground truthing and other quality control measures.

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March 2023: Tax Parcel Data Sharing in New York State

Half of New York’s Counties now make parcel data available for free through Open Data efforts though barriers in specific governments still need to be overcome before statewide data is available

Not too long ago, I was communicating with a colleague about how some governments still, in 2023, continue to charge or license tax parcel data.  At first, somewhat amazing considering how far the Open Data movement has come over the past 10-15 years across the Empire State.  As recently as late 2022, information from the NYS GIS Program Office, which monitors the availability and sharing of tax parcel data statewide, shows that nearly 50 percent of NYS counties are making tax parcel data available for free through various means.  Great strides being made perhaps suggesting that one day the barriers prohibiting the sharing of parcel data across the entire will finally be nonexistent?   And that the gripes and complaints I was sharing in conversation with my colleague would go away.

Or maybe not.

Since November 2022, this map has been updated and NYS GPO now notes that half of the statewide counties currently share tax parcel data

Issue Was Discussed Early On – What Happened?

In the early days of statewide GIS development (circa 1990s) the GIS community was fortunate to have Bob Freeman, former Executive Director of the New York State Commitee on Open Government (COOG) participating in the growth of the GIS movement.    Bob seemingly recognizing and witnessing the formation of a technology which would have a tremendous impact on government records and data.  Almost knowing that as part of the new technology, digital versions of data would become just as important or even more valuable than hardcopy format.  He was involved in statewide GIS conferences and contributed in many ways.    All said and done, he was a staunch advocate of making GIS data available – largely long before the “Open Data” concept was framed.

I was only able to find a few of his opinions searching the COOG archives and ultimately reached out to the current COOG Executive Director Shoshana Bewlay to both bring to her attention of governments still charging for tax parcel data as well as to see if she, or her staff, might be interested in revisiting the issue.  I heard back promptly from  Kristin O’Neill, Assistant Director who was kind enough to send me a link to all of the COOG opinions (7) which included “GIS”.  The links to all of the GIS-related opinions are below which can either be read through in its entirety or skimmed-over.   There is a lot here some of which is better interpreted by an attorney.  7507, 11230, 13575, 14366, 15058, 15695, 19246.  Looking back, I’m not sure why I thought the issue had gone further along in the legal system and had been resolved to a more definitive degree. But these few opinions suggest otherwise.  

More than once, COOG responded to the question/issue of an individual or organization questioning the basis of a government organization either selling or licensing tax parcel data.  And in general, each time, the COOG response – or opinion – was the same noting that electronic records (digital) records are no different than hardcopy records and should be made available at the cost of duplication.  (Keeping in mind original Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) costs of duplication were originally based on hardcopy records (i.e., for example 25-cents per page) and did not/does not have specific rates for digital data duplication.  Today, staff time, tapes, etc., can be included in the charge. However, since COOG opinions are advisory in nature only in context of FOIL, the early inquiries did not result in any formal legal challenge being launched on any level against any entity with regard to the selling of tax parcel data.   Suffolk County early on became involved in litigation on licensing/copyright issues (referenced in one of the opinions) which is still in place today.  But by the late 1990s, the selling of tax parcel data was in place and had become business as usual.  It seems the geospatial community is no further along in “the challenge” to the selling or licensing of tax parcel data than we were some thirty years ago.

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GeoSpatial Student Spotlight: Collin O’Connor

PhD Candidate/Geography                               June 2025 (Anticipated)
Department of Geography
University at Buffalo                                                                                Buffalo, NY

M.S. Epidemiology                                             May 2020
School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
University of Albany                                                                                 Albany, NY

B.S. Biological Sciences                                    May 2018
Department of Biological Sciences
University at Albany                                                                                 Albany, NY

Research Focus

O’Connor’s doctoral research focuses on the spatial ecology and epidemiology of tick borne diseases in New York State. In particular, his dissertation work examines two genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the pathogen that causes anaplasmosis. Anaplasmosis is the second most frequent tick borne disease in New York State behind Lyme disease.  An August 2021 article in Medscape reported Anaplasma cases nearly quadrupled statewide from 2010 to 2018.  On a larger scale, Anaplasmosis became a nationally notifiable disease in the United States during 1999 after nationwide case counts increased significantly. Most of these infections occur in the upper midwestern and northeastern states, with eastern New York and the Hudson River Valley areas being of particular focus and concentration.

It comes as no surprise that confirmed Anaplasmosis are the highest during the summer months when people are active in the outdoors.

Background

O’Connor started his research on anaplasmosis while working on his masters degree at UAlbany with a team of other public health researchers and scientists in both academia and government. Their ongoing and collective research focuses on evaluating human risk of acquiring anaplasmosis (as well as Lyme Disease, babesiosis and other tickborne diseases) at publically accessible lands, based on measures of tick density and pathogen prevalence. Central to the investigation is looking at the relationships between human activity and environmental characteristics of specific land cover types supporting mammalian populations which serve as both transmitters and hosts of the A. phagocytophilum pathogen.

O’Connor’s research involves numerous datasets as part of his research, most notably human case data – which is analyzed at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level –  as reported to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Data is aggregated by NYS regions (Capital, Central, Metro, and Western) and ZCTA by using patient address and 2010 US Census population data and shapefiles.

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