NACIS 2019

Specialized cartography at USGS
Presenter: Bill Marken, U.S. Geological Survey
Applied research at the U.S. Geological Survey frequently consists of creating individual maps or map series at the requests of Representatives, agency Secretaries, and executive branch staffers. These maps are usually produced on short notice with very little turnaround time. This talk showcases just some of these specially requested maps that highlight different areas and features of the United States.

Web mapping at the US National Park Service: Park Tiles version 4
Presenter: Jake Coolidge, National Park Service / Colorado State University
Park Tiles is a suite of general-use, visitor-oriented web basemaps for the US National Park Service that adheres to the agency's recognizable graphic identity. In 2019, the Park Tiles team released version 4, a major improvement that solidifies the long-term sustainability of this highly visible cartographic product. This talk will detail how we rebuilt our data pipeline from the ground up to incorporate enterprise data from across the agency, adapted our cartographic workflow to vector technology, and made new enhancements for a richer, more informative user experience.

Cartographic Techniques and GIS Methods Used to Develop the Ohio Coastal Atlas
Presenter: Brian George, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management
The Ohio Coastal Atlas Third Edition was developed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management. The Atlas illustrates and discusses many of Lake Erie's historical, cultural, physical, and natural resources using colorful maps and descriptive text. The Third Edition is a fully-updated document that expands upon the information included in the Second Edition (2007). This presentation will provide a general overview of the cartographic approaches and concepts applied to map development. Further discussion will focus on the various tips and workarounds that were discovered and applied to produce publication-quality maps and legends in ArcGIS.

95% automated multi-scale cartography
Presenter: Elaine Guidero, U.S. Geological Survey
Creative cartographic methods often entail multiple programs and manual work, and are not suitable for automated mapping, where efficiency and speed are prioritized. A recent USGS project created 98 maps in a wide scale range for a high-level audience. The design brief stipulated bright and professional maps, yet the project scope necessitated automation entirely within ArcGIS. Most content was generated automatically from complex templates that employed intricate settings and filters on multi-scale data. The design used a saturated color palette and symbols that add visual interest without needing extra work in other software suites.

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Maps in Florida
Presenter: Chris Anderson, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
This presentation will describe ESI mapping, how it has changed over time and how the FWC's role has changed with it; specifically, the decision to move away from a single map/associated table per area to two maps/two tables. In addition, I will also explain the decision to stay with the existing tiling scheme instead of a new flexible tiling scheme and the effects on oil spill response in Florida. Oil spill mapping is not a common topic at this meeting, so this should provide attendees with a unique perspective on mapping and the presentation of complex spatial data.