What People Are Saying

• The National Map featured in Geospatial Solutions February 2004 Issue     February 2004
  Geospatial Solutions—The National Map: Benefits at What Cost? by David L. Halsing, Kevin M. Theissen, and Richard L. Bernknopf. This feature article in the February issue of Geospatial Solutions describes a cost-benefit analysis conducted to fulfill an Office of Management and Budget requirement. Because The National Map is so new, and because little rigorous quantitative analysis exists about the costs and benefits of improving geospatial data and delivery systems, the researchers developed a simulation model to investigate different net benefits that could result from the program. The model generates an expected net present benefit to society under a baseline set of parameters, but allows investigation of outcomes under different implementation, use, and valuation assumptions. The article is an excerpt of the full report, which will be published as a USGS Circular.
  
  
• USGS Trains Several First Responders on Advanced Mapping      January 2004
  Rolla Daily News, MO, January 19, 2004—Rolla USGS employees demonstrate advantages of The National Map to area first responders. Local police departments, State Highway Patrol, Sheriff's Department, and Department of Corrections officials regularly attend workshops and receive hands-on training using free USGS software and data from The National Map.
  
  
• The National Map featured in Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing (PE&RS)      October 2003
  PE&RS published a special issue in October 2003 devoted entirely to The National Map. See this journal for a comprehensive look at The National Map and its important role in our Nation's future. PE&RS is published by the American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing.

New Features

• Find Place tool enhanced     July 2005
  
  • For the Zoom to a Point option for latitude and longitude, we have made the format choices easier to use. You can now directly link to the "Decimal Degrees" format or the "Degrees, Minutes, Seconds" format.
  • For the Zoom to a Point option for the U.S. National Grid (USNG) coordinates, we have made the format choices easier to use. You can now directly link to the "USNG Guided Entry" format or the "USNG Quick Entry" format.
  • For the Extent option for Zoom to Bounding Box, we have made the format choices easier to use. You can now directly link to the "Decimal Degrees" format or the "Degrees, Minutes, Seconds" format.
  
  
  
• Zoom to a County capability added     May 2005
  You can now zoom directly to any county in the United States by using the new “Zoom to a County” feature that has been added to the Find Place tool.
  
  
• Map Information link moved     May 2005
  The Map Information link has been moved next to the Help link near the upper right corner of the Viewer. The Map Information page contains valuable information about the map layers shown in the Viewer. The page, which is organized by Partners, provides information about the current map extent (in geographic coordinates), gives links to partner Web sites, and provides a description of data layers. The page also shows if you can download or query a given layer. Links to a metadata page and an Open-GIS Consortium (OGC) Capabilities Document are provided for each map layer.
  
  
• Clear User Layer Selections feature added to Options tool     May 2005
  A “Clear User Layer Selections” option has been added to the Options tool. The feature clears all selections/deselections of layers that have been made by the user. The Viewer remembers the most recent selection/deselection made on each layer. This option causes the Viewer to clear its history of such actions and display the default recommended layers.
  
  
• Cursor Coordinate Display moved     May 2005
  The cursor coordinate display that shows longitude, latitude, and U.S. National Grid (USNG) values was moved from the status bar at the bottom of the browser window to just below the main map window. Now the coordinates are easier to see, and this functionality now works for all supported browsers.
  
  
• Topographic Map Grids and Names Added      November 2004
  We have added a new class of information for Topographic Maps to the Layers list. You can now select to see the quadrangle outlines and names for the following standard USGS quadrangle series: 1:250,000, 1:100,000, 15 minute (Alaska only, about 1:63,360 scale), and 7.5 minute (1:24,000 or 1:25,000). Note that the series are scale dependent, so as you zoom in more series will be visible. Be sure to toggle on the Legend for an explanation of different series colors. For more information on the map series, see USGS Topographic Maps.
  
  
• Bookmark Tool Added      November 2004
  You can now save a map view by using the Bookmark tool. This allows you the capability to return to your map view at a later time or share it with someone else. There are a couple of ways to save your map information, depending upon what you want to do with it and what browser you are using. See our Viewer Help for more detailed information. Try it out!
  
  
• Find Place Tool Enhanced      November 2004
  The Find Place tool has some new features. See our Viewer Help for more detailed information.
  
  
  • In the Named Feature (Geographic Name/Feature Lookup (GNIS)) option, we added a “Composite” link that allows you to combine a DOQ and a DRG in the Quick View on the results page of your query. When the results window comes up, you can select the DOQ, DRG, or Composite view. It is easy to use and, in many cases, creates an enhanced image of your requested feature.
    
  • In the Zoom to a Point option (for each of the three choices), we added a green triangle to mark the coordinate spot that you want to zoom to by using one of the three choices available. Previously, the “point” was located in the center of the map but not marked. The green marker will remain visible even if you move or pan your view. To clear the marker, use the Clear tool.
    
  • In the Zoom to a Point option for the U.S. National Grid (USNG) Coordinates choice, we added a Quick Entry Form for users who have experience with the USNG format. This Quick Entry Form will speed up your query.
    
    
• Options Tool Expanded      November 2004
  The Options tool has several new features to allow you to customize your viewing experience.
  
  • The Measurement Units option allows you to select between miles/feet (U.S. Customary units) or kilometers/meters (metric units).
    
  • The Measure Tool Units option enhances the Measure tool functionality by switching from miles or kilometers to smaller units (feet or meters) when you are zoomed in. Previously, the units were displayed as a percentage of the larger units.
    
  • The Mouseover Coordinate Format allows you to choose how your coordinates will be displayed, based on your cursor location. The coordinates appear in the status bar in the lower left corner of your window. You can now specify a Degrees-Minutes-Seconds format or a Decimal Degree format.
    
    
• Help Tool Moved      November 2004
  The Help tool was moved to the upper right corner of the Viewer window to be more visible and easier to find. Previously, the Help tool was located at the bottom of the Tool bar and would some times not be visible if you had a small window size. Now you no longer have to scroll down the Tool bar to see the Help tool.
  
  
• Download Tool Clarified      November 2004
  The information page that appears when the Download tool is selected now specifies that the datasets will be clipped to the current Viewer map extent and that the files to be downloaded are ESRI shapefiles. Geographic information system (GIS) users find the Download tool useful for identifying and downloading The National Map data for use in their respective GIS programs/platforms.
  
  
• Map Information Modified      November 2004
  The Map Information, located below the lower left corner of the map display, combines the Layer Metadata and Map Information links into one, more comprehensive page. This page shows map layers that are available for viewing, grouped by individual The National Map partners. The page provides information about the current map extent (in geographic coordinates), gives links to partner Web sites, and provides a description of data layers. The page also shows if you can download or query a given layer. Links to a metadata page and an Open-GIS Consortium (OGC) Capabilities Document are provided for each map layer.
  
  
• Find Place tool expanded.      July 2004
  The Find Place tool has been expanded to allow the user more options and the ability to zoom to a specific address, point, named feature, or specific extent or area. The Find Place tool also includes the earlier Zoom Region tool functions of "'Zoom to a State" and "Zoom to a Partner Dataset." Users may zoom to a specific point in a variety of ways—by longitude and latitude, by U.S. National Grid (USNG) coordinates, or by Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. Check out this new, versatile tool and see the interesting places it can take you, including to your own back yard!
  
  
• Zoom Back tool added.      July 2004
  The Zoom Back tool allows the user to zoom back to the previous extent as many as five times. Data-layer selections or changes, however, are not retained.
  
  
• Pan Arrows modified.      July 2004
  The pan area surrounding the Viewer was widened and diagonal pan capability was added. Users are reminded that they can also use the Re-center tool to move the map view.
  
  
• Overview tool modified.      July 2004
  The Overview tool in the Viewer was modified to show a crosshair location point on the overview map when the map extent gets too small.
  
  
• Go to Viewer link added to home page.      June 2004
  Experienced users can now go directly to the Viewer.
  
  
• Viewer Help link added to home page.      June 2004
  Learn about the Viewer and how to use the various tools. This page is a good introduction for new users to help them become familiar with the Viewer, learn about its capabilities, and enhance their viewing experience. Help is also available in the Viewer in the tool bar section.
  
  
• Viewers consolidated      February 2004
  Previously, four viewers contained all the features and functions needed to view, print, and download data from The National Map. Now all these features and functions, plus new ones, are available in just two viewers. The National Map Viewer is the primary viewer and the Seamless Data Distribution System viewer provides enhanced download capabilities. For more information, see About The National Map Viewers.
  
  
• Updated GNIS Query      February 2004
  The GNIS Find Place tool now allows reporting of query results from the Geographic Information Names System (GNIS) within The National Map Viewer. You can now zoom to the selected feature in the viewer and view the selected feature as a Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) or a Digital Raster Graphic (DRG). The query results page reports basic information on the selected feature, with links to even more information.
  
  
• Updated Download Capability      February 2004
  The download page now allows downloading of USGS image-based data layers (also known as raster data) via a linkage to the USGS Seamless Data Distribution System. You can now download high-resolution urban orthoimagery, National Elevation Data (NED), and the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) when these data layers are available and visible in the viewer. See About The National Map Viewers for more information.
  
  
• Improved Availability and Performance      February 2004
  The viewing and catalog system has seen recent improvements in availability and performance. Requests for new maps should be processed more efficiently with improved response times.
  
  
• Instant Refresh      Fall 2003
  An Options tool has been added to the viewer that enables users to automatically refresh/redraw map layers. See the Help Getting Started page for instructions or choose 'Help' in the viewer navigation area.

Partnerships

• National Transportation Atlas Data Available      November 2004
  The 2003 National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) is now available through The National Map. The NTAD is a collection of data from various Federal agencies, compiled and distributed by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). NTAD data in The National Map include layers for airports, seaports, railroads, and roads. The airport and seaport data in particular add new data to The National Map. BTS distributes these data on CDs. The USGS created a Web Map Service at Mid-Continent Mapping center to serve the data online. Eric Constance (USGS coordinator for tansportation data) may be contacted for more information about these data and their relationship to The National Map.
  
  
  Screenshot showing NTAD airports in the
  Connecticut-Massachusetts-Rhode Island area.
  
  
• NC OneMap/York County, SC Partnership Featured in HeraldOnline      September 2004
  HeraldOnline, a Rock Hill, South Carolina, Web-based newspaper, announced the partnership of York County, South Carolina, with officials of North Carolina's NC OneMap Program. NC OneMap is North Carolina's widely successful online geographic mapping system that links to and utilizes data from The National Map. York County Manager Al Greene stated that "...This program could help us determine how our land-use plan fits in with other governments and how their plans tie in with ours." The York County/NC OneMap partnership continues to show that the success of The National Map will depend on establishing ongoing partnerships with a wide variety of organizations that work with geospatial data. Full article: N.C. Mapping tool will help direct county planners by Erica Pippins
  
  
• The National Map Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Indiana      March 2004
  The Indiana Geographic Information Council and the USGS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate the efforts of both groups toward the development of the IndianaMap and The National Map. The agreement was signed February 24th at the Indiana GIS Conference in Indianapolis. Additional information about IndianaMap is available at IndianaMap Prospectus. The Indiana Geographic Information Council is also part of a team including the Indiana Geological Survey, Hamilton County, and others who are working to implement OpenGIS Consortium GIS interoperability standards.
  
  
• AR-KS-MO Regional National Map Pilot Project—No Edge at the State Line      February 2004
  The AR-KS-MO Regional National Map Project has provided a fundamental building block to The National Map by stitching together different geospatial data residing on servers in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. The data are from different sources and are based upon different schemas, but are styled in such as way that they appear as one source. This achievement has eliminated a common barrier found in many approaches in solving geographic problems where the data ends at the State borders. To learn more about how this was achieved, see the Technical Overview.
  
  
• NC OneMap: Developing Partnerships to help build The National Map      January 2004
  NC OneMap is a statewide vision for geospatial data coordination and distribution for North Carolina. A regional demonstration site has been developed that displays map information instantaneously from databases that reside throughout North Carolina and elsewhere in the Nation. Through NC OneMap, State and local data are now available as part of The National Map. For more information see NC OneMap.
  
  
• USGS and TopoZone Partner for The National Map      December 2003
  The USGS has entered into a cooperative agreement with Maps a la carte, Inc., creators of TopoZone, to support The National Map. Maps a la carte, Inc. will develop, enhance, and document a suite of Open-Source software for serving geospatial data over the Internet. Free software tools will be available to The National Map partners to enhance the capability of data sharing. See our News Release for more information.

New Data

• Hawai‘i -- Hawai‘i (the Big Island)
• Hawai'i -- Hawai'i Natural Heritage Program, Kauai
• Hawai'i -- Hawai'i Natural Heritage Program, Maui
• Iowa -- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• Kansas -- Finney County
• Kansas -- Kansas Data Access and Support Center dataset
• Kentucky -- The Commonwealth Map
• Missouri -- University of Missouri—Columbia - Office of Space Planning and Management dataset
• North Carolina -- Johnston County
• North Carolina -- Cabarrus County
• Vermont -- Vermont Center for Geographic Information dataset
• Virginia -- Virginia Dept. of Transportation
• Virginia -- U.S. Census / Virginia Department of Transportation
  
  
• New High-Resolution Orthoimagery Available for Helena, Montana and Wichita, Kansas     May 2005
  New high resolution orthophotography for Helena, Montana and Wichita, Kansas are now available in The National Map. The new images are color, with ground resolution of about 1 foot. The images are orthorectified photographs derived from aerial photography taken in 2004.
  
  Montana State Capitol in Helena, MT
  
  View this location in The National Map
  
  Charles Koch Arena and Cessna Stadium,
  on the campus of Wichita State University
  
  View this location in The National Map
  
  
• New High-Resolution Orthoimagery Available for Memphis, Cincinnati, and Minneapolis--St. Paul      March 2005
  New high-resolution orthoimagery is now available in The National Map for Memphis, Tennessee. Also, more current orthoimagery is now available for Cincinnati, Ohio, and Minneapolis--St. Paul, Minnesota. The orthoimagery for urban areas is downloadable.
  
  
• Live Data from Seismic Network Stations Now Available
  in The National Map      January 2005
  Seismic network stations for the United States and its territories are now available in The National Map Viewer. These data are part of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) of stations maintained by the USGS at the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory in New Mexico. The data are the source of the rapid earthquake alerting service provided by the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden, Colorado. Mr. Jerry Mayer, IT Specialist at the USGS Federal Center in Denver, Colorado, provided the data for inclusion in The National Map. Dr. Jill McCarthy, Chief Scientist at the USGS’ Geologic Hazards Team, authorized the use of these data.

  The station locations can be seen in The National Map Viewer under the theme “Geology,” layer name “Global Seismic Networks.” Plots of current seismic activity are returned when a station is selected using the Viewer's “Identify” tool. The “Identify Results” window will open and a plot showing current activity (if any current activity exits for your query) is viewed by following the “Global Seismic Networks" link.

  Scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have operated seismographic stations throughout the world for more than 35 years.
  
  

• Texas Adds Statewide Coverage of Base Maps and DOQS     August 2004
  Texas statewide base-map and digital orthophoto quadrangles (DOQ) layers are now viewable through The National Map Viewer. The Texas Natural Resources Information System, in collaboration with the USGS, now provides statewide color infrared 1-meter DOQs from 1995–1996, current statewide transportation data with street names, newly revised high-resolution hydrography data, and current city and county boundaries. These datasets are part of the Strategic Mapping Initiative, a cooperative Federal, State, and local partnership that provides current base-map layers for public use in Texas. New statewide DOQs will be available in January 2005. This represents a significant contribution to The National Map since Texas represents approximately 8 percent of the conterminous United States.
  
  
• Gallatin County / City of Bozeman, Montana     July 2004
  Gallatin County and the city of Bozeman have joined together to become the latest partner in The National Map. Barbara Ryan, Associate Director for Geography announced the 2,600-square-mile addition on July 23rd as the new dataset was unveiled and demonstrated at Montana State University in Bozeman. Showcased in the new dataset are 0.6-meter-resolution color orthoimagery covering the Gallatin Valley and numerous city and county administrative boundaries. The addition of Gallatin and Bozeman expands our national coverage and provides public access to this local information. These data are available in the The National Map Viewer by using the Find Place tool and selecting "Montana - Bozeman/Gallatin" from the Partner Dataset list.
  
  
• City and County of Honolulu, Oahu , Hawaii      March 2004
  The City and County of Honolulu on the island of Oahu has become the first county/island in Hawaii to publish their geospatial data through The National Map . This site was developed in cooperation with our partners at the Hawai'i Natural Heritage Program (HINHP) and the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the NBII.
  
  
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetlands data     March 2004
  Nationwide coverage of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) wetlands data is now available. This is a significant milestone in a collaborative effort between the USFWS and the USGS to modernize and improve methods to capture, store, analyze, and distribute USFWS’ digital National Wetlands Inventory map data. The incorporation of these data allows users to view USFWS’ data seamlessly and adds a significant layer of continuously maintained base data to The National Map.
  
  
• Missoula County, Montana      December 2003
  Missoula County, Montana becomes the first county in the State and one of the first in the Nation to publish their geospatial data through The National Map. See Montana in our Partners/Data section for more information.