**GeoSpatial Task Group**

**Meeting Notes**

**April 15-17, 2003**

**Denver, CO**

### Meeting sponsored by US Fish and Wildlife Service 

# Attendees

BIA: Luther Arizana

BLM: Janis Reimers, Katy Hipke, and Susan Goodman

NPS: Brian Sorbel

FWS: Ken Bottle

USGS: Liz Lile and Mike Hutt

USFS: Dorothy Albright and Joe Frost

Eastern States: Sue McLellan, Florida

Western States: Skip Edel, Colorado

IRMWT Liaison: Andrea Olson, FWS

Guests:

Steve Gregonis, USFS

Judy Crosby, IRM-PMO

Doug Stephens, NPS

Dave Hammond, NPS

Jim Kelton, FWS

Lisa Warnecke

Greg Hill

Tom Sadowski, BLM

# Next GTG Meeting: Anchorage -- July 29-31, hosted by NPS

**Next Conference Call**: June 10^th^

**Fire Congress GTG Meeting**: Orlando -- November 17, 2003

# Agencies Updates -- The following is a round robin discussion of recent happening from each of the agencies that belong to the GTG:

# USFS

## Summary of Forest Service GIS Conference

The Forest Service GIS Conference was held in Colorado Springs from
April 8-10, 2003. The conference had many different kinds of
presentations from remote sensing to Forest Service Centric presentation
on INRIS (Natural Resource Information System). This conference had
presenters from several different agencies including a presentation from
USGS on the National Map
([http://nationalmap.usgs.gov](http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/)). John
Varner gave a presentation on the new ICS application in ArcGIS.
Fourteen different State Governments sent representative to the
conference.

## GIST Class

GIST Class was held in Sacramento April 8-10, 2003. 50 individuals were
trained. Dorothy Albright handed out CDs of the training course. This
class was the last for the California cadre.

[GTAG (Geospatial Training Advisory Group)]{.underline}

A new group called the GTAG (Geospatial Training Advisory Group) has
taken over the GIST training. Dorothy Albright is the GTG representative
on that group.

**GTG Action**: Recommended GTAG as a Task Group under the NWCG Training
group.

## Leasing GIS Equipment for Fires

Dorothy Albright is working on leasing of PCs that will come with
ArcGIS.

# USGS

## GeoMAC

USGS is still hosting GeoMAC at
[http://www.geomac.gov](http://www.geomac.gov/) The business lead for
GeoMAC is Nancy Lull, BLM-NIFC Public Affairs, and the project manager
is Janis Reimers.

## GTG Inventory Form

USGS is hosting the GTG Inventory Form. The results of the inventory
will be given to GAO.

## USGS Handouts

USGS handed out information on LandFire, Integrated Fire in the Rocky
Mountains, Burn Severity, Fire Ecology in the Southeast. Information on
these projects can be found at:

-   <http://edc2.usgs.gov/fsp/burn_severity_assess.asp>

-   <http://www.landfire.gov/>

-   <http://www.fcsc.usgs.gov/Fact_Sheets/snyderflier.pdf>

## 

## RMACC (Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center) Project

USGS is working with RMACC to pre-stage GIS data. Handed out a list of
data individuals can order. A web site is being developed which will
display data layers identified by the GACC and will contain a data
ordering form. Expected release of the site is late May.

## Fire Potential Index

Jacki Klaver is the business contact for Fire Potential Index. The site
is located at: <http://firescience.cr.usgs.gov/html/Klaver_abs.html>.
The Fire Potential Index is posted daily. The audience of this site is
predictive services.

[Burn Severity Mapping (EROS Data Center (EDC))]{.underline}

Discussed Park Service/EDC website. Focus of this website is more on
monitoring and long-term fire effects after the fire. RSAC (Remote
Sensing Applications Center) creates products for BAER teams and RSAC's
focus has been to produce products in a timely manner. Both EDC and RSAC
products were received well last year. RSAC and EDC have set up an
agreement the RSAC will covers USDA Forest Service requests and EDC will
cover DOI agency request. One stop shopping for all Federal agencies has
been set up at:
[www.fs.fed.us/eng/rsac/baer/#](http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/rsac/baer/).

# NPS

[Geospatial Data Standards]{.underline}

NPS has been working on data standards. The following are standards that
NPS is in the process of completing:

1.  Condition Class

2.  Fire History

3.  Fire Regime

4.  

It was noted that USDA Forest Service Missoula Fire Lab would be
creating methodology for determining condition class and fire regime.

## National Geographic TOPO! DRGs

NPS is contracting with National Geographic to provide TOPO! DRGS for
incident support in states not supported by the BLM FTP site and USGS
data ordering process. There will be no value added updates for roads,
etc. GIST (GIS Technician) could order this. The cost will probably be
\$10.00 per quad.

## FirePak Update

Daily fire perimeters can now be attributed in ArcGIS via NPS Firepak
(http://www.nps.gov/gis/applications/new_apps.html) and ArcPAD via
ESRI's Mobile Fire Mapper Applet
(<http://arcscripts.esri.com/details.asp?dbid=12747>). . ArcGIS version
can be customized and comes with a help document and installation
instruction.

# BLM

## Resource Tools Conference

Resource tools conference is formally known as BLM's GIS conference. The
name was changed to broaden the scope to get more resource personnel to
the conference. There will be a Fire GIS Tract at the conference.
Presentation topics are located at
[www.blm.gov/conf2003](http://www.blm.gov/conf2003). There were more
individuals that wanted to present than there was space.

## FTP site 

Dave Wilson has created a ftp site at:
[ftp://ftp.nifc.gov](ftp://ftp.nifc.gov/). The site contains data that
can be downloaded by GIST to be used on fires in the Western U.S. and
Alaska. Also GIST can upload individual fire data to the site.
Information on how the site maybe used is on the ftp site.

## Burn Severity

BLM has provided USGS' EDC with funding for the burn severity program.
Information about requesting products is listed under NPS's Update.

## State Contacts

All BLM state offices now have a Fire GIS contract.

[]{.mark}

## Predictive Service Website

Katy Hipke has been working on an ArcIMS Predictive Service application
for NICC (National Interagency Coordination Center). It is anticipated
that the GACCs (Geographic Area Coordination Centers) will be able to
use this application too.

[GeoMAC]{.underline}

Nancy Lull is business lead and Janis Reimers is the project manager.
Funding for GeoMAC came out of Interior's Office of Wildland Fire
Coordination.

## Fire History Site

NSTC (National Science and Technology Center) tasked a contractor to
build an ArcIMS interface for the Federal fire occurrence data. The site
is located at:
[http://www.firehistory.blm.gov/firehistory/index.html](http://www.firehistory.blm.gov/)

# FWS 

## Listserv

Developed a listserv. The listserv is intended for the discussion of FWS
Fire-GIS issues and related topics at the field, Regional, and National
level. There are 100 people currently on the list. The addresses to the
FWS Fire-GIS listserv are:

To Subscribe: email <fws-fire-gis-request@lists.fws.gov> with
"subscribe" in the subject line.

To Post: email to <fws-fire-gis@lists.fws.gov>

## Work Assignments

Ken Bottle will be working for Andrea Olson for fire 25% of his time.
The focus will be to have a National lead and planning where FWS wants
to take GIS in fire.

## GIST Training

Ten FWS personnel went to the GIST training in Florida.

# BIA

## New positions

Luther Arizana has accepted a new position at NIFC. Richard Moore will
be taking over as the BIA representative to the GTG. Ted Tower will be
doing information technology and working with NFPORS. FPA (Fire Program
Analysis System) has been assigned to Steve Harbor.

## Fire IT purchase

BIA received an emergency waver for laptop in order to upgrade laptops
to BIA standard of XP.

## BIA Fire GIS Meeting

Held a BIA GIS fire meeting in January 2003. BIA is trying to get the
word out about fire and GIS.

## DOI BAER Team Meeting

DOI is having their BAER (Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation) meeting
last week in April in Cortez, CO. The BAER website that is located at
BIA NIFC website is: http://bianifc.org/BAER/baer.htm

## BIA GIS Website

BIA has their GIS personnel on the following website:
http://bianifc.org/gis_gps/GIS/gis.htm

## BIA DI-1202 input

Creating a map extent for entering latitude and longitudes in DI-1202 to
help improve mapping accuracy of fire occurrence data.

# Western States

## Western States Meeting

Skip Edel met with the Western States Fire Directors at their spring
meeting and discussed with them the GTG, the IRMWT, and also asked each
State for a GIS fire contact.

# Eastern States 

## GPS Course

The GPS course was successful and the State of Florida wants to continue
to support this course.

## Florida's new Fire Management Information System

Testing of the new Florida Fire Management Information System is moving
forward. The new database will be in Oracle and use Map Object and
ARCIMS technology. The system will go live July 1, 2003.

## Florida Fire Risk Assessment

The Florida Fire Risk Assessment has been implemented at the field
units. The ARCVIEW application and the Published Results can be used as
mitigation and a planning tool. Florida is looking at updating the fuels
database every couple years. The fuels data is already three years out
of date. Florida currently has no dedicated emote sensing staff.

## Southeastern Fire Risk Assessment

The contract to develop a Southeastern Fire Risk Assessment was awarded
to Space Imaging. The State of Texas is the lead on this effort and will
be in communication with the states involved in this project. If
interested in obtaining more information about the Southeastern Fire
Risk Assessment, please forward inquiries to Tom Spencer at the Texas
Forest Service (979.458.6540, tspencer@tfs.tamu.edu).

## Communities at Risk

Florida is updating their Communities at risk list based on GIS and grid
analysis using inputs developed from the Fire Risk System.

## Communities at Risk

Florida is updating their Communities at risk list.

## Farsite Training

Sue McLellan went to the Farsite course and thought it was an excellent
course. The Southeast States are planning to host another Farsite course
in the next couple of years.

**Western Governors Association**

Liz Lile gave GTG an email that stated that WGA is sponsoring the Forest
Health Summit, June 17-19 in Missoula to be followed by the Wildland
Fire Leadership Council meeting. Lisa Warnecke mentioned that Stu
Kirkpatrick, Montana GIS Coordinator is an active member of WGA\'s GI
Council, and he is helping organize the meeting\'s field trip that will
be showcasing some GIS applications for fire. More information can be
found at: <http://www.westgov.org/> about the summit, and Stu can be
reached at 406.444.9013 or Skirkpatrick@state.mt.us.

# Interagency Geospatial Data Standards Discussion

**Judy Crosby** gave an introductory presentation to initiate the
afternoon interagency geospatial data standards discussion. Judy Crosby
is the NWCG Data Stewardship/Custodianship. She is the Chairperson of
the DAWG, the Data Administration Work Group. The DAWG is a "sister"
organization to the GTG within the NWCG.

The current situation is that there are many applications within
wildland fire community and most of the applications do not work with
each other. Most of the systems are stand-alone. In 1996, IRMWT
published a strategy report. This report was created because users
wanted systems that worked, that were user friendly, and that integrated
with each other. The Federal Fire Directors continue to want to reduce
stovepipe products. Since the National Fire Plan in August of 2000, a
lot of requirements have been coming from Congress. Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) and Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) have been
created and have put a lot of pressure to application working together
well.

In 1998, IRMWT created the Program Management Office (PMO) that consists
of project manager, application architecture manager, repository manager
(library).

IRM-PMO has developed a Strategic Plan to address the problem of system
not be able to exchange data because data values do not match and there
is no process to fix the problem data exchange. One key to fixing the
data exchange issue is data standards and the key to data standards is
involving the business community. In addition to developing data
standards, a change process needs to be developed. The DAWG coordinates
the standardization process for NWCG data standards. The DAWG defines a
data standard as a "specification for a [data item]{.underline} that has
been established by authority or general consent." According to the DAWG
any data standard has three parts:

1)  Meta-data Definition -- description of the length and format of the
    data item

2)  Standardized Data -- list of valid data values; domain

3)  Change Management Procedures

The DAWG doesn't look at a fire history GIS standard as one standard.
They see each attribute or field name within the fire history layer as a
separate standard. So, in a sense, an interagency fire history GIS
standard is just a collection of 8-10 standards for the individual
items.

The GTG can only sponsor and maintain data standards for items that are
exclusively geospatial (Latitude, Longitude, Collection Method, Map
Scale, etc). Other groups have responsibility for many of the items that
we think of as being a part of a fire history standard: fire name, fire
number, etc. The DAWG is currently working on standards for Agency, Fire
Name, and Fire Number data items. The DAWG has already adopted a
standard for Unit ID. The GTG can submit recommendations for
non-geospatial fields like General Cause and Specific Cause as part of a
fire history standard. However, the final standard for General Cause and
Specific Cause data items (and their appearance in an interagency fire
history standard) could look different based on what the DAWG and the
business groups responsible for those items finally agree on. This has
the potential to slow things down in the short term but will likely
payoff in the end, as the data items definitions in fire history layers
will be the same as those in other fire applications.

Joe Frost currently is the GTG representative on DAWG. GTG will review
all of NWCG data standard proposal from a geospatial viewpoint.

The process of creating data standards starts with identifying what data
standards is needed in the business wildland fire. Create the standard
and publish the standard.

NWCG -- Glossary of Wildland fire Terminology managed by IOS Working
Team. Data standards and the glossary need to work together. - Glossary
needs to manage change same as data standards (NWCG stewardship)
Glossary is at: (http://[www.nwcg.gov](http://www.nwcg.gov/))

# Tuesday Afternoon Data Standards Discussion

[The objectives for the afternoon session were identified
as]{.underline}:

1.  Identify what data standards GTG will work on immediately.

2.  Identify what data standards are needed in the future.

The first geospatial standards that the group will work on with the DAWG
are: (1) Daily Fire Perimeter and (2) Final fire Area (perimeter)
standard. Within each of these Geospatial standards, each item is
considered an individual data standard. Essentially a geospatial data
standard is bundle of many individual data standards.

[Future Geospatial Standards that will be worked are]{.underline}:

1.  Fuel Model - new models being developed by the Missoula Fire Lab -
    40 new models. 2

2.  Condition Class -- no definition of what a GIS layer should look
    like.

3.  Canopy cover

4.  Planning data -- FMU, FMZ, RL Resource location, vegetation

5.  Dispatch Zones

6.  Geographic Boundaries

7.  Communication Towers

8.  Lookouts

9.  Engine location

10. Air Support location

11. Aerial Hazards

12. Flight Hazards -- agency of record

13. Safety zones

14. Fire lines

15. Helispots

The following was a theoretical discussion how ROSS fits into a world
with data standards: ROSS could be a good data collection system. ROSS
would then be the data steward for which data that is collected using
ROSS system. ROSS would then be the data custodian to ensure data
accuracy and integrity. GTG would ensure standards so that all
application would be able to export data into other applications.

[Other Standards that GTG needs to work on are]{.underline}:

1.  Standard Operating Procedure for a GIST

2.  Standard Geospatial Symbology

3.  File Structures on wildland fires

Action: GTG needs a liaison to the FPA for phase II

Action: GTG needs a liaison to Incident Automation Group

[Data Exchange Standards]{.underline} (Expectation of how it looks if it
goes to another agencies)

1 -- Daily fire perimeter standard

2 -- Final fire Area (perimeter) standard

Suggested Final Fire Area Items

1.  Unit_id - tie back to the unit that has other info about a
    particular fire

2.  Fire name

3.  Fire number

4.  Fire_type

5.  Start_date

6.  Control date

7.  Acres (Area)

8.  Collection Method

9.  Collection Date

10. Cause General

11. Specific Cause

12. Collection Scale

13. Responsible Agency

Action: Brian Sorbel, Joe Frost, Janis Reimers, and Sue McLellan will
work on developing data standards in association with the DAWG for daily
fire perimeters. Brian Sorbel and Joe Frost will lead this effort. This
group will work with Howard Roose from (FPA). By July, this subgroup
will have a draft of the data standards. Group will use white paper as
the beginning point for the daily fire perimeter data standard. The
following is a list tasks that the group will need to accomplish:

1.  Fill out DAWG Forms

2.  Validate Values

3.  Change Initiation Process

4.  GIS standards like collection method is a business area

5.  Draft something up for the FPA project.

6.  Non-GTG items and GTG items

# Wednesday Discussions:

# GTG Website

USGS is hosting the GTG website. It will be located at:
http://gis.nwcg.gov. Liz and Joe posed the question on whether the GTG
website should still have zip program capability. The GTG decided not to
continue have this functionality. The goal of the website was to have
searchable GIS fire database of applications and scripts. GTG will
review site prior to putting applications and tools on the site.

USFS Fire GIS site maintained by Joe Frost will go away when GTG site is
up and running. GTG site should be up by May.

# USGS and BLM Data for GISTs

For fires you can order DRGs and DOQs for your area of interest and
download vector data. ArcIMS does not have raster data extract
capabilities. Vector extract capabilities will be prototyped for Rocky
Mountain Area (RMA) this summer. If it works well, it will be expanded.
Also you can call Liz Lile (303) 202-4326, Jeff Sloan (303) 202-4118,
Stan Wilds (303) 202-4072 or Mike Hutt (303) 202-4296 for data requests.
You can get a CD of the data if you have an incident number.

Dave Wilson is posting data on a BLM ftp site.

The site is located at: [ftp.nifc.gov](ftp://ftp.nifc.gov/). There is
base data for the 11 western states.

Contact Joan Nadeau or Dave Wilson if you want to post data on the BLM
ftp site.

For both USGS website and BLM site you can call the contacts and they
can mail CDs to you if you have no Internet access.

National Geographic Contract - Curtis Day is coordinating this effort.
One of the issues with the National Geographic DRGs is that you cannot
turn off the green.

Action: Joe Frost will coordinate a conference call about National
Geographic Data with the following individuals:

> Ed Delaney
>
> Janis Reimers
>
> Katy Hipke
>
> Steve Gregonis

Joe will report back to the GTG regarding the results of the conference
call.

# GTG Inventory Website

If you have comments, provide them to Susan Goodman or to Liz Lile by
May 9, 2003

Al Borrup's Inventory is not the same as the GTG Inventory. His
inventory focuses on how data is being used.

Action: USGS will change the following on the form

1.  Change Function drop down menu to check boxes.

2.  Change survey to inventory

Action: Sue McLellan will draft letter to States regarding the
Inventory.

Action: Andrea Olson will check with Shari Shetler about formal letter
going out regarding GTG Inventory.

**NFPORS** (National Fire Plan Reporting System)

NFPORS requires that a geographic coordinate be entered for all fuels
treatments. NFPORS allows users to determine a coordinate for a
treatment area using an IMS 'Get Map' tool. The GTG has the following
concerns about this tool:

-   The 'Get Map' tool returns geographic, decimal-degree coordinates to
    a precision of only 2 decimal places. The program should report
    project coordinates to five decimal places. If a latitude and
    longitude is only precise to 2 decimal places that coordinate is
    only accurate to 1100 meters.

-   The base maps that are provided in the 'Get Map' tool are not
    adequate to allow users to accurately determine the location of
    their fuels project. Users should be able to zoom down and view
    1:24k DRGs as a backdrop.

-   The 'Get Map' tool is returning the data in NAD27, but NFPORS now
    requests coordinates in NAD83.

An application that addresses many of these concerns can be found at
[test.topozone.com](../test.topozone.com).

Action: (Liz Lile) Let project manager of NFPORS, Russ Berry, know that
the GTG has the following recommendations:

1.  Ability to store down 1:24K level

2.  Need to output coordinates to 5 decimal places.

3.  Need to return coordinates in the datum requested by NFPORS.

4.  Data needs to be available for any wildland fire system that need
    it.

Action: GTG Data Standards subgroup will work on Latitude and Longitude
so that the standard will be 5 decimal places.

# (ISUITES) and Cost/Benefit Analysis Presentation by Tom Sadowski

Tom Sadowski is the Budget officer for BLM's NIRMC (National Information
Resource Management Center). GTG invited Tom to speak to the group about
ISUITES and Cost/Benefit analysis. The GTG goal is to produce a
cost/benefit analysis for the GIST position on fires.

ISUITES consists of the following modules:

-   ITS - Incident Time System

-   IRSS -- Incident Resource Status System

-   ICARS -- Incident Cost Accounting Reporting System

ISUITES was designed for all risk teams and built in visual basic with
Microsoft Access as the database. Tom demonstrated the software for the
Newcastle incident near Las Vegas.

For a Cost/Benefit Analysis, one needs to have two alternatives and know
the tangible and intangible benefits of the product. Cost/benefit
analyses are used mostly for long-term projections. GTG will need to
describe the advantages and disadvantages of Cost/Benefit Analysis for
GIST:

## Benefits of GIST

Improve safety and locations of fire lines, etc.

Focus or direct resources to exact areas (e.g. hotspots, etc.)

Some of the questions the GTG will need to ask in order to do a
cost/benefit analysis are: How are geospatial technologies optimized on
incidents. Is there a difference between complex and simple incidents?
Is there an anticipated end date to the incident? How do the contracts
with the mobile office trailers fit into the picture? How close are we
to the government office? What are the mobilization and demobilization
costs? What is the cost of training and getting a GIST to a fire?

Look at historic National contracts for GIS and see how much they are
compared to sending a GIST out on a fire.

Tom gave us some name to contact:

Liz Keeney - IBA

Wayne Cook --

Dennis Johnson --

Angela Parker -- she can let us know who the BAER

Action: GTG will work with Tom this summer to get actual fire cost.

# GIST Discussion

What should the skill set be for the GIST position? First a list of
skills needs to be created. Currently (??? I thought they weren't going
to look at until 2004/2005...not sure though), the NWCG's Operations
Working Team is reviewing Display Processor. GIST needs to be added to
the mix when discussing Display Processor. GTG will propose an ICS GIST
position to the NWCG's Operations Working Team so it can be reviewed.

Planning section chief needs to ask the right questions regarding GIS
skills when they are ordering them. Fire use teams are a little
different and thus the expectation for GIST is different. There needs to
be more included more about the Fire Use team when writing up position.
GIS people often bring benefits to the fire because it is a visual
source to educate the public.

Brian Sorbel has written up a draft document addressing the knowledge
and skills for GIST. Sue McLellan has taken this document and expanded
it. Sue has written a white paper about the skills and knowledge for
GIST.

The KSAs need to be posted on the GTG website. Communication skills are
necessary for GIST

Action: Sue McLellan, Susan Goodman, Brian Sorbel, and Dorothy Albright
will have a draft ICS package by July's meeting. Doug Stephens brought
up the concern about the local people not being able to make a map for a
small fire if the GIST position is approved. Susan Goodman will contact
operation team about what is included in the ICS package.

# GIST Pocket Guide

Action: Katy Madrid, Skip Edel, and Ken Bottle will work with Victoria
Smith on consolidating her GIST Handbook in to a pocket guide. This
pocket guide should take the GIST from being dispatched through the
demobilization process. Both the handbook and the pocket guide should be
available on the GTG website.

# GTG Budget

# Next Year Budget

GTG should request \$25 - \$50K for FY2004

Some items that GTG could request dollars for are the following:

1.  Website

2.  State Issue

3.  Cost Benefit Analysis

Budget for FY2003 should be spent on:

1.  ASP Programmer to support GTG website

2.  Create new Brochures

3.  Investigation of GIS Incident Support -- travel money

4.  Printing final report for GIS Incident Support

Action: GTG members send budget suggestions to Susan Goodman by May 23.

Action: Susan Goodman will provide Andrea Olson with GTG next year
budget by end of May.

Action: Andrea Olson will find out how much money is left in GTGs
current budget.

Action: Sue McLellan and Dorothy Albright will work on brochure text.

Action: USGS will change GTG website URL to: gtg.nwcg.gov

# State Involvement in Group

State forestry organizations (SFOs) do not have a mechanism to
communicate with each other concerning GIS and remote sensing matters,
both in general and concerning fire. As a result, it is difficult for
Skip Edel and Sue McLellan to represent all states on GTG. However, the
National Association of State Foresters (NASF) has a Fire Committee, and
the issues and needs associated with GIS have been raised with the
committee. In addition, NASF has a full time representative located at
NIFC. This position is currently held by Don Artley (208.867.0908,
Don_Artley@nifc.blm.gov) who might be helpful. Perhaps a conference call
could be held with Don and state representatives to help. Another
helpful development is that 14 states were represented at the Forest
Service Geospatial \'03 Conference April 7-10 in Colorado Springs
(primarily SFO GIS managers), and discussions are underway to help
increase coordination among SFOs. Another possible linkage is through
the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), whose
members are statewide GIS managers in the states where they exist
(http://www.nsgic.org/). (Colorado and Florida are two states without a
statewide coordinator, but most states do have a coordinator or
coordination office.)

Action for state reps: Eastern and Western State representatives need to
have better contacts within each state so that they can better represent
all states. Skip

Edel and Sue McLellan will work on an issue paper to address this
concern.

**Feedback from Las Vegas**

GTG had a discussion on geospatial concerns that were brought up in Las
Vegas at the Wildland Fire System Workshop. The following were the
concerns that came up in the breakout session:

[Recommendations]{.underline}

> • Perform a cost analysis of GIS services on fires (GTG w*ill begin
> working on this in summer of 2003)*
>
> • Setup an interagency FTP site to facilitate sharing of data (*Dave
> Wilson of BLM and USGS have taken the initiative to solve this issue)*
>
> • Ensure reliable Internet access on scene (*Will recommend this
> action to IRMWT*)
>
> • More IRIN and GIST cooperation
>
> • Develop data standards *(GTG is currently working on two standards)*

# [Vegetation Mapping Issues]{.underline} 

# • Identified as a critical need 

# • Seamless vegetation mapping to support fire management efforts 

# • Consistent ground information 

# • Create a list of standard processes for vegetation mapping 

# [Fire Information Management Recommendations]{.underline} 

# • Keep GTG informed 

# • Projects discussed in this venue need to be shared with Fire Management Officers 

# • Develop a strategy for fire planning including data elements such as fire occurrence history 

# • Support the development of a single point of entry for data collection for all fire data including prescribed and wildland fire information

# Fire GIS Mentorship Proposal

Miranda Miller wrote a white paper about GIST mentorship program.
Because GIST is a technical position, any person that knows some GIS can
go out in the position and thus not all individuals are qualified when
they go out. Red Card system does not have trainee designation for GIST.
There is no easy way to get out as a trainee as a GIST. This issue is
responsibility of the new group GTAG (Geospatial Training Advisory
Group) once they get sanction by NWCG. Paper is voice of one of the
customers.

Action: Susan Goodman will check with ROSS and the Red Card systems to
see if we can get a GIST trainee designation.

Action: GTG is requesting Miranda and Ken Bottle to rewrite the paper.
Please have comments to Ken Bottle by May 23^rd^.

# Fire Congress

This conference will be held the week of November 16, 2003 in Orlando,
FL. Details on the conference can be found at:
<http://www.ametsoc.org/AMS/meet/FAINST/5fire2fireeco.html>.

There will be three-day tracts on Fire and Forest Meteorology, Fire
Ecology and History, Fire and ecosystem restoration, Fire and Ecosystem
Management, Wildfire Management and Suppression, Social and Economic
Aspects of Fire and Fire Technology and Fire Behavior Modeling. The GTG
will be organizing the Fire Technology and Fire Behavior Modeling tract.
This is starting to look like a fairly major event that you will likely
hear much more about in the coming months.

Sue McLellan and Dorothy Albright will review proposals for the Fire
Technology and Fire Behavior Modeling track. If you know of a presenter
that you think would be a good presenter, please forward names to Sue or
Dorothy. It could be in planning, remote sensing, WUI, Case Studies,
etc. A daylong training is possible too. Papers are due June 2.

GTG will help facilitate the session and give a presentation on GTG. GTG
proposes to do this formally because GTG should recommend back to the
IRMWT what emerging technologies that might be useful to the wildland
fire community. GTG will have formal meeting, at the Fire Congress on
Monday, October 17, 2003 morning.

Action: Susan Goodman will write a proposals regarding what GTG is
currently working on for the Fire History session and a presentation
about the GTG.

# Interagency user support for fire applications

The wildland fire geospatial community will have a national GIS
application by next year. User support is fairly important with this
effort including primary and secondary support.

Action: Joe will write a white paper about interagency user support for
geospatial fire applications.

# ArcGis Incident Tools

John Varner gave demonstration of ArcGIS ICS Tools. There is a built in
incident directory and a history directory for each fire. Currently
program requires that you have magnetic declination.

# OAS Aviation Data Standards

The GTG is in favor of the OAS proposal to set WGS84 as the standard
datum for aviation GPS.

Action: Dorothy will email GIST that WGS-84 will standard for aircraft
contracted by OAS.

Action: Brian will draft a letter to OAS saying that it the projection
should be geographic and WGS-84.