Friday, February 06, 2009

Cal-Atlas Geospatial Clearinghouse launched

Natural Resources Agency Secretary Mike Chrisman and State Chief Information Officer Teri Takai announced the launch of a new Web site (http://atlas.ca.gov) to help government agencies coordinate their geospatial efforts and allow public access to geospatial data. The innovative approach to technology, called Cal-Atlas Geospatial Clearinghouse will allow the general public to access maps, data and information.

The new Web site will centralize a variety of data and information. Cal-Atlas provides a number of important Web accessible services. These include:

• A catalog for use by organizations to categorize and share information about their geospatial information resources (e.g., maps and geospatial data, web services and applications)
• A library from which interested parties may obtain GIS data and where agencies can place their data to share with others
• Tools to make it easy to find GIS data and services
• A “gallery” of maps and mapping sites contributed by Cal-Atlas users
• A portal to help organizations work together on GIS data and share the costs of acquiring imagery and other kinds of geospatial data.

The maps and information available on Cal-Atlas will help users answer important questions related to where to go in cases of an emergency, where a new road might be routed, where are the best places for different activities and recreation.

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