(Completed April 2011)

The Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office recently launched new versions of ControlFinder and PLSSFinder. The new applications are built on open source software, including GeoMoose, OpenLayers, JQuery, MapServer, and PostGIS/Postgresql. The apps also make use of the Google Maps API for base map display. Control and corner point information for these applications comes from county, state and federal contributors, including the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), the US Geological Survey, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Both applications provide links to online digital tie sheets and other online information where available.

(February 2011 - June 2013)

The State Cartographer's Office has proposed developing a statewide cartographic database to support a variety of map services and products including rendered maps, rendered layers, map image tiles, Web services, and raw data layers. The project has linkages to other initiatives at the national and state level, including the National Map and the Esri Community Maps Program. This project is in the initial planning and requirements-gathering stage. 

(July 2011 - June 2013)

Wisconsin's current statewide PLSS layer, Landnet, is out of date and does not make use of more accurate local datasets. Improving this layer would provide needed statewide data as well as model a successful statewide data integration effort. The goal of the SCO PLSS project is to implement a pilot study of PLSS data integration for a subset of Wisconsin counties, and to identify and assess the barriers to a statewide effort.

(September 15, 2011 - September 15, 2012)

In February 2011, the State Cartographer's Office received funding through the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP) for a project entitled "Business Plan Development for a Wisconsin Aerial Imaging Program." Slated to begin in the fall of 2011, the project will examine existing models used to manage orthophotography projects in the state, and based on considerable community input, analyze the lessons learned from these past projects. The expected outcome is a formal implementation plan (a "blueprint") for an aerial photography program that meets the needs of the widest possible audience of users in Wisconsin. For more information on this project, see our Statewide Orthophotography Planning Infosheet. 1.05 Mb

(Completed February, 2011)

WHAIFinder (the Wisconsin Historic Aerial Image Finder) is an online application designed to facilitate access to a collection of 1937-1941 aerial photographs covering the state of Wisconsin. WHAIFinder was developed collaboratively by the Wisconsin State Cartographer’s Office, the Robinson Map Library and the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center. The project was funded by a grant from the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

(Ongoing)

WIGICC (Wisconsin Geographic Information Coordination Council) was formed in 2008 to serve as a forum and coordinating body for geographic information and technology in Wisconsin. The goal of WIGICC is to give stakeholders in the geospatial community a voice in statewide initiatives and issues. The State Cartographer, along with the state's Geographic Information Officer, is a non-voting, ex officio member of the Council. The Council itself is formed of 19 members from local, regional, state, tribal, and federal government, the private sector, the educational sector, and non-profits. The WIGICC website provides information about WIGICC events and activities, as well as instructions for joining the WIGICC network.

(July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012)

WiscLINC represents Wisconsin's only effort at providing an NSDI (National Spatial Data Infrastructure) clearinghouse node. Initiated in the mid 1990s, the catalog has become dated in terms of both content and functionality. We are in need of a newer framework for an updated catalog of geospatial data in the state.

Objectives of the project include: enhanced functionality to provide data access paths for download as well as reporting data existence; improved ease of back-end maintenance through software platform upgrade; simple mapping interface to preview web services; access to Robinson Map Library data holdings and SCO informational materials.

This project is in its initial planning stage.