New York Purpose of the Procedure Flood insurance studies search for geospatial data during pre-scoping and scoping tasks. If needed data are not available, studies might fund the collection of new data and would like to know about other organizations that might share in these costs. Detailed information about the role geospatial data coordination plays in studies is in the Geospatial Data Coordination Implementation Guide, which is available at , and in Scoping Guidelines: Pre-scoping and the Scoping Meeting, which is available through the Regional Management Center (RMC). Resources developed through FEMA’s geospatial data coordination activities provide information about data and contacts for organizations that have geospatial data that cover large areas (like states) in which many studies are interested. Studies can avoid wasting time with dead-end searches and cold calls by starting with these proven sources of information. One resource is this Geospatial Data Coordination Procedure. It outlines sources of geospatial data and contact information, preferences for base map data and state geospatial participation in studies, and other useful information for the State. If you have questions about this procedure or other geospatial data coordination resources, contact the geospatial data coordination lead in your Regional Management Center: Michael Crino, Geospatial Data Coordination Lead Regional Management Center 2 (718) 482-9945 Michael.Crino@mapmodteam.com We appreciate the help of those who reviewed this document, in particular William Nechamen, CFM New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-3504 518-402-8146 FAX 518-402-9029 wsnecham@gw.dec.state.ny.us Ricardo Lopez-Torrijos New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway, 4th floor Albany, NY 12233-3504 (518) 402-8259 rxlopez@gw.dec.state.ny.us William F. Johnson Manager of GIS & Critical Infrastructure Coordination 30 South Pearl Street 11th floor Albany, NY 12207 Phone: 518-473-5755 Fax: 518-473-5848 william.johnson@cscic.state.ny.us Date Procedure discussed: 2/27/07 Default Flood Hazard Base Map for the State The default base map for flood hazard maps for the State is an image base map (orthophoto). Geospatial Data Coverage Find below information about and links to statewide (and Federal agencies’ national) geospatial datasets. The list is provided to save time during pre-scoping and scoping activities when building a list of candidate geospatial datasets available for the study; it is not a prescription of datasets that must be used in a flood insurance study. Major State Holdings Orthophotos Dataset name: New York Statewide Digital Orthoimagery Program Data currentness: The program's goal is to continue obtaining imagery for the entire State on repeated 4-5 year cycles. Accuracy/Scale: +/-4 ft. at the 95% confidence level (NSSDA) for 0.5-foot and 1-foot resolution. +/-8 ft. at the 95% confidence level (NSSDA) for 2-foot resolution. Ground sample resolution: 0.5 feet for New York City metropolitan area (including NYC, Nassau County and Westchester County), 1-foot for urban areas, 2-foot for non-urban areas. Optional upgrades for entire counties or designated urban areas for 1-foot, 0.75- foot, or 0.5-foot resolution imagery are available. In the first two years of the program, participants obtaining optional upgrades have included Counties and several State Agencies. Horizontal datum: NAD83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Dataset source: NYS GIS Clearinghouse at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/ Dataset contact: NYS GIS Clearinghouse, 518-474-5212, nysgis@cscic.state.ny.us Transportation (roads, railroads, and airports) Dataset name: NYS Streets Data currentness: Updated quarterly. Accuracy/Scale: The New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination makes no claims to the accuracy of the information in this file. Horizontal datum: NAD83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? May not be redistributed, commercial use is prohibited with out special license arrangements. Are road names part of the dataset? Yes Dataset source: NYS GIS Clearinghouse at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/ Dataset contact: NYS GIS Clearinghouse, 518-474-5212, nysgis@cscic.state.ny.us Notes: Vector file of public streets compiled from orthoimagery and attributed with street names, addresses, and route numbers. This data was created as part of the Accident Location Information System (ALIS) project. ALIS is a multi-agency project involving the NYS Office of Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC), the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT). A major component of the ALIS Project was the creation of up-to-date statewide Geographic Information System (GIS) files. Hydrography (rivers, streams, lakes, and shorelines) Dataset name: NHD – High Resolution Data currentness: Continuous update process, per watershed Accuracy/Scale: 1:24,000 or better Horizontal datum: NAD83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Are hydrography names part of the dataset? Yes. These names are the same as those in USGS’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database. Dataset source: USGS NHD data page at http://nhd.usgs.gov/data.html Dataset contact: NYSDEC, 518-402-8163, watergis@gw.dec.state.ny.us Notes: This dataset is maintained by NYSDEC under an agreement with USGS. Political boundaries (county, municipal) Dataset name: NYS Civil Boundaries Data currentness: Revised October 2006 Accuracy/Scale: The New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination makes no claims to the accuracy of the information in this file. Horizontal datum: NAD83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? See notes section. Dataset source: NYS GIS Clearinghouse at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/ Dataset contact: NYS GIS Clearinghouse, 518-474-5212, nysgis@cscic.state.ny.us Notes: Available to members of the New York State Data Sharing Cooperative. Members are those organizations that have signed the New York State Data Sharing Agreement. At the time of the scoping and Preliminary map presentation meetings, the County Assesor office should be queried about any changes to municipal boundaries within the previous State Fiscal year (Apr 1st – Mar 31st), as these might not have made it to the state-wide compilation distributed by CSCIC; if any such changes do exist, please contact NYS Floodplain Mapping coordinator on how to proceed. Publicly owned lands (national, state, and local parks, forests, etc) Dataset name: NYS Public Land Boundaries Data currentness: January 2005 Accuracy/Scale: unknown Horizontal datum: NAD83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? No; see Notes section Dataset source: NYS GIS Clearinghouse at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/ Dataset contact: NYS GIS Clearinghouse, 518-474-5212, nysgis@cscic.state.ny.us Notes: This file including derivative products is copyrighted by the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (copyright 2005). A signed license is required or access through the New York State GIS Data Sharing Cooperative. Such file and derivative products may be used for any lawful purpose except commercial resale provided the following statement appears on all electronic or hardcopy created products: "This file or derivative product was created with information copyrighted by the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (copyright 2005)." Cadastral (parcels) Dataset name: 2006 Real Property Data Data currentness: January 2006 Accuracy/Scale: The maps from which the points are derived have a horizontal positional accuracy of +/- 10 feet. The points represent the visual center of the parcel and therefore can occur anywhere inside the polygon that makes up the parcel. The accuracy, therefore, can not be guaranteed. Horizontal datum: NAD83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? No; see Notes section. Dataset source: NYS GIS Clearinghouse at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/ Dataset contact: NYS GIS Clearinghouse, 518-474-5212, nysgis@cscic.state.ny.us Notes: Available to members of the New York State Data Sharing Cooperative. Members are those organizations that have signed the New York State Data Sharing Agreement. Terrain (elevation) Dataset name: New York State Digital Elevation Models (DEM) Data currentness: Unknown Accuracy/Scale: 6 to 8 meters vertical accuracy. Vertical Positional Accuracy Value varies with each quad. Vertical datum: NGVD29 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes. Acknowledgement of the U.S. Geological Survey and NYSDEC would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Dataset source: NYS GIS Clearinghouse at http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/ Dataset contact: NYS GIS Clearinghouse, 518-474-5212, nysgis@cscic.state.ny.us Notes: The USGS makes these data available through the National Elevation Dataset; see http://ned.usgs.gov. Several other sources of higher accuracy elevation data sets are available within the state; see New York State Elevation Data Updates section below. Data Distribution Process for State Data New York has central distribution capability through the New York State GIS Clearinghouse. Spatial data published to the Clearinghouse is available for distribution to the general public or members of the data sharing cooperative depending on the licensing agreement. Federal, county and state owned data is distributed from this site. The distribution is only limited by entities that publish to the site. Data can be searched and distributed by data set name, sector and organization. Data licensing agreements are identified where needed. CSCIC, in coordination with the data sharing cooperative, maintains and is responsible for the distribution of data on this site. The Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository (CUGIR) is an online repository in the National Spatial Data Clearinghouse program. CUGIR provides geospatial data and metadata for New York State. CUGIR coordinates its activities with those of the NYS GIS Clearinghouse. Datasets that are part of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure are maintained by the State through agreements with the responsible federal agencies, e.g. NHD, and are distributed primarily through the corresponding federal facilities. The State is working on the development of a centralized elevation data updates acquisition, processing and distribution resource. Until it becomes available it will be necessary to go through the individual data set owners, see New York State Elevation Data Updates section below. Federal Nationwide Geospatial Data Holdings Information about nationwide holdings and programs of Federal agencies is available from the Mapping Information Platform web site at . Finding and Accessing Other Existing Geospatial Data Find below information about and links to ways of searching for additional geospatial data available for the State. These capabilities can be useful for finding geospatial data other than the statewide and Federal data listed above, including those of special governments, counties and parishes, municipalities, tribes, universities, and other organizations. Clearinghouses and Inventories for the State An inventory of existing geospatial data products can be found at the New York State GIS Clearinghouse http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gisdata/. Metadata formats for the inventory of geospatial products vary depending on the data set’s owner. Data requiring fees and special licensing restrictions is identified on the site. The sharing and coordination of geospatial data in New York is organized through the NYS GIS Data Sharing Cooperative. This group consists of governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations that have executed data sharing agreements for the purpose of improving access to GIS data among members. The state has an existing inventory of geospatial products that is available via download. In cases where data is not available for download, a contact person for the data is listed on the site. FEMA is a NYS GIS Data Sharing Cooperative member, allowing the agency access to data sets at no charge and with no access restrictions beyond what’s defined in license agreements. The URLs for the inventory are as follows: * http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/cooplist.htm * http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/repository/data_subject.htm National Digital Orthophoto Program (NDOP) and National Digital Elevation Program (NDEP) Tracking Systems These systems allow the search of orthophoto and elevation project information entered by federal and other organizations. To access the NDOP system, go to the NDOP web site at and follow the link “Project Tracking.” For the NDEP system, go to the NDEP web site at and follow the link “Project Tracking.” TED Query Tool This tool provides access to information about Federal, state, and local government agency and private sector data holdings gathered by the Census Bureau. It is available through the geospatial data coordination lead at the Regional Management Center. Geospatial One-Stop Geospatial One-Stop, available at , provides access to geospatial data from many sources. Two parts of the site that should be investigated are the “data categories” for existing data and the “marketplace” for data that are planned or in-work and for potential partners for new data collection activities. Working with People Useful State and Federal Contacts The main contacts for the State’s geospatial activities and Federal agencies’ representatives in State are available on the Mapping Information Platform web site at A listing of New York GIS contacts for all levels of government and private, academic and non profit organizations can be found at: http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/outreach/whoswho/ Involving the State’s Geospatial Coordinator in Flood Studies When participating in the FEMA flood hazard mapping effort, the RMC will coordinate with CSCIC through NYSDEC. NYSDEC prefers to be contacted in the following ways: a. Send project list at the start of each year b. Conference call at the start of data discovery for each individual project c. Coordinate at local GIS meetings and conferences d. Send information once project scope is finalized e. CSCIC will continue to coordinate with the State's Flood Plain Management Office (NYSDEC). CSCIC has a working relationship with FEMA Region 2 and NYSDEC, the agency responsible for updating the multi-hazard maps and providing input to the state’s flood map modernization business plan. State Coordination Process for Building Geospatial Partnerships Coordination with New York State government is primarily through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Coordination activities take place at conferences, FEMA meetings and phone conferences to discuss specific FEMA projects. Future coordination activities will include working with the New York State GIS Clearinghouse, NYS GIS Data Sharing Cooperative and the Data Coordination, Standards & Clearinghouse Work Group. Future coordination activities will include using the NYS GIS Data Sharing Cooperative as an avenue to distribute DFIRM data. Finding Local Geospatial Contacts Local contacts, including those from special government districts (for example, a regional planning commission); counties, parishes, or equivalent governments; tribes, municipal governments; and other organizations (for example, local universities) also have geospatial data that can help a flood insurance study. Contact information is available from the FEMA archive and web searches at government link portals such as . Local contacts are identified by NYSDEC during pre-scoping activities and all local communities and county agencies are invited to scoping meetings. Coordination with local GIS contacts is maintained through the NYS GIS Coordination Program. Participants and contact information for those in the coordination program is listed on the Clearinghouse website. Every NY county is included and those municipal governments that are part of the data sharing cooperative are also identified. The state also maintains a list server that can be used to forward FEMA program information and production notices to state and county GIS contacts. The contact information for using this list server is: http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/outreach/listserv/index.cfm#newyork. The levels of government in the contact list are primarily county governments, though state and municipal governments and authorities also retain GIS data. The counties maintain the majority of spatial data though the state administers the DOQQ program. Provide Feedback on This Procedure When you find information in this Procedure or in other FEMA or State resources that are outdated, please tell the geospatial data coordination lead in the Regional Management Center what was wrong and the correct information (if you know it). Use the contact information for the lead listed in the section Purpose of the Procedure. The lead will use your feedback to update this Procedure. Other Useful Information New York State Elevation Data Updates The following information describes elevation data that have higher quality than does the statewide data coverage. The information was provided by Ricardo Lopez-Torrijos of the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Please contact Mr. Lopez-Torrijos for changes in the status of such high-quality data for the State; his contact information is listed in the section Purpose of the Procedure section above.