gis trec at isu - business plan for development of ......final-february 8, 2012 submitted to:...

Business Plan for Development of Regional Geopositioning

Cooperative for Idaho and Montana

Business planning addressing goals of the FGDC 2011 Category 4 Cap Grant Award for Multi-State Planning and Implementation of Geodetic Control Framework Components

Final-February 8, 2012

Submitted to: Idaho/Montana Cap Grant Project Team*

Contact: Keith T. Weber, GISP

Idaho State University GIS Training and Research Center

919 S. 8th Avenue, Stop 8104 Pocatello, ID 83209-8104

[email protected]

*Principle project team members are: Keith Weber, Director, ISU GIS Training and Research Center (GIS TReC), Pocatello, ID Stewart Kirkpatrick, Chief/Coordinator-Montana Base Map Service Center, Helena, MT Rod Collins, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office Donna Pitzer, U.S Bureau of Reclamation, Boise, ID RJ Zimmer, PLS, Helena, MT

Prepared with support by:

Peter Croswell, President Croswell-Schulte IT Consultants

Frankfort, KY 40601 (502) 848-8827

[email protected] www.croswell-schulte.com

Business Plan for Development of Regional Geopositioning Cooperative for Idaho and Montana Final February 8, 2012

TableofContentsPlanSections

1.ExecutiveSummary..................................................................................................................................1

2.DefinitionandContextforGeopositioningCooperativeandGNSSNetwork.......................3 2.1ProjectBackgroundandPurposeoftheBusinessPlan.......................................................................3 2.2StatusofGeopositioningCooperativeandGNSSNetworkActivities.............................................3 2.3SummaryofStatusandLessonslearned...................................................................................................8 2.4GCMission,Goals,andSuccessFactors......................................................................................................8

3.UserCommunity,BusinessNeeds,andGoals................................................................................10 3.1SummaryofSurvey..........................................................................................................................................10 3.2DescriptionofUserCommunityandBusinessNeeds.......................................................................10

4.GeopositioningCooperativeandGNSSBenefitsandJustification.........................................15 4.1Long‐termPictureofGeopositioningCooperative.............................................................................15 4.2BenefitsandBusinessJustification...........................................................................................................15

5.GeopositioningCooperativeandGNSSNetworkServices,TechnicalArchitectureOrganizationalStructure,andManagement...................................................................................................21

5.1ServicestobeProvided..................................................................................................................................21 5.2TechnicalArchitectureandSpecifications.............................................................................................22 5.3OrganizationalStructureandGovernance.............................................................................................26 5.4ManagementRolesandStaffing.................................................................................................................29 5.5OperationalPracticesandServiceDelivery..........................................................................................30 5.6DevelopmentPhases.......................................................................................................................................32

6.ProposedImplementationSteps,Timing,ResourceRequirements....................................34 6.1ImplementationandOperationTasks,TimingandResponsibilities..........................................34 6.2ImplementationResponsibilities...............................................................................................................43 6.3ResourceRequirementsforDevelopment.............................................................................................46 6.4BudgetProjections...........................................................................................................................................47

7.ImplementationManagementandMonitoring.............................................................................51 7.1RelationshipBetweenBusinessPlanandImplementationWork................................................51 7.2RiskManagement.............................................................................................................................................51 7.3MonitoringandReportingonProgress..................................................................................................53 7.4MarketingandOutreachApproach...........................................................................................................57

AppendixA:ResultsofSurvey.................................................................................................................59 Tables

Table1:ExistingGeodeticControlDataPrograms............................................................................4 Table2:SelectedStatewideandRegionalReal‐timeGNSSNetworksinOperation..............6 Table3:GeopositioningCooperativeUserOrganizationsandBusinessNeeds....................13 Table4:PotentialServicestobeprovidedbytheGeopositioningCooperative..................21

Business Plan for Development of Regional Geopositioning Cooperative for Idaho and Montana Final February 8, 2012

Table5:GCCoreManagementPractices.............................................................................................31 Table6:Technical&AdministrativeActivitiesforGCandGNSSOperations........................32 Table7:TasksandTimingforGCImplementationandOperations........................................35 Table8:ResponsibilitiesforGCDevelopmentandOperation...................................................43 Table9:BudgetProjectionsforGCDevelopmentandOperations............................................49 Table10:OverviewofTypesofRisks..................................................................................................51 FiguresandExhibits

Figure1:High‐AccuracyCORSStationsintheIdaho‐MontanaRegion.......................................5 Figure2:GeopositioningCooperativeComponents........................................................................15 Figure3:MCPDWeb‐basedSearchandDisplayInterface............................................................23 Figure4:MCPDDataSubmittalSpreadsheetFormat.....................................................................24 Figure5:MCPDDataSubmittalEditForm.........................................................................................24 Figure6:ConceptofGNSSReal‐timeNetwork...................................................................................25 Figure7:InitialGCOrganizationalStructure....................................................................................27 Figure8:FormalGCOrganizationalStructure.................................................................................29 Figure9:RelationshipbetweenBusinessPlanandDetailedWorkPlans..............................51ExhibitA:SuggestedFormatforGCQuarterlyProgressReports..............................................54 ExhibitB:SuggestedFormatforDetailedImplementationStatusReport.............................56

Business Plan for Development of Regional Geopositioning Cooperative for Idaho and Montana page 1 Final February 8, 2012

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ThisBusinessPlanisonepartofaresearchandplanningprojectsupportedbyaFederalGeographicDataCommittee(FGDC)Category4CAPGrant.The2011awardwasmadetoamulti‐stateteamcomposedofprivatesector,government,andacademicprofessionalsfromIdahoandMontana.Thepurposeofthisplanistodefineanapproachfordevelopmentandoperationofamulti‐state"GeopositioningCooperative"(GC)whichhastwomaincomponents:

Multi‐stateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)toprovideefficientdataentryandsubsequentaccesstogeodeticcontrolinformation

Aglobalnavigationsatellitesystem(GNSS)real‐timenetworkconsistingofhigh‐precisionbasestations(e.g.,CORS)andaccompanyingservicestosupportreal‐time,Web‐basedpositioningandlocation‐basedservices—initiallyinEasternIdahoandWesternMontanawithgradualexpansionthroughoutthetwo‐stateregion.

Asdescribedinthisplan,theGCencompassesthefacilities,personnel,andsystemsrequiredtoprovideMCPDandreal‐timeGNSSservices.ThisplanpresentsapathforGCdevelopmentthattakesintoaccountsuccessesandlessonslearnedinsimilarsuccessfuloperationsinotherstatesandwhichbuildsonsignificantworkthathasalreadybeenaccomplishedinbuildingthetwomainGCcomponentsinIdahoandMontana.Thisplanisbasedonextensiveinformationcollectedfromawidegroupofstakeholders,withmultipledraftplanandreviewstepscarriedoutbetweenMay2011andFebruary2012.ItdescribesproposedGCresourcesandservices,GCmanagementandorganizationalstructureaswellasthetasks,timing,andresourcesneededforGCdevelopment—allofwhicharebaseduponaclear,long‐termstrategicfoundationintheformofthefollowingmissionstatementandhigh‐levelgoals:GCMissionStatement

Establish a sustainable geopositioning cooperative that serves the needs of the broad user communities of Idaho and Montana by providing effective access to high‐quality geodetic control information, GNSS Infrastructure, and related services.

GCGoals

1.Establishandmaintainaphysicalfacilitywiththenecessaryhardware,software,officespace,andpersonneltosupportGCservicesandactivities.2.Develop,deploy,operateandmaintainadatabaseandassociatedWebserviceforentryofandaccesstohigh‐qualitygeodeticcontrolinformation.3.SupporttheestablishmentofacomprehensivenetworkofstationsprovidingGNSSdataforreal‐timecorrectionoflocationaldata—includingconnectionswithstationsoperatedbymultiplepublicsector,privatesector,university,andotherorganizations.4.Coordinateactivitiesandinformationsharingamongabroadstakeholdercommunitytoimprovecollectionofandaccesstogeodeticcontrolinformation.5.Defineandidentifyanorganizationalentitywithaneffectivegovernancestructuretomanageandoverseethemulti‐stategeodeticreferencecenterandreal‐timeGNSSservices.6.Identifysourcesandsecureinitialfundingfordevelopmentandongoingfinancialsupportforlong‐termoperations.


7.Helpprovideanenvironmentforimprovedcollaboration,communication,support,andsharingofbestpracticesforgeodeticcontroldevelopmentanddistribution.8.Establisheffectiveoutreach,promotionaltools,andactivitiestoencourageandexpandtheusercommunityandtosustainawarenessofandactiveinvolvementinGCactivities.

GCsystemsandserviceswillbuildonprogramsalreadyinplaceandwhicharecurrentlybeingprovidedthroughtheIdahoStateUniversityGISTrainingandResearchCenter(GISTReC)andtheMontanaBaseMapServiceCenter(MontanaStateLibrary).Asdescribedinthisplan,theGCwillprovidethefollowingtypesoffunctionsandservices:

Multi‐StateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)Operations RTNSet‐upandOperations Generalassistancetotheusercommunity LiaisonandSupporttotheNGS StateGISProgramSupport SpecialProjects InvolvementinAcademicandResearchActivities

TheplancallsforaphasedapproachforGCdevelopmentduringwhichtimetheGNSSRTNnetworkwillbeexpandedandafullrangeofserviceswillbeputinplace.Thefollowingfourphasesaredefined.MostoftheGCdevelopmentanddeploymentofsystemsandserviceswillbeinplaceatthecloseofPhase3(about4½yearsafterplanapproval)withadditionalexpansioninPhase4.Phasesinclude: Phase1:InitialMCPDEnhancementandPreparationforGeopositioningCooperative(GC)Formation(6

monthsfromBusinessPlanAcceptance) Phase2:InitialGeopositioningCooperativeandRTNSet‐upandAdditionalMCPDEnhancement(24

monthsfollowingendofPhase1) Phase3:ExpansionandFormalizationofGeopositioningCooperativeServicesandRTN(24months

followingendofPhase2) Phase4:MatureGeopositioningCooperativeServicesandRTNOperations(FutureafterPhase3)

ImplementationactivitiesassociatedwiththefourrecommendedGCdevelopmentphasesareidentifiedanddescribedintheplan.Theseimplementationtasksareorganizedunderthefollowingcategories:

OR:EstablishmentandSet‐upofOrganizationalandGovernanceStructure FS:SecuringandSustainingFundingandExternalSupport MC:MCPDEnhancementandOperations RT:RTNTechnicalDesign,Development,andOperationofServices OP:GCOutreach,Promotion,andExternalCollaboration SP:SpecialProjectandServiceDelivery OM:OngoingGCManagement

DevelopmentanddeploymentofGCsystemsandservicesrequirestaffandmonetaryresourcesmuchofwhichisnotcurrentlyallocated.Theplanidentifiespotentialsourcesoffundingaswellastheneedforactivepromotionandmarketing.GCfundingsourcesincludemonetaryandin‐kindcontributionsfromleadandassociatepartnersaswellassubscriptionfeesforGCusers.


2. DEFINITION AND CONTEXT FOR GEOPOSITIONING COOPERATIVE AND GNSS NETWORK

2.1 Project Background and Purpose of the Business Plan

ThisBusinessPlanisonepartofaresearchandplanningprojectsupportedbyaFederalGeographicDataCommittee(FGDC)Category4CAPGrant.The2011awardwasmadetoamulti‐stateteamcomposedofprivatesector,government,andacademicprofessionalsfromIdahoandMontana.Theproject,beingmanagedbytheIdahoStateUniversityGISTrainingandResearchCenter(seehttp://giscenter.isu.edu/research/Techpg/capGC/index.htm)demonstratestechnicalandgovernanceapproachestosupporttraditionalgeodeticcontrolnetworks,aswellaslower‐ordersurveyingcontrolforcadastral,topographic,hydrographic,andfacilitymappingactivities(hereinreferredtoasgeodeticdataorgeodeticcontrol)inamulti‐stateenvironment.Aprimaryelementoftheprojectistheestablishmentofaservicetosupportthediscovery,use,andexchangeofgeodeticcontrolinformationinMontanaandIdaho.TheresultwillbeaMulti‐stateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)toprovideefficientdataentryandsubsequentaccesstogeodeticcontrolinformation.Asecondgoalthatthisplanningaddressesisthecreationandongoingoperationofareal‐timeglobalnavigationsatellitesystem(GNSS)networkconsistingofhigh‐precisionbasestations(e.g.,CORS)andaccompanyingservicestosupportreal‐time,Web‐basedpositioningandlocation‐basedservices—initiallyinEasternIdahoandWesternMontanawithgradualexpansionthroughoutthetwo‐stateregion.ThisBusinessPlanisbeingdevelopedtoguidetheworkassociatedwiththeprogramsandactivitiesdescribedaboveand,morespecifically,thedevelopmentandoperationofaGeopositioningCooperative(GC)tosupportvariouspositioningprojectsandprogramsincludinghostingaMulti‐StateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)builtonthefoundationlaidbytheMontanaControlPointDatabase,densifyingthehigh‐accuracyGNSSbasestationnetworkandestablishingareal‐timeGNSSnetworkservice.ThisBusinessPlanwilladdressthegovernance,management,funding,andtechnicalissuesonwhichtheGCdependsandwilldefinetheimplementationstepsandtimingforitsdevelopment.

2.2 Status of Geopositioning Cooperative and GNSS Network Activities

2.2.1StatusofActivitiesinIdahoandMontanaConsiderablegroundworkhasalreadybeenlaidinMontanaandIdahoforthedevelopmentofamulti‐stateGC.ThisincludesthedevelopmentoftheMontanaControlPointDatabaseandWebservicecurrentlymaintainedbytheMontanaStateLibrary(seehttp://gisservice.mt.gov/MCPDviewer).ThisBusinessPlancallsfortheexpansionandenhancementofthedatabaseservicetoberenamedtheMulti‐StateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)toservetheneedsofusersinMontanaandIdaho.Sincetherearemultipleorganizationsandeffortsinvolvedincollectionandmanagementofgeodeticcontroldata,thisplanrecommendsahigherlevelofcoordinationandcollaborationoftheseefforts.AsummaryofongoingactivitiesisprovidedinTable1below.


Table1:ExistingGeodeticControlDataPrograms

OrganizationOngoingProgramsandActivitiesforGeodeticReferenceData

Management

MontanaControlPointDatabase

ThisservicecurrentlycollectsandservesgeodeticdataforthestateofMontanaonly.It is managed and maintained by the Montana State Library. Access service athttp://gisservice.mt.gov/MCPDviewer.

MontanaDepartmentofTransportation(MDT)

TheMDTcollectsandmanagesgeodeticdataforitsownuse.TheMDTisinvestigatingusing the Multi‐state Control Point Database for organizing, storing, and sharinggeodetic survey data.MDT chairs theMontana HeightMod group. The HeightModgroupisMontana’spointofcontactforCORSdevelopment.

IdahoTransportationDepartment(ITD)

ITDmaintains4CORSstationsandcollectsdatacontinuouslywithdatamovedtoanftp serveronanhourlybasis.These stations are configured toprovidedata for theRTNmanaged at ISU. ITD districts collect and store control data for cadastral andright‐of‐waysurveypointsbut,forthemostpart,thisdataisnotincorporatedintotheITDGISdatabasesorisavailableforgeneralaccessoutsidetheITD.

TheIdahoMap/GeodeticControlTechnicalWorkingGroup(GCTWG)

The GC TWG is focused upon the coordination of information relative to geodeticcontrol across the stateof Idahoand thepotential fordeveloping a statewideGNSSreal‐time network. No geodetic control data is being stored or gathered by the GCTWG.

NationalGeodeticSurvey(NGS)

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/. Currently provides nation‐wide geodetic controlinformationviaASCIItextfilescontainingdataforsurveycontrolstationsmaintainedandcoordinatedbyNGS.Geodeticdatacollectedbyotherentitiesisnotavailablefromthissite.

TheIdahoMap/CadastralReferenceTechnicalWorkingGroups(TWG)

ThisTWGfocusesonenhancingandadjustingtheCADNSDIPLSSlayerforstatewide,multi‐agency parcel mapping. This work cannot be accomplished without controlpointinformation.Acentralizeddatabasewouldgreatlyenhancethisgroup’sefforts.

GeographicControlDatabase(GCDB)

CreatedandmanagedbytheBureauofLandManagement,theGCDBisacollectionofgeographicinformationrepresentingthePublicLandSurveySystem(PLSS)andsomeNon‐PLSSsurveysoftheUnitedStates.TheGCDBgridiscomputedfromBLMsurveyrecords.ItisonesourceofPLSScontrolinformation,butcontainsonlythepointsusedtocreatetheGCDBandisnotaninventoryofallpointscollected.

FarmServiceAgency(FSA)/NationalResourceConservationService

StoresgeodeticdataprovidedbyotherentitiesasneededfortheNationalAgriculturalImageryProgram(NAIP).Theinformationisnotcomprehensiveoreasilyaccessible.With a centralized control point database, FSA would be able to produce higherqualityNAIPproducts.

TherearemanyFederal,State,localgovernmentagenciesandprivatecompanieswhichcollectandmanagegeodeticcontrolinformationfortheirinternalusesbutwhicharenotcurrentlyprovidinganorganizedserviceforgeneralaccesstothedataorsubmittalsfromgovernmentorprivateorganizations.Also, Idaho's Cadastral Reference Technical Working Group has access to several thousand control point records. Once permission has been obtained from the contributing surveyors, and the records have been converted to the correct format, submitting those records to a stable repository for storage and accesswillprovideagreatstartforIdaho.OneofthechallengesandgoalsoftheGCistoengagethesegroupsandencourageparticipationinaregionalprogramforgeodeticcontroldatasubmittalandaccess.Currentlytherearenostatewidereal‐timenetworksolutionsbeingdevelopedforregionalGNSSservicesinIdahoorMontana.Therearebasestationsthatoperateindependentlyandafewlocalsingle‐basenetworks.Figure1showsexistingandplannedhigh‐accuracyGNSSbasestationsintheregion.Thesebasestations,alongwithotherstobebuiltatalatertime,willbeconnectedtogetherinacohesivenetworktoservepositionaldatatoend‐usersinthefieldusingmodelednetworksolutionsandintegritymonitoring.


Figure1:ExistingandPlannedHigh‐AccuracyCORSStationsintheIdaho‐MontanaRegion

2.2.2StatusofSimilarWorkinOtherStatesAnumberofotherstatesorregionalcollaborationshavesetupcentersandservicestoprovideuserswithgeodeticcontrolinformationinamannersimilartothatbeingproposedfortheIdaho‐MontanaGC.Insomecases,theseservicesoperateasseparate"spatialreferencecenters"andinothercasesoperateaspartofstategeospatialdataclearinghouse.Inmostcasesthestatedepartmentoftransportation(DOT)orothergovernmentagencyhastakentheleadroleinprovidinggeodeticdata.Severalexamplesofsuccessfuloperationsaresummarizedbelow:

TheUtahReferenceNetworkGlobalPositioningSystem(TURNGPShttp://www.turngps.utah.gov/) WashingtonSpatialReferenceNetwork(http://washington3d.org/) Oregonreal‐timeGPSnetwork

(http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/GEOMETRONICS/geodetic_control.shtml) CaliforniaSpatialReferenceCenter(CSRC,http://csrc.ucsd.edu/)andCaltrans(DOT) GulfCoastGeospatialCenter(GCGC,www.gcgcusm.org/) LouisianaSpatialReferenceCenter(LSRC,http://c4g.lsu.edu/c4g15/) TexasSpatialReferenceCenter(TSRC,http://tsrc.cbi.tamucc.edu/)andDOT

(http://www.txdot.gov/business/contractors_consultants/gps.htm) NorthCarolinaCenterforGeographicInformationandAnalysis,NCOneMapProgram

(www.nconemap.com/) NewYorkStateGISClearinghouse(http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gisdata) IllinoisNaturalResourcesGeospatialDataClearinghouse(http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/nsdihome/) StateofNewHampshireGISClearinghouse(GRANIT,www.granit.unh.edu/geodetic/datasheet)


ThepopularityandneedforGNSSRealtimenetworkshasbeengrowingrapidlyacrosstheUSAandanumberoflocal,statewide,andregionalnetworksexhibitconsiderablesuccessandgrowingdemand.TheUSGSWaterResources Website (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/gps/real‐time_network.html) identifies the active real‐timenetworksshowninTable2.

Table2:SelectedStatewideandRegionalReal‐timeGNSSNetworksinOperation(Source:U.S.GeologicalSurvey,http://water.usgs.gov/osw/gps/real‐time_network.html)

Location NetworkName OperatedBy Contact

CaliforniaOrangeCountyReal‐TimeNetwork(OCRTN)

CountyofOrange http://www.ocgeomatics.com/Home/GeodeticControl.aspx

California CaliforniaRealTimeNetwork(CRTN)UniversityofCaliforniaSanDiego/ScrippsInstituteofOceanography

http://sopac.ucsd.edu/projects/realtime/

Iowa IowaRealTimeNetwork(IaRTN) IowaDOT http://www.iowadot.gov/rtn/

Louisiana GULFNet CenterforGeoInfomatics‐LouisianaStateUniversityhttp://c4g.lsu.edu/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=2

Maine MTSRTKNetwork MaineTechnicalSource http://www.mainetechnicalsource.com/survey.htmMinnesota CORS/VRSNetwork MinnesotaDOT http://www.olmweb.dot.state.mn.us/CORS.GPS/cors.htmlMissouri MidwestRTKNetwork SeilerInstrumentCompany http://www.mwrtk.net/

NewMexico RealTimeGPSNetwork Vectors,Inc. http://www.vectorsinc.com/NorthCarolina RTKNetwork

NorthCarolinaGeodeticSurvey http://www.ncgs.state.nc.us/

Ohio VRSRTKNetwork OhioDOT http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ProdMgt/Aerial/Pages/VRSRTK.aspxOregon OregonRealTimeNetwork OregonDOT http://www.theorgn.org/SouthCarolina

VirtualReferenceSystem

SouthCarolinaGeodeticSurvey http://www.scgs.state.sc.us

Texas RTKNetwork TexasRTKCooperativeNetwork http://www.txrtk.com/

Utah TURNGPSNetworkStateGovernment(AutomatedGeographicResourceCenter)

http://www.turngps.utah.gov/

Vermont VECTOR VermontGeodeticSurvey http://vcap.aot.state.vt.us/CORS/vt‐real‐time.htm

WashingtonWashingtonStateReferenceNetwork(WSRN)

RegionalCooperative http://www.wsrn.org/

WisconsinWISCORS(WisconsinContinuouslyOperatingReferenceStations)

WisconsinDOT https://wiscors.dot.wi.gov/

Thisisonlyapartiallist.StatewideRTNprogramsandservicesarealsoinplaceinIndiana,WestVirginia,andotherstates.ThesestatewideGNSSRTNprogramsprovideamodelfordevelopmentintheIdaho‐Montanaregion.SeveralexamplesofstatewideRTNprogramsaresummarizedbelow:

WISCORS(https://wiscors.dot.wi.gov/):StatewidenetworkindevelopmentbytheWisconsinDepartmentofTransportation(WisDOT)inpartnershipwithotherorganizations(e.g.,otherstate


agencies,localgovernments,universities,andfederalagencies.)establishedthroughformalagreements.Includespermanentbasestationsplacedatapproximately50kmspacing.AccesstoWISCORSdataisopentoanyuserwhorequestsandreceiveslogoninformation.Userfeesarebeingconsideredbutcurrently,thereisnochargeforaccess.

WestVirginiaDOTRealTimeNetwork(wv.cors.us):TheWestVirginiaDepartmentofTransportation'sDivisionofHighways(WVDOH)isresponsibleformaintainingandoperatingtheRealTimeNetwork(RTN)whichconsistsofContinuouslyOperatingReferenceStations(CORS)networkedtocreateadynamicgeodeticreferencesystem.CORSsitesareownedandoperatedbyanumberofstateagencies,researchinstitutions,andprivateorganizations.TheRahallTransportationInstitute(RTI)isresponsibleforsystemdesign,CORSdatacollection,ITinfrastructure,dataprocessing,training,andtechnologytransfer.RTIredistributesCORSstaticdataforpost‐processingapplications.TheStateofWestVirginiaoperatestheWVRTNtoimprovegeodeticservicestoWVDOTandotherStateagenciesbutaccessisopentoallusers.AccesstotheWVRTNisprovidedfreeofchargeatpresent,provideduserscompletetheregistrationprocessandelectronicallyacknowledgecompliancewiththeend‐useragreement.

StateofWashingtonReferenceNetwork(www.wsrn2.org):TheWSRN(WashingtonStateReferenceNetwork)isaregionalcooperativeofGPSreferencestationsanddatathatenablescost‐savingsolutionsforpublicandprivatesectorsinthefieldsofsurveying,mapping,andotherhighaccuracylocationtechnologyneeds.GPSDataFilesfromanetworkofContinuouslyOperatingReferenceStations(CORS)areavailablefordownloadtoall,withreal‐timeservicesavailablethroughpartnerships,memberships,andsubscriptions.TheWSRN2websiteprovidesarichsetofdataandservices,usersupport,systemstatusandmonitoringreports,solutionsandtipsforusers,andanopenforumforusersandotherpartiesinterestedinreal‐timeGPS.TheWSRNisanintegralpartofthemodernizationoftheSpatialReferenceSystemforWashingtonStateasthe“activecontrol”component;workingwithstateandfederalagencies,scientificandacademiccommunities,aswellasthegeospatialcommunitiesofsurroundingstatesandprovinces.TheoperationsoftheCentralProcessingCenterarefundedmainlybySeattlePublicUtilities,withpartbeingoffsetbynon‐partnercontributions(subscriptions).ThesesubscriptionsgotowardthedirectoperationsandsupportoftheCentralProcessingCenteraswellasdirectusersupport,outreach,education,andincidentalsoftware/hardware.TheWashingtonDepartmentofTransportation(WSDOT)isamajorfundingcontributorbutsubstantialfundsforCORSstationmaintenanceandongoingoperationscomesfromawiderangeofstate,federal,andlocalgovernmentagencies.

UtahReferenceNetwork(http://gis.utah.gov/turngps):Thisservice,namedTheUtahReferenceNetworkGPS(TURNGPS)providesahighaccuracyGPScorrectionsignalforsurveyorsandGISmapping.TURNGPSisanetworkofpermanentlylocatedGPSreceivers(currentlyabout70stations),installedthroughoutthestateandborderareasoutsidethestate.Thesestationsareincorporatedintothereal‐timenetworkthroughpartnershipsbetweenCities,CountiesandStateusingequipmentandfacilities,togeneraterealtimehighaccuracyGPSpositioning.TURNGPSisusedforarangeofprecisionGPSapplicationsincludingsurveying,engineering,construction,andGISdatacollectionTURNGPSservicesareadministeredbyUtah'sAutomatedGeographicReferenceCenter(AGC)AGCandareavailableonasubscriptionbasisaccordingtoaLegislatureapprovedrateschedule.TheTurnGPSWebsiteprovidesaninteractiveWeb‐basedinterfacetoidentifyanddownloadcontrolpointinformationandGPSdata.

OregonReal‐timeGPSNetwork(http://www.theorgn.org/):TheOregonDOTGeometronicsUnitisoperatingandexpandingtheOregonReal‐timeGPSNetwork(ORGN),anetworkofpermanentlyinstalled,continuouslyoperatingGPSreferencestations.ThisGPSnetworkconsistsofGPSContinuouslyOperatingReferenceStations(CORS)thatprovidereal‐timekinematic(RTK)correctorstofieldGPSusersovertheinternetviacellularphonenetworks.CurrentlyGPScorrectorcoveragebytheORGNconsistsofseveralsub‐networksofstationsinsouthernOregon,centralOregon,NWOregon(includingtheWillametteValleynorthofEugeneandtheOregonCoastnorthofFlorence),and


northernOregonalongtheI‐84corridor.Eachsub‐networkconsistsofGPSstationsspacedat70km,moreorless.ODOTGeometronicshascollaboratedwithotherstateandlocalgovernmentagencies,aswellaseducationalinstitutionsandprivateindustry,todeveloptheORGN.OurpartnershavecontributedsomeofthefacilitiesandGPSequipmentfortheORGN.Inturn,ODOTGeometronicshaspurchasedandisoperatingtheGPSnetworksoftwarethatcontrolsthenetworkofCORSstationsfromcentralcomputers.TheODOTGeometronicsUnitandODOTregionsalsohaveprovidedstationsitesandGPSsensorsfortheORGN.

2.3 Summary of Status and Lessons learned

ExperienceswithsimilarprogramsinotherstatesandregionsprovideseveralkeylessonsthatcanguidetheIdaho‐MontanaGCdevelopmentandoperation:

Thepotentialusercommunityisbroadsodataandservicesprovidedshouldbeaccessiblebyaslargeofausercommunityaspossible.

Developmentandoperationrequiressubstantialfundsanditisextremelyhelpfultohaveoneorasmallnumberofmajorsupportingorganizationstoprovideleadershipandmajorfinancialsupport.

Subscriptionfeesareareasonablemechanismtosupportoperationsalthoughwilllikelysupportonlyaportionoftheongoingbudgetforoperations.Feesshouldbeputinplaceandkepttoalevelthatmatchesservicesbeingprovidedandtakesintoaccountthemarketanddemandforservices.Inotherwords,feesshouldbehighenoughtoprovidereasonablerevenuebutnotsohighastoinhibituseofservices.

TheGNSSreal‐timenetworkofbasestationsshouldincorporatebasestationsestablished,operated,andmaintainedbymultiplepublicandprivateorganizationsandongoingpartnershipswithexternalorganizationsshouldbeestablishedandsustained.

GNSSRTNservicesshouldprovidesupportfordifferenttypesofreceivers.

2.4 GC Mission, Goals, and Success Factors

Themissionstatement,high‐levelgoals,andidentificationofsuccessfactorswillestablishafoundationforthisplanandfortheworktobecarriedouttodevelopandoperatetheGeopositioningCooperative(GC).Themissionstatement,goals,andsuccessfactorsguidingthisprojectarepresentedbelow.MissionStatement

Establish a sustainable geopositioning cooperative that serves the needs of the broad user communities of Idaho and Montana by providing effective access to high‐quality geodetic control information, GNSS Infrastructure, and related services.

GoalsThesegoalsarehigh‐levelstatementsthatwillhelptofocusdevelopmentandongoingoperations.GoalstobeaddressedinthisBusinessPlaninclude:

1.Establishandmaintainaphysicalfacilitywiththenecessaryhardware,software,officespace,andpersonneltosupportGCservicesandactivities.2.Develop,deploy,operateandmaintainadatabaseandassociatedWebserviceforentryofandaccesstohigh‐qualitygeodeticcontrolinformation.


3.SupporttheestablishmentofacomprehensivenetworkofstationsprovidingGNSSdataforreal‐timecorrectionoflocationaldata—includingconnectionswithstationsoperatedbymultiplepublicsector,privatesector,university,andotherorganizations.4.Coordinateactivitiesandinformationsharingamongabroadstakeholdercommunitytoimprovecollectionofandaccesstogeodeticcontrolinformation.5.Defineandidentifyanorganizationalentitywithaneffectivegovernancestructuretomanageandoverseethemulti‐stategeodeticreferencecenterandreal‐timeGNSSservices.6.Identifysourcesandsecureinitialfundingfordevelopmentandongoingfinancialsupportforlong‐termoperations.7.Helpprovideanenvironmentforimprovedcollaboration,communication,support,andsharingofbestpracticesforgeodeticcontroldevelopmentanddistribution.8.Establisheffectiveoutreach,promotionaltools,andactivitiestoencourageandexpandtheusercommunityandtosustainawarenessofandactiveinvolvementinGCactivities.


3. USER COMMUNITY, BUSINESS NEEDS, AND GOALS

3.1 Summary of Survey

Aweb‐basedsurveywasconductedfromearlyMaytomid‐June2011togatherinformationtosupportthepreparationofthisplan.ThefullresultsofthissurveyareincludedinAppendixAandmaybeaccessedinspreadsheetformathttp://giscenter.isu.edu/research/Techpg/capGC/data/CAP‐GCsurvey.xlsx.Thesurveyaskedstakeholdersfortheirinputonthefollowingtopics:

Currentcollectionand/oruseofsurveyingandgeodeticcontroldata Purpose/needforsurveyingandcontroldata Limitationsencounteredinaccesstooruseofcontroldata Currentsourcesforsurveyingandcontroldata Currentapproach/sourceforGPScorrection ImportanceofcontrolandrealtimeGNSSnetworkdata Geodeticcontrolandsurveydataaccuracyrequirements

Therewere106responsestothesurvey.Thebreakdownoforganizationalaffiliationsoftherespondentsisasfollows:

Governmentagency(Federal,state,orlocal) 54.5% Publicorprivateutilitycompany 5.0% Surveyand/orengineeringfirm 28.7% Agriculturalcommunity 1.0% Construction/machinecontrolcommunity 1.0% Academic/researchinstitution 6.9% Other 3.0%

3.2 Description of User Community and Business Needs

ResearchcarriedoutforthisBusinessPlanhasidentifiedawiderangeofpublicsector,private,andnot‐for‐profitorganizationsandindividualswithimportantneedsforgeodeticcontrolandRTNdata.Thisinformationserves,andinmanycasesisessentialforbusinessandprogramrequirementsofbothpublicandprivatesectororganizations.OrganizationsandusergroupsthatmakeuseofgeodeticcontrolandRTNdataincludefederalandstategovernmentagencies,localgovernments,universitiesandresearchorganizations,publicandprivateutilitycompanies,regionalagencies,privatesectorservicecompanies,farmersandagriculturalserviceorganizations,andnot‐for‐profitorganizations.Businessneedsforgeodeticcontrolandreal‐timeGNSSservicescoverawiderangeofneedsforthesegroupsincluding:

EngineeringPlanningandDesign:Captureofhighlyaccuratehorizontalandverticallocationstosupportpreliminaryanddetaileddesignforconstructionorrehabilitationofinfrastructure(transportation,utility,buildings,etc.).

InfrastructureInventoryandUndergroundUtilityLocation:Useofreal‐timeorpostprocessedcoordinateinformationtosupportregularinventoryandconditionsurveysoftransportationandutilityinfrastructuretosupportinfrastructuremanagementandmaintenance.Thisbusinessneedalsosupportsrequiredservicesforlocatingandmarkingundergroundutilityassetsasaplanningstepforexcavationwork.Inaddition,real‐timelocationalinformationisessentialforthevehicle‐basedintegratedcollection


systems(e.g.,vansequippedwithGPS,videocapture,andsensorsforstreetmappingandpavementinventory).

LandSurveying:Captureofhighlyaccuratehorizontalandverticalcoordinatestosupportlocationandmappingofpropertyownershipboundaries,jurisdictionalboundaries,andthelegalsubdivisionofland.Ofteninvolvestheassignmentofaccuratepositionstophysicalmonuments.

ParcelMappingandPropertyAssessment:Supportstheassignmentofanacceptablelevelofmapaccuracytoparcelmapssupportingrealpropertyassessmentbygovernmentagenciesandthemanagementofpublicandprivatelandmanagement(landacquisition,sale,leasing,easementallocation,etc.).Alsoimpactsworkonmanagingsurfacevs.subsurfacerightsonpublicandprivateland.

GeologicMappingandExtractiveIndustryOperations:Useofreal‐timeorpost‐processedinformationsupportfieldinventoryandmappingofgeologic,mineral,petroleum,andgasresourcesandtosupportassociatedoperationsincludingpermitting,surveyingformining,drilling,andtransportoperations,andtracking/managementofextractionoperations.Inaddition,platetectonicmovementmonitoringandprecisegeothermalactivitystudiesrequiretheuseofhigh‐precisionGNSSdata.

DigitalMapandAerialDataRegistration:Accuratehorizontalandverticalcoordinateinformationisessentialforprecisemapregistrationandfortheproductionofgeospatialdatafromaerialimagery.Coordinateinformationisappliedtonon‐registeredorpoorlyregisteredmaps(e.g.,parcelmaps,landusemaps)toenhancepositionalaccuracy.Inaddition,aerialdatacollectionsystems(digitalaerialcameras,LiDAR)canusereal‐timeGNSSdataincorporatedwiththeirdatacollectionsystems.

LandDataCollectionandMapping:Awiderangeoffieldandmobiledatacollectionactivitiesbenefitfromandoftenrequirereal‐time,accurateGNSSdata.Thesedatacollectionactivitieswhichmayinclude:a)Vehicle‐basedcollectionofroadandtransportationdata(e.g.,streetcenterlinemapping,signinventory,pavementinventories),b)Utilityfacilityinventorymapping,c)sensor‐basedsystemsprovidingreal‐timemonitoringdata.

VehicleLocationandNavigation:Real‐timecoordinateinformationisacriticalrequirementtosupportlandandairnavigation.Thisincludescommercial,military,andprivateaircraftnavigationandairportmanagement.Inaddition,thisbusinessareaencompassesawiderangeofvehiclelocationandroutingapplicationsthatsupportsuchapplicationsasemergencydispatch,automaticvehiclelocation,freighttransport,publicworkscrewdispatch,courier/deliveryservices,etc.

AgricultureandSilvicultureOperations:Real‐timelocationalinformationthatsupportsallaspectsoffieldandplotmanagementincludingtreatment,cultivation,andharvest.Horizontalandverticalinformationalongwithintegrationofothergeographicdatasourcessupportsprecisionagriculturalpracticesandautomatedagriculturaloperations.

NationalSpatialReferenceSystem(NSRS)Densification:TheNSRS,managedbytheNationalGeodeticSurvey(NGS),isaconsistentnationalcoordinatesystemthatspecifieslatitude,longitude,height,scale,gravity,andorientationthroughouttheNation,aswellashowthesevalueschangewithtime.ThisincludesthemaintenanceofCORSbasestationsandmonumentedcontrolpoints.GeodeticcontrolactivitiesinIdahoandMontanacontributetotheNSRSandarecriticalsincethecurrenttrendisforadecreaseofdirectNGSinvolvementinCORSstationestablishmentandcontrolpointmonumentationandmaintenance.

EmergencyManagementandResponse:Coordinateinformationthatsupportsallphasesofemergencymanagement:planning,response,recovery,andmitigationforlocal,state,federal,andprivatelawenforcement,fire,EMS,emergencymanagementoffices,andsecurityorganizations.Accurategeodeticcontrolinformationdirectlysupportsmappinginformationonwhichemergencyplanningandresponsedepends(e.g.,floodriskmapping,wildfire,infrastructure)andaccesstoreal‐timeGNSSfeedssupportsemergencymanagementandresponseinurbanandremoteareas.


TerrestrialStructuralDataCollection:Useofhighlyaccuratehorizontalandverticalcoordinatedatasupportstheuseofnewanddevelopingtechnologyforsurface‐based3‐Dscanningsystemsthatacquireaccurate,georeferencedmodelsofbuildingsandotherstructures.

Research:GeographicinformationsciencemakesincreasinguseofGNSSdataandhighprecisionGNSSdatainparticular.ThesedatasupportthedevelopmentofaccurateLiDAR‐derivedterrainmodelsalongwithimageanalysisfromhighspatialresolutionsatelliteimagery.Thelatteriskeytotheearlydetectionofinvasiveplantspeciesandtheaccuratedelineationofkeyhabitatareasamongotherareasofresearch.

Table3comparesthesebusinessneedswiththekeyorganizationsandusergroups.


Table3:GeopositioningCooperativeUserOrganizationsandBusinessNeeds

BusinessNeeds

UserOrganization

Type Engin

eering

Plannin

gand

Design

Infras

tructu

reInv

entor

y/Undergr

oundUtilityL

ocation

LandSu

rveyin

gParce

lMappin

gandProperty

Asses

sment

Geolo

gicMappin

gand

ExtractiveInd

ustryOpera

tions

DigitalM

apan

dAerialD

ata

Registration

LandDa

taCollectionan

dMa

pping

Vehic

leLoca

tiona

ndNa

vigation

Agriculture

andS

ilvicu

lture

Opera

tions

NSRSDe

nsification

Emerg

encyMa

nagem

entand

Respo

nse

Terre

strialStruc

turalD

ata

Collection

Resea

rch

Explanation

FederalGovernmentAgencies

X X X X X X X X X X

IncludestheNationalGeodeticSurveyas theoversightbodyandmanageroftheNational Spatial Reference Systembut awide range of other agencieswith mapping, infrastructure, land and resource management,environmental,emergencymanagementneeds(e.g.,BLM,BOR,USGS,USFS,NRCS,FAA,FHWA,EPA,DHS,DOD,USA‐COEandothers).

StateGovernmentAgencies

X X X X X X X X X X

AsisthecaseintheFederalgovernmentsector,multipleIdahoandMontanastate agencies with infrastructure and land management responsibilitiesdependupon geodetic control data andoftenRTN services. In addition tothe transportation agencies in each state (Idaho TransportationDepartment, Montana DOT) other agencies use geodetic controlinformation. In Idaho, this includes the State Tax Commission, IdahoGeologicSurvey,IdahoStatePolice,IdahoNationalGuard,IdahoBureauofHomelandSecurity,andtheIdahoDepartmentsofWaterResources,Lands,EnvironmentalQuality,HealthandWelfare.InMontana,stateagenciesthatgather and/or use geodetic information include the Departments ofEnvironmental Quality; Commerce; Fish, Wildlife & Parks; NaturalResourcesandConservation;MilitaryAffairs;andthestateNaturalHeritageProgram.

LocalGovernmentAgenciesandTribalGovernments

X X X X X X X X

City and County government agencies and Tribal governments havefundamental business needs for high‐quality geodetic control informationeveniftheseneedsarenotalwaysbeingmetatthistime.Theseinclude:a)parcelmapping,realpropertyappraisalcarriedoutbyCountyAssessors,b)road and public utility infrastructure development and maintenance, c)emergencymanagementandpublicsafetyoffices.

RegionalAgencies X X X X

Includespublicsector organizationswithspecificplanningand/orservicesresponsibility foraspecificgeographicareawhichmaybeasub‐countyormulti‐county area. In Idaho and Montana, some examples include schooldistricts, economic development associations, metropolitan planningorganizations,andspecialpublicservices.


BusinessNeeds

UserOrganization

Type Engin

eering

Plannin

gand

Design

Infras

tructu

reInv

entor

y/Undergr

oundUtilityL

ocation

LandSu

rveyin

gParce

lMappin

gandProperty

Asses

sment

Geolo

gicMappin

gand

ExtractiveInd

ustryOpera

tions

DigitalM

apan

dAerialD

ata

Registration

LandDa

taCollectionan

dMa

pping

Vehic

leLoca

tiona

ndNa

vigation

Agriculture

andS

ilvicu

lture

Opera

tions

NSRSDe

nsification

Emerg

encyMa

nagem

entand

Respo

nse

Terre

strialStruc

turalD

ata

Collection

Resea

rch

Explanation

PrivateSector‐LandRelatedActivitiesandServices

X X X X X X X X

This includes any private company with a business focus on landmanagementand/orlanddevelopmentservices.Includedinthisgrouparesuchfirms:a)firmsprovidingsurveyingorengineeringservicessupportingproperty surveys, infrastructure design, and support for construction, b)mining/mineral extraction companies, c) residential and commercial landdevelopment, d) oil and gas extraction and transport, e)recreationaldevelopment and service companies, f) forest/timber companies, andothers.

PrivateSector‐CommercialandIndustrial

X X X X X Includes any firms that make use of mapping, geodetic control, or RTNservices to support their retail, commercial, or industrial businessoperations.

FarmersandAgriculturalServices

X X X X Individual farmers, companies involved in agricultural or production andforestry operations, and companies that provide services (including RTKdata)totheagriculturalandsilviculturalcommunity.

UtilityOrganizations X X X X X X

Private utility companies, cooperatives, and public utility organizationsprovidingwater,wastewater,electric,gas,andtelecommunicationsservicesand which rely on mapping and geodetic coordinate information forinfrastructuredesign,construction,monitoring,andmaintenance.

Universities/ResearchOrganizations

X X X X X X X Includesbothstatesupportedandprivatecollegesanduniversitiesaswellasnon‐universityprivateorgovernmentsupportedresearchinstitutions.

Not‐for‐ProfitOrganizations X X X X X X X

Includesanynon‐governmentalornon‐profitorganizations,companies,orassociations that may make use of geodetic control information or GNSSservicesnowor in the future.Somepossibilities include landconservationor environmental groups (e.g., Nature Conservancy), recreational oroutdoor sport organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited), various serviceorganizations,non‐profitresearchorganizations,etc.


4. GEOPOSITIONING COOPERATIVE AND GNSS BENEFITS AND JUSTIFICATION

4.1 Long-term Picture of Geopositioning Cooperative

Theterm“GeopositioningCooperative”encompassesallorganizationalelements,technicalinfrastructure,andservicesformanagementofgeodeticcontrolinformationandoperationofthereal‐timeGNSSnetwork.AsconceptuallydepictedinFigure2,thisincludes:

Governancestructureandmanagementtooverseeanddirectoperations Stafftosupportservices,systemoperationsandmaintenance Multi‐stateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)andservicesforentryofandaccesstocontroldata ComputersystemsandnetworktotheMCPDandRTNservices Physicalfacilities(officespaceandamenities)tosupportoperations

Figure2:GeopositioningCooperativeComponents

4.2 Benefits and Business Justification

Theneedforgeodeticcontrolandreal‐timeGNSSinformationisconfirmedasevidencedbythefollowingstudiesandstatistics:


AmericanSurveyorMagazine,"Real‐timeGNSSNetworkinNewMexico",Vol.7,No.9,www.amerisurv.com/PDF/TheAmericanSurveyor_Wilkie‐ARTGN_Vol7No9.pdf.

AllenConsultingGroup,EconomicBenefitsofHigh‐ResolutionPositioningServices,finalreport,2008,www.crcsi.com.au.

NationalAcademyofSciences,TheGlobalPositioningSystem‐theroleofAtomicClocks,specialpublication,BeyondDiscovery,1997,www.beyonddiscovery.org/includes/DBFile.asp?ID=84.

NationalAcademyofSciencesPress,PreciseGeodeticInfrastructure:NationalRequirementsforaSharedResource,specialpublicationbytheNationalResearchCouncilCommitteeontheNationalRequirementsforPrecisionGeodeticInfrastructureandtheCommitteeonSeismologyandGeodynamics,2010.

NationalGeodeticSurvey,GuidelinesforRealTimeGNSSNetworks,version2.0,March2011. V1Magazine,"IshighAccuracyGNSSNowaBasicNeed?",February18,2011,Vector1Media,

http://www.vector1media.com/dialog/perspectives/18555‐is‐high‐accuracy‐gnss‐now‐a‐basic‐need.html.

ProfessionalSurveyorMagazine,severalarticlesonGNSSnetworks,June2011andJune2009.ThejustificationfortheGeopositioningCooperativeandtheservicesdescribedinSection5ofthisplanisbasedonthreepremises:1.Thereexistsacriticalandongoingneedforhigh‐qualitygeodeticcontrolinformationbyawiderangeoforganizationsandindividuals.2.Therehasbeennosingle,easytouseserviceforaccessingcomprehensivegeodeticcontrolinformationintheIdaho‐Montanaregion.Thecurrentnecessityforusersofgeodeticcontrolinformationtoconsultmultiplesourcesoracquiretheirowncontrolinformationisexpensive,duplicative,andimpractical.3.Thereisarapidlygrowingneedforarobust,real‐timeGNSSnetworktosupportfield‐basedoperationsandlocation‐basedservices,whichdemandhighlyaccurate,real‐timecoordinateinformation.

EachofthesepremisesisexploredinmoredetailbelowasameanstoestablishastrongbusinesscasefortheGCandtheprofoundbenefitsthatwillresult.

4.2.1 Critical and Ongoing Need for Geodetic Control Information

TheresultsofthesurveyoforganizationsinIdahoandMontanasummarizedinSection3andAppendixA,andthedescriptionoforganizationsandbusinessneedsinsection3.2presentstrongevidencethathigh‐qualitygeodeticcontrolinformationisvitalforalargenumberofpublic,private,academic,andnon‐profitorganizations.Thebusinessneedsforhighquality,readilyavailablegeodeticcontrolinformationaresummarizedasfollows:

Geodeticcontrolinformationisthebasisforallmappingactivities.Asafoundation“layer”ofdata,geodeticcontrolpointsandreferenceinformationinsufficientquantityandqualityarethenecessarystartingpointforanymappingorgeographicdatacollectionproject.

Federalprogramsoperatingatnational,state,andregionallevelsdependongeodeticcontrolinformationtomanagelandanddelivervitalservicestoorganizationsandindividuals.Thelistislongbutafewexamplessufficetoillustratetheimportanceofefficient,reliableaccesstogeodeticcontroldata:


NationalGeodeticSurveyhasasitsprimarymission,themaintenanceoftheNationalSpatialReferenceSystem(NSRS).TheNGSmanagesanetworkofCORSstationsandworkswithotherFederalandstateagenciestoprovideaccesstodatafromthesestations.TheNGSoperatestheOn‐linePositioningUserService(OPUS).Asnotedpreviously,NGS'sdirectsupportforestablishingandoperatingstationsisdecreasingwhichwillplacemoreresponsibilityonstateandlocalgovernmentsandprivatecompanies.

TheFederalAviationAdministration(FAA)hasaGlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem(GNSS)ProgramOfficethatprovidessatellite(GPS)basedpositioning,navigation,andtiming(PNT)servicesintheUnitedStatestoenableflightoperationmanagementforallphasesofflightfromenroute,terminal,approach,andsurfacenavigation.PNTservicesareanessentialenablerrequiredtoovercomethedeficienciesintoday'sairtrafficinfrastructureandsupportimplementationoftheNextGenerationAirTransportation(NEXTGEN)systemfortheUnitedStates'NationalAirspaceSystem(NAS).TheFAA'splantoprovidePNTservicesrequiresimplementationoftwoGPSaugmentationsystems,theWideAreaAugmentationSystem(WAAS)andtheGroundBasedAugmentationSystem(GBAS).

TheGeographicCoordinateDataBase(GCDB)program,managedbytheUSDIBureauofLandManagement(BLM),usesgeodeticcontrolinformationtoestablishcoordinatereferencetothePublicLandSurveySystem(PLSS)grid.TheGCDBsupportsmappingandlandmanagementneedsofmanygovernmentagenciesandprivatecompanies.

Federallyfundedinfrastructureplanning,design,anddevelopmentworkdependsonaccurategeodeticcontrolinformation.WorkcarriedoutorfundedbytheFederalHighwayAdministration,U.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers,BureauofLandManagement,NationalParkService,andotherFederalagencies.

TheU.S.ForestServicemanages21NationalForestsinIdahoandMontanacoveringanareaof45.5millionacres.Geodeticcontrolinformationsupportson‐goingactivitiesforforestmanagement,buildingandmaintenanceofroads,firethreatmonitoring,andemergencyresponse.

TheU.S.BureauofLandManagementmanagesatotalof20millionacresinIdahoandMontanaandrequiresgeodeticcontrolinformationtosupportrenewableenergy,fire,grazingpermits,recreation,endangeredspeciesprojectstonamejustafewofBLM’sresponsibilities.

TheU.S.GeologicalSurveyhasresponsibilityforarangeofmapping(maintenanceoftheNationalMap),field‐basedcollectionandmonitoringactivities(e.g.,waterflow/quality,seismicmonitoring)andanumberofearthscienceprogramsforwhichgeodeticcontrolinformationisessential.

CurrentDHS‐FEMAprogramsforFloodMapModernization(MapMod)andRiskMapping,Assessment,andPlanning(RiskMAP)requiregeodeticcontrolinformationforgeoregistrationofexistingmapsandfornewhydrologicstudiessupportingfloodhazardmapping.

Infrastructuredesign,development,andmaintenanceworkcarriedoutbylocalandstategovernmentsandutilityorganizationsdependsonaccurategeodeticinformation.WorkcarriedoutbyStatetransportationagencies(ITDandMDT),cityandcountypublicworksandtransportationdepartments,andpublicorprivateutilities(water,wastewater,gas,electric,telecommunications)intheareasofpreliminaryengineeringplanningandcostestimation,detailedengineeringdesign,constructioninspectionandmanagement,andinfrastructuremaintenancecannotbecarriedoutwithoutgeodeticcontrolinformation.Itisusefultonotethatthe2009“ReportCardforAmerica’sInfrastructure”preparedbytheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers(seewww.infrastructurereportcard.org)whichratestheconditionoftransportation,utility,andotherinfrastructureassetspointstomajordeficienciesinMontanaandIdahoindamsandinroad,bridge,waterandwastewaterinfrastructure.ThisunderscoresthecriticalneedsformajorinfrastructuremaintenanceandrehabilitationwhichwillrequiregeodeticcontrolinformationandGNSSservices.


Thereexistanumberofstatelegalandregulatorymandatesthatspecificallyrequiretheuseofcontrolinformationtyingboundariesandassetstoabsolutelocations.IdahoandMontanastatutes(e.g.,IdahoCode54‐1227)requiretheprecisepositioninganddocumentationoflegallydefinedboundariesbyqualified,licensedindividuals.Theselawsareofhugeimportancebecausetheyarethebasisforlegalconveyances,transactions,andprogramswithregulatoryorjudicialmandates.Amongtheseare: Landownership/landrightstransfer Pipelinesafety Undergroundutilitylocateservices Floodinsurance Air,solidwaste,andwaterenvironmentalprotectionprogramsandclean‐upinitiatives Endangeredspeciesprotection

Thevitalneedforaccuratecontroldatatosupportthemappingoflegalboundaries,definingareasofjurisdiction,ownership,andlandrightscannotbeunderstatedasevidencedbythefollowing: Billionsofdollarsworthofpublicandprivatelandtransactions(sales,acquisition,easementallocation,leasing)occuronanannualbasisinIdahoandMontana.Thevalueofthesetransactionsrelatesdirectlytotheestablishmentofaccuratelegalboundariesandthelocationofinfrastructure.

Propermanagementofresourcesandsubsurfacelandrightsrequiresaccurategeodeticcontrolinformationandlegalboundarydata.Properoversightofwaterrights,mineralrights,andforestharvestingprograms,whichinvolvebillionsofdollars,cannotbeeffectivelyexecutedwithoutlegalboundaryandcontrolinformation.

Localgovernmentsandspecialservicedistrictsdependdirectlyonrevenuefromrealpropertytaxes.Acomprehensiveandequitablerealpropertyassessmentprogram,compliantwithappropriatelawsandregulations,dependsonaccuratelegalboundaryinformation

TheGeographicCoordinateDataBase(GCDB)programmanagedbytheFederalBureauofLandManagementisacollectionofgeographicinformationrepresentingthePublicLandSurveySystemonpublicandprivateland.TheGCDBgridiscomputedfromBLMsurveyrecords,localsurveyrecords,andgeodeticcontrolinformation.Thisgridisthecadastralreferenceorbasemapthatnotonlyfederalmappers,butalsothevastmajorityofcountiesusefortheirtaxparcelmapping.Duetobudgetarylimitations,theBLMinIdahoandMontanawerenotabletouseextensivelocalsurveyinformationincompilingtheGCDB.Asaresult,thereliabilityandspatialaccuracyofthePLSScornercoordinatesintheGCDBvarieswidely.Ifmoreaccurategeodeticcontrolinformationwereeasilyaccessible,theGCDBcouldbegreatlyimprovedandbecomeaninvaluableresourceforallparcelmappers.

ForthosecountyandcitygovernmentsthathavethemeanstomaintaintheirownPLSSinformation,moreaccuratecontroldata,directlysupportstheeffectivemappingandmanagementofrealpropertyinprivateownership.

TheimportanceandvalueofagricultureandsilvicultureinIdahoandMontanaunderscorestheneedforaccurategeodeticcontrolinformationforfield/plotmanagementandtosupporttheincreasinguseofprecisionagriculturalpractices.

Stateandlocalemergencymanagementandpublicsafetyagencies(lawenforcement,fire,rescue,emergencymedical)dependonlocationinformationandmapsdevelopedonafoundationofaccurategeodeticcontrol.Thepreparationofemergencyplansandriskassessmentrequiresaccurategeodeticinformation.Effectiveemergencyresponseissupportedbygeodeticdatatoaccuratelypinpointincidentlocations—particularlyfromcellphonecallsforwhichE911addresslocationdataisnotavailable.


4.2.2 Need for a Single, Convenient Service for Submittal and Access of Geodetic Data

WiththeexceptionoftherecentlyimplementedMontanaControlPointDatabase,therehasbeennoreliable,centralsourceforcomprehensivecontrolpointdata.Infact,thisMontanadatabasewasestablishedtofulfillthisunmetneedandaddressarangeofproblemsandobstaclestomanagingandaccessinggeodeticcontrolinformation—afewofwhichareexplainedbelow:

TheNationalGeodeticSurvey’sWebsite(www.ngs.noaa.gov)hasfunctionedformanyyearsasasourceforgeodeticcontrolinformationandaservicetoprovidepost‐processingforGPSdatacollection(theNGSOPUSprogram).ButtheNGShasnotbeenacomprehensivesourceofcontrolpointdataandindications(drivenbyFederalbudgetandorganizationaldecisions)arethattheNGSrolewilldecreaseinthefuture.

ThestatetransportationagenciesinIdahoandMontana(ITDandMDT)gatherandusealargeamountofgeodeticcontrolinformation(in‐housestaffandcontractors)becauseitservesavitalbusinessneedfortransportationinfrastructuredevelopmentandmaintenance.Thestatetransportationagenciescouldbenefitgreatlyfromacentralsourceandeasyaccesstohigh‐qualitycontroldatafromotheragencies.Likewise,otherorganizationswouldrealizeasignificanttimeandcostsavingsifstatetransportationagencycontroldatawereeasilyavailable.

ThecaseofstatetransportationdepartmentsexplainedaboveisrepeatedmanytimesatthelocalandregionallevelbyCityandcountypublicworksdepartmentsandutilityorganizationswhichcollectandusegeodeticcontroldataforinfrastructureprojects.Savingsinresearchtimeanddirectcostsaresubstantialifacentralsourceofdatawereavailable.

SomelocalgovernmentsinIdahoandMontanaarepursuingprojectstotieexistinglegalboundariesandmonuments(fromthePublicLandSurveySystem)toaccurategeodeticlocationsandtherebyprovideamoreeffectivefoundationformappingandlandmanagement.Theseprojectsareexpensivebutcostscanbecontainedifgeodeticcontrolinformationcouldbemademorereadilyavailable.

Theprivatesurveyingcommunitymustresearchgeodeticcontrolinformationforeverynewprojectorjobtheystart.Thisusuallyinvolvesatriptonumerouscountyofficestosearchtheirfilesandmakecopiesoftheinformationtheyneed.Acentralizedrepositorywouldobviouslymaketheirworkmoreefficient,butbeyondthat,forthosesurveyorsthatcontributeinformationtotheMCPD,theirinformationisstoredinasecure,off‐site,standardizeddatabase.

AcentralsiteandserviceforsubmittalandaccesstoreliablegeodeticcontrolinformationwasidentifiedinthestateofIdaho’sstrategicandbusinessplansforstatewidespatialdatainfrastructure(2008,2009).Thishasnotbeenacteduponhoweverbecauseofresourcelimitations.Theinterestremainsandthisbusinessplanningprocessisseenasavehicletorespondtothisneed.TheMontanaControlPointDatabaseinitscurrent,earlyformhasalreadyprovidedevidenceofthepopularityandbenefitsforaservicethatallowsforthesubmittal,query,andaccesstogeodeticcontrolinformationforMontanausers.

4.2.3 Increasing Need and Benefits for Real-Time Network Services

TheuseofGNSSdatatosupportarangeoflocation‐basedactivitieshasadvancedrapidlyoverthepast20yearstothepointtodaythatGNSSdataisanexpected,andtoalargeextenttransparent,componentofroutinelocation‐basedapplicationsandservices.Throughoutthe1990s,real‐timepositioningusingtheexistingNavstar(GPS)constellationofsatelliteswascrude—becauseofthelimitationofexistingreceivertechnologyandtheimpositionofselectiveavailability(SA)bytheDefenseDepartmentwhichintentionallydegradedaccuracy.AccuratepositioningwithGPS(betterthanabout3‐4metershorizontal)requiredpost‐processingwithdatafromoneormorebasestations.RegularadvancesinreceivertechnologyandthediscontinuationofSAin2000providedabasisforhighlyaccuratereal‐timepositioning.Theintroductionofadditionalsatellite


constellations(theRussianGLONASSandEuropeanUnionGalileo)andadvancesinreceivertechnologies(H‐starandDeltaphaseprocessing)toacceptandprocessGLONASSandGalileosignals,providedfurtheropportunitiesforincreasedpositioningaccuracy.Asdescribedin3.2,real‐timepositioningatresource‐gradeaccuracy(~1‐meterrangehorizontal)aswellassurvey‐gradeaccuracy(centimeterrange)supportsalargerangeofbusinessneeds(e.g.,landsurveying,infrastructurelocationandinventory,vehiclenavigation,emergencyresponse,scientificresearch,precisionagriculture,geotagging).Expansionofthenetworkofaccuratebasestations,ascalledforbythisplan,isjustifiedbythetangibleandintangiblebenefitsofreal‐timepositioning.Manyapplications(e.g.,precisenavigation,precisionagriculture)cannotevolvewithoutarobustRTNservice.OtherusesofanRTNnetworkalleviatetheneedforsettingupanddismantlingaproject‐relatedtotalbasestation—andassociatedtimeandcostsforpost‐processing(e.g.,OPUS).AsdocumentedbytheUSGS(seehttp://water.usgs.gov/osw/gps/real‐time_network.html#benefits)andothersources,therearemajorbenefitsforareal‐timeGNSSnetworkwithWeb‐basedaccesstoreal‐timecorrectionservices,relativetootherreal‐timecorrectionapproaches—suchaslocalreal‐timekinematic(RTK)correction.Amajoradvantageisthatitprovidesusers,whichrelyononeorasmallnumberoflocallyoperatedbasestations.TheRTNcanaccessdatafromawidenetworkofcontinuouslyoperatedstationswithoutanongoingneedorcostforlocalbasestationset‐upandwithconsiderablyfewerproblemswithweather,visibility,orequipmentmalfunctionthatcanaccompanyRTKoperations.Inaddition,aGNSSRTNwithWebaccessibleservicesprovidesgreatflexibilityandcansupportreal‐timecorrectionforawiderangeoffield‐baseddevices,receiverspecifications,andcorrectionsoftware.SomespecificexamplesandcasesthatillustratetheadvantagesandbenefitsofusingRTNservices:

ArecentlyestablishedRTNinthenorthernAppalachianregionofPennsylvaniaisbeingactivelyusedtosupportexplorationanddevelopmentofgasextractionfromtheMarcellusshaleformation.ThisprivatelymaintainedRTNprovidessubscriptionservicestosurveyorsandresourcesdevelopmentcompanies(over200activeusers)tosupportworkininitialpropertysurveys,planning,permitting,anddesignforconstructionofexplorationandproductiondrilling(seeProfessionalSurveyorMagazine,"SecondBoom",June,2011,p.11to14).

TheMinnesotaDepartmentofTransportation(MNDOT)‐‐thefirststate‐ownednetworkintheUS‐‐implementedareal‐timeCORS‐basednetworkin2000‐2001tosupportmaintenanceactivitiesandfield‐baseddatacollectionactivitiesintheTwinCitiesarea.TheRTNwasimplementedinresponsetolimitationsandcostsassociatedwiththeuseofRTKtechnology.Thebenefitsderivedfromthisinitialimplementation,whichincludestreamlinedaccesstoreal‐timecorrectionservicesandlowercosts,aredrivingexpansiontootherregionsofthestate.Currently,theRTNservicesareusedprimarilybytheMNDOTbutaremadeavailabletootherusers.

TheFAA,throughitsGNSSProgramOfficeprovidessatellite(GPS)basedpositioning,tosupportallphasesofflightoperationsexistingandplanneduseofreal‐timeGNSSservices,theWideAreaAugmentationSystem(WAAS)andtheGroundBasedAugmentationSystem(GBAS)dependonarobustRTN.Directbenefitsincludereducedtimeanddistanceforrunway,greaterrunwaycapacitytoterminal,reducedworkloadforairtrafficcontrols,criticalsafetybenefitsfordirectingairlanetraffic,andreducedcostsforolderground‐basednavigationsystems.


5. GEOPOSITIONING COOPERATIVE AND GNSS NETWORK SERVICES, TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, AND MANAGEMENT 5.1 Services to be Provided ThissectiondescribestheservicesthatareplannedfortheGeopositioningCooperative(GC).Table4identifiestheseservicesandpresentsthefollowinginformation:

Descriptionofpotentialservices Priority ResourceRequirements:generaldescriptionofstaffandothertangibleresourcesrequiredto

establishandprovidetheserviceThedecisionsonwhichservicetoimplementandwhentoimplementwillbebasedonuserneedsandavailabilityofresources.Theprioritylevelassignedtoeachservicereflectsitsimportanceandgivesageneralbasisforrelativetimingforimplementation.

Table4:PotentialServicestobeprovidedbytheGeopositioningCooperative

Potential Program or Service Description Priority1

Multi-State Control Point Database (MCPD) Operations

MCPD operations encompass the following components: a) the control point database with metadata, b) Web-based applications for querying and accessing control point data, c) Web-based tools for entry of new control point data and quality assurance checks

VH

RTN Set-up and Operations

RTN services involve the establishment and configuration of new base stations, monitoring and maintaining RTN station operations, and providing access to real-time network solutions to users. This service encompasses maintenance of the network, Web services, Web-based access to RTN station data to support real-time correction, and support to users. The GC may have direct responsibility for some stations but a primary task will be to coordinate with other organizations to integrate stations they maintain into a cohesive RTN and to progressively identify and bring in new partners and additional stations.

H

General assistance to the user community

Geopositioning Cooperative staff will be available to respond to questions and provide basic advisory support and consultation to users of geodetic information. This may include ad hoc answers to questions (via phone, email, in person) and the creation of a query tool and knowledge base to provide Web-based response to questions. Assistance may relate specifically to the use of the MCPD and RTN network or assistance in the use of data for specific projects or applications. Center staff will assist data providers with project and point submissions using the standardized spreadsheet or potential special circumstances with large data holdings in non-standardized format.

H

Liaison and Support to the NGS

The National Geodetic Survey is the Federal agency charged with maintenance of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). This service implies that the Geopositioning Cooperative will provide support and participate in NGS activities relating to the NSRS. Note: the NGS role and level of direct support to states is currently evolving, with the likelihood that direct NGS liaison functions will decrease in the future. Therefore, the role and services of the GC will also evolve taking into account NSRS development and maintenance needs and available resources.

M

State GIS Program Support

Idaho and Montana each have statewide GIS programs that coordinate GIS activities for a wide range of stakeholders and which support a GIS data clearinghouse and related services. Idaho’s statewide GIS program is directed by the Idaho Geospatial Council and in Montana, the state GIS program is part of the Montana State Library with coordination support by the Montana Land Information Advisory Council (MLIAC). This service calls for the Geopositioning Cooperative to be an important component of both State GIS programs and to be involved in and support all appropriate GIS database and application initiatives.

M

Special Projects

The Geopositioning Cooperative can be positioned (from an organizational and resourcing standpoint) to participate in special projects that involve the acquisition or use of geodetic control information—in a lead or support capacity. There are a broad range of project types and sponsoring or partner organizations. Such projects may be funded by government or private organizations (including through grant programs). Some possible project types include: a) Height Modernization, b) Guidance and standards for establishing base stations and incorporation into the RTN, c) Advisory services for setting up applications for use of geodetic control data and GNSS RTN service.

L

Involvement in Academic and Research Activities

Accurate real-time positioning is becoming increasingly important to support research at Idaho and Montana universities. M

1Priority scores use a subjective sliding scale indicating level of need or importance from “L” (Low) implying little or no need or importance, "M" (Moderate), H (High), to VH (Very High) indicating that the service is critical and an essential part of the GC operations.


5.2 Technical Architecture and Specifications

AproperlydesignedanddeployedGCisfundamentaltoitslong‐termsuccessandsustainability.ThefollowingsectiondescribesthearchitectureandspecificationsfortheMCPDwithassociatedwebserviceaswellastheIdaho‐MontanaRTN.

5.2.1 Multi-state Control Point Database Service

TheMulti‐StateControlPointDatabase(MCPD)containsinformationaboutthePublicLandSurveySystem(PLSS)andothercontrolpointssubmittedbyprofessionallandsurveyors.Itisamechanismtocollectanddeliversurveyedcontrolinformationasastandardized,federated,andopenlyaccessibleresource.Primarilydesignedtohelpsurveyorswithprofessionalresearchneeds,thedatacanbedownloadedandusedforotherpurposessuchasPLSSorparcelreadjustment.TheMCPDprovidesaWeb‐basedsearchanddisplaytoolforfindingapplicablecontroldataandaccessingit.Figure3isanexampleoftheWebapplicationinterface.TheinfrastructurerequirementsfortheMCPDincludeaserveroraportionofaserverwithbackupandfailovercontingenciesinplace.TheMontanaControlPointDatabaseiscurrentlyhousedattheMontanaStateLibrary.TheMCPDwillreplacetheMontanaControlPointDatabaseandwillinitiallyoperatefromtheMontanaStateLibraryaswell.Itwouldbepossible,inthefuture,fortheMCPDserverandsoftwaretobephysicallymovedfromitscurrentlocationinMontanatoanotherlocation(e.g.,theISUGISTrainingandResearchCenter)orconfigureMCPDservicesthroughcontractedhostedservices(e.g.,cloudstorageandcomputeresourcesprovidedbyathirdparty).Wherevertheapplicationresides,fundingforbothserverandsoftwareupgradesandongoingITsupportwillbenecessary.ThesoftwareneedssupportingtheMCPDincludeArcGISServer,ArcSDEandrelationaldatabasesoftware.Thesesoftwareproductsandespeciallytherelationaldatabasesoftware,willrequiretheservicesofadatabaseadministrator.Thecurrent,customMCPDapplicationwillbereviewedperiodicallyandenhancementorapplicationchangeswillbemadeasnecessary.Futurefundingwillneedtobesecuredfortheanticipatedenhancementsandchangestotheapplication.InadditiontostandardITadministrationoftheserverandsoftware,alicensedpubliclandsurveyor(PLS)willberequiredforqualityassurancereviewsofdatasubmittedforinclusionintheMCPD.Thispositionwillnotonlyberesponsibleforperusingthedata,butalsoprovidingtechnicalassistanceandfeedbacktousersanddataproviders.Initially,itisestimatedthata0.25FTEwouldbenecessaryforthisdatastewardposition.AsboththeMontanaStateLibraryandtheIdahoStateUniversity’sGISTrainingandResearchCentercurrentlyhaveandmaintaintheabovementionedsoftware,thosestartupcostswouldbeminimalfortheMCPD.Thespecializedpersonnel,however,areanothermatterasthedataadministratorpositioniscriticaltothesuccessoftheMCPD.Althoughvolunteersmaybeabletoprovidethisserviceinitially,thisisnotsustainableandthepositionwouldneedtofilledatanestimatedstartupcostofabout$20,000.


Figure3:MCPDWeb‐basedSearchandDisplayInterface

ThemainsearchandanalysistoolsaccessiblefromtheWebsiteinclude:

DatabaseSearchtoolallowsyoutoexportMCPDorGCDBcontrolpointdatathroughASCII(text)orKMLfilethroughanattributequeryinterface.

MapSearchtoolallowsyoutocreateanASCIIorKMLfilebasedonasubsetofMCPDorGCDBcontrolpointsbydrawingapolygonorcreatingabufferaroundagroupofMCPDorGCDBcontrolpoints.

Measuretoolallowsyoutomeasureapproximatedistancesonamapbydrawingaline.Totalandindividualsegmentdistancesaredisplayed.

TheapplicationprovidesaccesstotheNGSpointinformation,notthroughadirectdownloadprocess,butbyprovidingadirectlinktoNGSdatasheets.

TheapplicationwillallowtheusertodownloadGCDBpoints,butthesepointsarenotmaintainedintheMCPDandthereforeshouldbeusedforreferenceonly.Themostup‐to‐dateGCDBinformationhastobeobtainedfromBLM.

Theapplicationprovidescomprehensiveinformationaboutthecontrolpointssuchasdatum,horizontalmethod,accuracy,etc.Italsoprovidesthename,licensenumber,andcontactinformationaboutthesurveyorwhocollectedthepoint.TheinformationcanbequeriedanddisplayedindividuallyordownloadedinbulktoASCIIorKML.Theapplicationalsoprovidesaccesstoaspreadsheetthatsurveyorsusetosubmittheirdatatothedatabase(seeFigure4).Thespreadsheetprovidesacomprehensivestandardizedwaytostoresurveyinformation.


Figure4:MCPDDataSubmittalSpreadsheetFormat

Oncetheirdataareincludedinthedatabase,theapplicationprovidesthesurveyorwiththeopportunitytoupdateorcorrecttheirinformationbeforeitispostedtothepublicfacingwebmap(seeFigure5).

Figure5:MCPDDataSubmittalEditForm

5.2.2 GNSS Real-Time Network

TheproposedGNSSReal‐TimeNetworkRTNconsistsofasubstantialnumberofproperlyplacedandconfiguredbasestationseventuallycoveringtheentireIdaho‐MontanaRegion.ThisnetworkofGNSSbasestationswillprovidecorrectiondatatousersviaWebservices.AsshowninFigure6,TheGNSSRTN,consistsofpermanentbasestationsthatareincommunicationwithaWebserver(viawirelessorwiredcommunications)datafromthesestationsisthenaccessed,viatheWebbyusersinthefieldtoperformreal‐timecorrectionoftheirlocationaldatacollection.


Figure6:ConceptofGNSSReal‐timeNetwork(CourtesyofWisconsinDepartmentofTransportation)

Theinstallationofrealtimepositioningnetworks(RTN)israpidlygrowingnationallyandthroughouttheworld.Thesenetworksareeliminatingtheneedfortraditionaltotalbasestationsandthuschangingthewaysurveydataiscollected.Usingawirelessdatalinkfromtheuserinthefieldtothenetworkserver,precisepositionscanbeacquiredbythereceiverwithlowlatency,highaccuracy(+/‐2cm),highrepeatability,andhighreliability(24‐hoursperday,365daysperyear).TheGNSSservermakescorrectiondataavailableinavarietyofformats(e.g.,RTCM,CMR,CMR+)suitabletoabroadstakeholdercommunityaswellasarchivesdataforpost‐processingasneeded.GNSSbasestationswouldbecapableofacceptingandprocessingdatafromGPSsatellitesandotherGNSSsystems(e.g.,GLONASS,Galileo).ComprehensivedevelopmentoftheIdaho‐MontanaGNSSRTNwillrequire244highaccuracybasestations.Baseduponanaveragecostof$20Kforeachbasestationaninvestmentofnearly$5million,overamulti‐yeardevelopmentperiod,willbeneededforthesestations.Numerous(54)high‐qualitybasestationsalreadyexisthowever,significantlyreducingthecostofimplementation.ThisexistinginvestmentwillserveasafoundationforfuturebuildoutoftheRTN.EachnewbasestationshouldbeconstructedfollowingCORSsitespecificationstoensurethelong‐termviabilityofthebasestation.Existingbasestationswillneedtobevisitedandpotentiallyretrofittedtomeetthesespecifications.Inaddition,eachbasestationmusthaveconnectivitytohigh‐speedinternettoensurelowlatencyofreal‐timedatatransmissions.Currently,aserverconstellationexistsatIdahoStateUniversity’sGISTrainingandResearchCenterwhichhasbeenconfiguredtosupporttheRTNserverapplication.Indeed,oneoftheseserversiscurrentlyparticipatinginanRTNtrialperiodusingTrimble’sVRS3Netsoftware.Thefullbuild‐outoftheRTNwillrequirethepurchaseandconfigurationofasecondservertoensurefailoverreliabilityofthenetwork.ThecapitalinvestmentrequiredforRTNsoftware(usingcommercialoff‐the‐shelfsolutions)andasecondserverisapproximately$200K(mostofwhichcoverssoftwarelicensingandsupport)with$15Kannualrelicensingcosts.Inaddition,therearepersonnelrequirementsassociatedwiththeRTNincludingapart‐timeRTNSystemAdministrator(initiallya0.25FTEpositiongrowingalongwiththenetworkbuild‐out)andultimatelyasecondRTNOperatorwhowillbefundedat0.50FTEandondutythroughouttheweekendsandholidays.Personnelcostsareestimatedat$52Kannually.


5.3 Organizational Structure and Governance

5.3.1 Organizational Structure Issues and Requirements

GCoperationsrequire,atleastinthelong‐term,adefinedorganizationalentityandformaloversightthatpositionstheGCtoprovideservicesandtosupportnecessarybusinessrelationshipswithotherorganizations.WhilethisBusinessPlanrecommendsinitialGCestablishmentwithaninformalstructure,long‐termGCsuccesscallsforamoreformalorganizationalstructureandmanagementthataddressesthefollowingrequirements:

TheGCorganizationalstructureshouldbeasadministrativelyandlegallysimpleandstreamlinedaspossible.

TheorganizationalentityresponsibleforGCmanagementandoperationsshouldnothaveanymajoroperationalorjurisdictionallimitationsforservicescoveringthetwo‐stateregion.

TheGCorganizationshouldallowserviceandsupporttoawiderangeofpublicsector,academic,andprivateorganizationsanditshouldnotbesocloselytiedtothemissionofaspecificagency,whichmayinhibittheprovisionofservicestothebroadstakeholdercommunity.

Thereshouldbespecificadministrativefreedomandlegalstatusallowinguseofmultiplefundingsourcesandresourcingoptionsandtoshareresourceswithotherorganizations.

TheGCorganizationshouldhavealegalstatuswiththeabilitytohandlemonetarytransactionsandtoenterintoformalcontractsandagreements.

TheorganizationtypeshouldallowanadvisorybodytooverseeandprovidedirectiontotheGC. Theorganizationmayleverageexistingresourceswithinthestatestoaccomplishallorportionsofthegoalslistedin2.4above.

Duringthisplanningprocess,anumberofoptionsforthe“organizationaltype”wereconsideredincluding: GCmanagementandoperationsbyaStateagency(inIdahoorMontana). Creationofanew,non‐profitorganization(underoneofseveralIRSCode501(3)provisions). GCoperationsplacedinsideanexistingUniversityprogramwhichalreadyhasamandateandmissionthatisconsistentwithGCgoalsandservices.

Amulti‐organizationconsortiaestablishedthroughformalagreementsbetweenparties—withoneofthepartiesoranewlycreatedofficeassumingaleadershipandmanagementrole.

GCorganizationaldevelopmentshouldbeginwithaninformalstructurebeingputinplaceandoperatingduringinitialphaseswithamovetoamoreformalstructurethatcreatesaGCmanagementofficewithassignedstaff.Theseorganizationalrecommendationsaredescribedinsubsections5.3.2and5.3.3.

5.3.2 Initial Information GC Organizational Structure

TherationaleforusinganinformalorganizationalapproachfortheGCacknowledgesthecomplexityofamoreformalstructureandthatitwilltaketimetosecurenecessaryresourcesandtogetorganizationalcommitmentsforaformalGCstructurewithadefinedmanagementofficeandstaff.TheinitialinformalstructureiscomposedofexistingorganizationsinvolvedinGNSSRTNdevelopmentandMCPDservices—specificallytheISUGISTrainingandResearchCenter(GISTReC)andtheGISBaseMapServiceCenterintheMontanaStateLibrary.Figure7depictsthisinformalGCorganizationalstructure.


Figure7:InitialGCOrganizationalStructure

1Idaho and Montana State Geodetic Control Working Groups

ParentorganizationsofGISTReCandMontanaBaseMapServiceCenter(ISUadministrationandMontanaStateLibrary)willapprovetheircomplementaryrolesinGCdevelopmentandoperationsandawrittenagreementwithdocumentthatroleandcollaboration.A"managementteam"wouldbeestablishedbyagreementandwouldbecomposedofpersonnelfromtheGISTReCandtheMontanaStateLibrary‐BaseMapServices.Thisbodysupportsthecollaborativenatureoftheinformalstructureandmakesdecisions,throughconsensus,onimportantissuesaffectingGCdevelopmentanddeliveryofservices.Also,a"GCOversight/AdvisoryBody"wouldbeidentified.ThisbodywouldbeacommitteeselectedfromthemembershipofTechnicalWorkingGroups(TWGs)ofGeodeticControlWorkingGroupsinIdahoandMontana.OnepossibleactionthatmightencouragecollaborationandsharingofresourcesistoformallymergetheseTWGstocreateamulti‐statebody.

5.3.3 Formal GC Organizational Structure

WhenGCservicesandusershaveexpandedandtherearesufficientresourcesandorganizationalsupport,thentheinformationorganizationdescribedin5.3.2isformalized.AsshowninFigure8,thecentralpartofthis

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formalstructureisaGCManagementOffice,withanassignedmanagerandstaff,whichhasresponsibilityforallGCoperationsandservices.ItisrecommendedthattheGCManagementOfficebeestablishedwithinahostorganizationwhichhasacceptedthisrole.ThehostorganizationhasnotbeenidentifiedbutitcouldbeIdahoStateUniversity,theMontanaStateLibrary,oranotherorganization(government,academic,orprivate).Itisanoption,aftertheGCmatures,toestablishtheGCManagementOfficeasaseparate,non‐profitentity(IRScode501(c)(3)organization)ifthiswasdeemedtobeeffective.Atthispointintheplanningprocess,ISU’sGISTReChasbeenidentifiedasapotentialfuturehostorganizationfortheGC.Ifthisisthecase,ISUwouldtaketheleadershiprole(s)asgiveninTable8.ThisissubjecttodecisionsbyISUadministrationandtheavailabilityofsufficientresourcestosupportdevelopmentandongoingoperations.Otherhostorganizationoptions(e.g.,anotherpublicinstitution,anon‐profit501(c)(3)organization)shouldnotbeeliminatedaspossibilitiesforfutureconsideration.TheGISOversight/Advisorybodyformedaspartoftheinformalorganizationalstructurewouldcontinuetoexistwithanyneededrestructuringoradjustmentsinmembership.


Figure8:FormalGCOrganizationalStructure

1Idaho and Montana State Geodetic Control Working Groups

5.4 Management Roles and Staffing

5.4.1 GC Management

TheGCshouldhaveamanagerwithresponsibilitytooverseeGCset‐upanddevelopment,staffrecruitment,workdelegationandmonitoring,handlingoflegalandfinancialmatters,exploringandinitiatingnewprojects,andpreparationofstatusreports.ThismanagerisalsothemaininterfacewiththeSteeringCommittee,theparentorganization,MCPDandGNSS/RTNpersonnel.Inaddition,thispersonoranothermanagementlevelpersonneedstoplayaroleinGCoutreachandpromotion.Initially,itisexpectedthatthismanagementrolewillrequireabouta0.25fulltimeequivalent(FTE)butisexpectedtogrowovertime—perhapstothepointwhereafull‐timemanagerisrequired.

5.4.2 Administrative Support

Thisfunctionincludesstandardofficeadministrativeworkincludingreceptionistduties,handlingandroutingcommunications,settinguplogisticsandfacilitiesformeetings,trainingsessionsandotherevents,clericaltasks,inventoryingandorderingsupplies,andprovidingothersupporttomanagementpersonnelandstaff.It


isexpectedthisrolewillrequireinitiallya0.35FTEallocationandadditionalresourcesasservicesanddemandincreases—withaneedforatleastoneFTEafterestablishmentofaformalGCmanagementoffice.

5.4.3 Technical Personnel

Thisstaffingcategoryincludesanypersonnel(includingcontractors)whoprovidetechnicaloroperationalsupportforGCactivitiesandprojects.Themainrequiredskillsinclude:a)Server/networkadministrationandmonitoringsupportingtheMCPDandRTNnetwork,b)Websitemaintenance,c)providingassistancewithRTNstationset‐upandconnectiontotheserver,monitoring,andmaintenance,d)MCPDandrelatedapplication/servicedevelopmentandenhancement,e)technicaltrainingandcommunications,f)technicalprojectmanagement.Thespecificlevelsofstaffingtofulfilltheseroleswillbeginmodestlybutgrowovertime.Itisexpectedthisrolewillrequire,initially,atleasta0.50FTE,andasservicesanddemandincrease,additionaltechnicalstafftimewillbeneededInaddition,thereistheneedforadditionaltechnicalresourcesforreviewandacceptance(qualitycontrol)ofsubmittedgeodeticinformation—requiringstaffwithappropriatetrainingandcredentialsinthesurveyingorrelatedfield.

5.4.4 Options for GC Management and Staff

WiththeexpectationthatinitialandpossiblyongoingfundingforGCoperationswillbelimited,fillingGCstaffrolesshouldnotrelyonadditionalfull‐timededicatedpositionsbutitshouldberecognizedthatfulldevelopmentandoperationoftheGCwillrequireadditionalstaffresourcesnotcurrentlyavailabletotheorganizationsleadingtheGCplanningprojectanditsinitialoperations(ISUGISTReCandMontanaBaseMapServiceCenter).Thismeansthatfundingwillberequiredformanagementandtechnicalpersonnelretainedasemployeesorcontractstaff.InadditiontospecificallydesignatedGCpositions,operationalandcostefficiencycallsformaximumuseofotherstaffresourcingapproaches:

Useofresourcesfromthe“hostorganization”:Totheextentpossible,existingpersonnelofhostorganizationsshouldfillGCmanagement,administrativesupport,andtechnicalstaff—addressingrequirementsforadditionalfundingtocoverGCactivitiesusingavailablesources.

Volunteertime:GCoperationswillalwaysneedandbenefitfromthedonationoftimefromprofessionalsinoutsidesupportingorganizations(potentiallyanypublicsector,private,ornon‐profitorganization).Volunteertimeshouldprobablyremainasinformalaspossiblebuttherewouldbeaneedtoidentify,recruit,andmonitorvolunteersandtheirwork.

StudentInterns:Employmentofqualifiedundergraduateorgraduatestudentsfromanycollegeoruniversity,onashort‐termbasis(forabriefproject)orinalonger‐termco‐oporinternshipprogram.Costsforstudentlaborcouldrangefromnocosttomodesthourlypayrates.Suchprogramsworkbestwhenthereisaclearagreementwiththecollegeoruniversityandwhentheexperienceandskillsofcandidatesmaybereviewedintheselectionprocess.

DonatedServicesfromthePrivateSector:Insomecases,GISandITservicevendorsandconsultantsmaybeinterestedinprovidingdonatedservicesorsupportforGCdevelopmentorforprojectsusingGCservices.

PaidContract/Project‐basedPersonnel:WhenanGCsponsoredormanagedprojectissupportedwithappropriatefunding(e.g.,grantaward),itisefficienttousesomepaidservicesfromaprivatecontractor(e.g.,GISconsultant).

5.5 Operational Practices and Service Delivery

EstablishmentoftheGCmustbeaccompaniedbyasetofmanagementandadministrativepracticesthatsupportGCoperations,communications,anddeliveryofservices.Themain“coremanagementpractices”are


describedbelowinTable5.ThisisfollowedbyTable6describingprimarytechnicalandadministrativeactivitiesfortheGC.

Table5:GCCoreManagementPractices

Core Practice Implementation/Operation Issues for the GC

Staff Recruitment and Oversight

Includes all work involved with identifying a

gis trec at isu - business plan for development of ......final-february 8, 2012 submitted to:...

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