GIS Inventory (powered by Ramona) version 2.0

The nationwide GIS inventory tool formerly known as Ramona has seen a release of version 2.0.  This version was released back on October the 14th and has seen several improvements and modifications.

The latest version of NSGIC 's GIS inventory tool includes a few upgrades and improvements, including faster and more dependable web-hosting, enhanced tools for both the users and the state-level administrators, and improved integration with the federal government's Geospatial One-Stop (GOS).  There are a few cosmetic issues addressed as well, including a new design and color scheme.



Ramona is produced by the National States' Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) as a tool for states and their partners. Its primary purpose is to track the status of GIS in US state and local government to aid the planning and building of Spatial Data Infrastructures. Ramona is designed to work in concert with Geospatial One-Stop, and was prepared by NSGIC under award NA04NOS4730011 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.


For those of you here in Iowa who haven't visited the Iowa node (http://ia.gisinventory.net ) in some time, feel free to take this opportunity to check back in and learn more about the inventory tools available.  For new users, an account is free and simple to setup.  Here in Iowa we had an initial rush of users sign-up but that number has stagnated a bit over the last year or so.  Either way, if you need some assistance with the site or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Brad Cutler for assistance.

Additional information about RAMONA is available online: About RAMONA 

Imagery for the Nation Update

For those of you who haven't seen the announcement, the cost-benefit analysis conducted on the Imagery for the Nation Initiative is completed and available for your review.

The complete CBA can be accessed via this link.

NSGIC also had a conference call briefing to run through some of the highlights of the initiative and a copy of that presentation can be viewed here.

A couple of things to note in the proposal that have interest here in Iowa. The first has to deal with examining the alternatives.

The alternative that will be moving forward is the one that follows the original IFTN concept except that it identifies an optional 50% cost share from States to trigger the production of the 1-foot program. Remember that the original IFTN concept has 1-meter NAIP acquisition occuring annually to work in concert with the 1-foot program.

The second is for groups across Iowa to start thinking how IFTN might impact their future imagery acquisition needs and processes. How might a scenario work out?

Imagery for the Nation Update

NSGIC is planning a series of updates to keep people informed about progress on the Imagery for the Nation Iinitiative.

The current document can be found here.

The next one will be issued at the end of July. It will briefly summarize the results of the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and provide other relevant information.

2006 NSGIC State Summaries are now posted

The 2006 State Summaries prepared for the NSGIC Annual Conference are now posted to the NSGIC website.

Individual state summaries are downloadable as pdf documents or, you can click on the link to download the survey results from the Survey Monkey link (just above the US map).