Earlier this year, MnGeo, a program of MN.IT Services, closed the books on the final phase of the project to build the Commons. Now that the project is finished, our task is to continue adding content, such as data, maps, applications, and services. Last week, we surpassed 250 resources. You can follow our progress with the chart shown here; we expect to see even more growth in the coming months.

Seats are available for an upcoming GIS training session in using the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF), taking place August 13-14 in Mankato.

The ACPF is a GIS toolset for targeting conservation and water management practices at specific sites within small, rural watersheds. Along with tools that are semi-automated within ArcGIS software, users can generate detailed maps of watersheds showing where conservation practices are suitable and effective.

Publishers on the Minnesota Geospatial Commons have committed to documenting their data with metadata, which helps users effectively evaluate the data they find. Since metadata authoring is not always an easy task, MnGeo has spent the last few months developing metadata training materials related to publishing on the Commons on the Minnesota Metadata Editor.

MnDOT GIS experts are providing free webinars on GIS concepts throughout 2015. On Wednesday, June 17, the team will present a webinar focusing on data driven pages using ArcGIS software. Building off of the earlier May 21 labeling webinar, this session will cover what the Data Driven Pages tool offers, the tool setup, and best practices for fast and repeatable production of PDF map sets. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and participate in a discussion related to the material presented.

MnDOT GIS experts are providing free webinars on GIS concepts throughout 2015. On Thursday May 21, the team will present a webinar focusing on labeling using ArcGIS software. This webinar will focus on using the labeling toolbar, enabling Maplex, and the myriad of options for labeling complex/numerous datasets for printed or PDF map production. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and participate in a discussion related to the material presented.

The Minnesota Geospatial Commons is the new home to the data that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had previously published in the DNR Data Deli. With this, the DNR Data Deli has retired. This is another step forward as we continue to build the Geospatial Commons into the single place to find and share Minnesota geospatial data.

MnDOT GIS experts are providing free webinars on GIS concepts throughout 2015. On Tuesday April 21, the team will present a webinar focusing on field data collection techniques. The presenters have expertise in this area since many MnDOT offfices and departments use GPS technology to collect spatial information. This webinar will provide users an overview of the different types of software, equipment and uses of GPS collected data, along with providing statewide examples of projects/activities currently underway.

Three key datasets from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), which are updated each school year, are now available from the Minnesota Geospatial Commons:  school district boundaries, school attendance area boundaries, and school program locations. MDE’s GIS data plays an important role in the background of applications like the Minnesota Report Card, which provides easy access to understandable statewide, district and school data.

A statewide project to collect digital aerialimagery, in four bands (red, green, blue and color infrared) at a level of detail neverbefore achieved in Minnesota is rapidly reaching completion.  For more information see:

http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/airphoto/SAIP_orthoimagery_program_update_15SEP2014.pdf

Collaborators on the Geospatial Commons were at the GIS/LIS Annual Conference and Workshops from October 1-3. Attendees were able to find us and hear more about the Commons in the following ways: