The Wisconsin Spatial Reference System 2022 Task Force (or WSRS2022) is looking for volunteers to fill vacancies on two of its focus groups. Read on if you would like to volunteer or have a recommendation for a volunteer.
WSRS2022 was created in response to the modernization plans of the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) which involve replacing NAD 83 and NAVD 88 with new NATRF2022 and NAPGD2022 reference systems. These new systems will cause coordinates in Wisconsin to shift over a meter horizontally and vertically, as well as introduce the idea of time-dependent coordinates due to movements of Earth’s crust.
WSRS2022 consists of a number of focus groups handling various aspects of this change, including education, outreach, implementation issues, legislation and software. To date, most of the work of WSRS2022 has been on the technical aspects of the NGS change.
The following focus groups are in need of volunteers:
1 – Funding Focus Group. This is a new focus group focused on obtaining funding to implement necessary activities for the 2022 conversion. There are two main categories of activities: funding for converting legacy data to the new datums; and funding for tools and documents that must be completed by 2022. The former will impact municipalities, counties, state agencies and other public entities that have legacy NAD 83/NAVD 88 data; it is not known at this time what these costs will be. The latter may include: compiling information on low-distortion projection parameters, which must be submitted to NGS in March of 2021; publication of projection parameters online and/or in a manual; design of a three-zone projection system for the state, since this will not be designed by NGS; publication of distortion maps for the zones in our low-distortion projection system; and updating coordinate transformation software to allow users to convert data between the old and new systems in one step online. The NGS is not providing any funding to states for the modernization initiative. Without funding the geospatial community in the state will suffer from a lack of preparation and tools necessary to accommodate the NGS modernization.
2 – Hardware/Software Focus Group. The mission of this focus group is to develop plans to incorporate the new reference systems into hardware and software in a timely and accurate manner, and in a way that serves the needs of the state’s users. While NGS has been in contact with many of the nation’s hardware/software vendors, it is important that these vendors provide the tools necessary for Wisconsin geospatial practitioners. This focus group has been “on hold” while WSRS2022 negotiated with NGS on the design of Wisconsin’s 2022 system. Now that an agreement has been reached it is time for this focus group to get to work.
If you are interested in serving, have a recommendation for a volunteer, or have ideas on where to look for funding, please send an email to one of the co-chairs of WSRS2022: Howard Veregin or Dick Kleinmann.