Alaska Arc User Group: Presentations

AAUG Monthly Meetings

Vector Tile Style Editor Strategies
February 18th, 2026
Tobin Lilly and Cody Keen
Creating effective environmental maps requires more than just displaying geographic information—it demands clear, tailored visual communication that supports analysis, storytelling, and decision making. The Vector Tile Style Editor offers a powerful, flexible way to design custom vector basemaps that elevate projects by aligning map aesthetics across multiple disciplines with project-specific goals, like unique labeling and symbology. This presentation demonstrates how using the Vector Tile Style Editor enables GIS professionals to adjust color schemes, symbology, feature visibility, and labeling to highlight critical elements of large environmental projects, such as environmental impact statements, jurisdictional determination reports and multi-permit projects. By leveraging lightweight vector tiles and dynamic styling, teams can produce consistent, scalable cartographic products across web and mobile platforms with minimal performance overhead. Through some project examples, we will show how customized vector basemaps enhance stakeholder communication, improve analytical clarity, and support more impactful environmental assessments. Attendees will leave with a cursory understanding as to how to use the Vector Tile Style Editor and practical strategies for integrating customized vector basemaps into their workflows and maximizing the value of the Vector Tile Style Editor in environmental document production. Bio: Tobin earned his bachelor’s in computer science in 2003 from the University of Illinois. Tobin worked in Florida, then South Carolina before moving to Anchorage in 2009. Tobin has 16 years of experience in Alaska managing professional GIS staff, performing geospatial analysis, writing geospatial data management plans and managing spatial data for large-scale geospatial projects. Tobin has setup and administered multiple ArcGIS Online Project Organizations for an assortment of projects in Alaska. Tobin specializes in creating hub sites and unique map application experiences. In addition, he has enterprise GIS experience utilizing SDE databases to power portal applications and create multi-editor environments that allow a broad pool of users to safely review, comment and edit spatial data. Cody earned his bachelor’s in environmental sciences in 2022, prior to joining HDR in 2023. His skills include cartography, spatial analysis, impact analysis, raster analysis (Multi-spectral), and ArcGIS Pro. At HDR, he produces figures and provides geospatial analysis to support project development and stakeholder engagement.
Mapping Alaska's One Million Lakes and Ponds' Aquatic Invasive Species Vulnerability: How to Outmuscle a Quadrillion Dreissenid Mussels
January 21st, 2026
Marcus Geists
Invasive dreissenid mussels both quagga (Dreissena bugensis) and zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) have drastically impacted freshwater ecosystems and economies across many US states and Canadian provinces. Fortunately, dreissenids have not yet been discovered in Alaska and a partnership has assembled to fend off these invaders. The University of Alaska Anchorage with support from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service has created a multi-function web map to display lake vulnerability. The map prioritizes invasive mussel monitoring efforts and identifies water quality sampling targets (Calcium and pH). Each lake is attributed with a suite of factors that map users can filter such as road access, boat launches, floatplane use, hydrologic connectivity, elodea and non-native pike presence, ADF&G stocking, and known fish species. This web mapping site provides the user with an ability to view Alaskan lakes and ponds’ vulnerabilities to multiple aquatic invasive species. The tool focuses on dreissenid mussels (quagga and zebra) although it also includes information about the aquatic invasive plant elodea, and northern pike outside their native range. With all of this information consolidated by waterbody, users can sort according to monitoring and sampling prioritizations to plan summer field seasons. Partners can identify lakes for sampling and managers can designate critical lakes for continued long term surveillance. Bio: Marcus Geist earned a B.A. in Political Science from Davidson College and an M.E.M. from Duke University. Marcus has worked across a wide range of environmental and natural resource sectors. His Alaskan project experience includes using GIS for large site suitability analyses with the US Army, implementing NEPA at USKH Inc., conservation planning with The Nature Conservancy, and providing field support for Bristol Bay area fish surveys. He is passionate about sharing geospatial data publically to inform decisions.
Streamlining GIS Workflows with Python and Jupyter Notebooks
November 19th, 2025
Cole Richards
This presentation explores the utility of Python scripting to support GIS workflows, emphasizing Jupyter Notebooks as a flexible environment for data processing, quality control, and reproducibility. Through a series of practical examples, the talk demonstrates how Python can streamline geospatial tasks. The session culminates in a project spotlight where Python was used in tandem with GIS to automate topographic analysis of surrounding inclination angles to assess solar exposure of water bodies. Bio: Cole is a Professional Scientist with Geosyntec Consultants. His work typically involves geospatial analysis and environmental remediation. He also has a background in earthquake seismology and earned a master’s degree in geophysics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Transitioning SDMS to ESRI's Parcel Fabric Data Structure
October 15th, 2025
Joshua Foreman
In 2019, we were retiring our 'home grown' SDMS (Spatial Data Management System) and moving our Cadastral GIS features into ESRI's Parcel Fabric data structure. I have assisted and guided that transition with the help of a contractor and we have been fully functional since 2022. We now use the Parcel Fabric in an Enterprise deployment for our working dataset, with the end goal of providing the CadNSDI feature dataset to the Public. The CadNSDI is the authoritative geospatial representation of all BLM Cadastral survey records. I will give a brief outline of what the CadNSDI is, show you where you can access the data, and explain the different layers you will find there. I can also touch on the data structure and our process for working in the Parcel Fabric, as well as the challenges of integrating our survey data into the world of a GIS. Bio: Joshua is a Cadastral Field Surveyor with the BLM. I started as a seasonal in 2011 and took on the role as the Alaska PLSS Dataset Manager in 2019.
ARRC GIS Update - A Transformative Two Years
September 17th, 2025
Jon Roder, Alaska Railroad
In this presentation, Jon will provide an update on the evolution of GIS at the Alaska Railroad, introduce the geospatial team, and highlight how new tools are shaping the future of rail operations in Alaska.
Wildlife Exposure and risk to Structures in Anchorage,AK
August 20th, 2025
Jennifer Schmidt, ARI
The wildfire season in Alaska is lengthening, and wildfire activity has been increasing in recent decades. Many communities in Alaska have raised concerns, and as a result, there is growing interest in assessing wildfire hazards and risks to identify mitigation actions and plan for the future. I will present a method for determining wildfire exposure and risk to structures in Anchorage, Alaska. The method developed is rapid compared to traditional burn probability approaches and is driven by the availability of flammable fuels. There are areas of concern in Anchorage with wildfire exposure values exceeding 60, which, based on past wildfire activity, tend to be at risk of burning. These areas should be the focus of mitigation and outreach regarding wildfire risk.
Alaska Remote Imaging: Capture, Deliver, and Integrate
April 16, 2025
Matt Gutacker, ARI
Alaska Remote Imaging (ARI) has provided 3D documentation through drone data collection since 2019. Our team of 22 Alaskans is focused on one mission: "Making hard jobs easier through modeling, surveying, and imaging." This presentation will focus on how ARI utilizes ESRI programs to enhance internal systems as well as client deliverables. The topics reviewed will include internal AGOL maps, Survey 123 for flight logs, AGOL for client delivery, ESRI Site Scan, and georeferencing data. Tips, tricks, and lessons learned along the way will be discussed.
Landslides, Tsunamis, Flooding, and Erosion in Alaska National Parks—Mapping Tools used to Monitor Geohazards
March 19, 2025
Chad Hults, National Park Service
Thawing permafrost, increasing intensity of rainfall, and shrinking glaciers are triggering landslides. Diminishing sea ice is exposing the coasts of Arctic parks to fall and winter storms. These changes are impacting park infrastructure, eroding cultural resources, modifying habitats, and threatening visitor and employee safety. In this presentation Chad will provide a review of recent geohazards and their impacts on Alaska Parks, and present some of the mapping tools like structure-from-motion and terrestrial LiDAR used to detect and monitor these geohazards.
How to not get lost in a foreign country and other users for Personal GIS
February 19, 2025
Tobin Lilly, HDR
Do you get lost? All the time? Even though you are a professional geographer with 20 years of experience making maps? Well, I do. I have spent many work hours making offline maps for remote work in Alaska. I had never considered utilizing this skill in my personal life. As I was preparing to head overseas for the first time, I began to freak out. What phone plan would allow me to constantly figure out where I am and where I am going? An expensive one. That was the answer. It took me a minute to think about using Field Maps, which took me a minute to figure out how. At this point I have taken 2 trips out of country and utilized offline maps with field maps and a personal AGOL organization subscription. While traveling, it is awesome. While getting ready for the trip (coordinating with others/family) – Awesome! Showing how cool the trip was to others – Awesome. During this presentation, I would like to, of course, show some cool pictures of adventures had, but also go through how making a decision to use my professional skills in my personal life has led to some enriching opportunities from presenting to groups of students in Taiwan and helping my son show Mayan pyramids to his 5th grade class.
Coordinates and Coordinate Systems: Differences and What's Coming
January 15, 2025
Joel Cusick, National Park Service
Proficiency in understanding coordinates is fundamental for GIS specialists while navigating popular software we use every day. Over the years using GNSS receivers in Alaska, I have been confused multiple times when blending coordinate systems to make features fit together at spatial scales large and small. Today, a mapper can precisely map features spaced 20-60 cm apart but I think I might not be alone when you return from the field and data is not lining up. Hopefully in this presentation I'll try to clear up some of the topics that I have stumbled with over the years and what can be done to prepare for the coming changes in the foundation of our National Spatial Reference System.
NGS Update
October 16, 2024
Lynda Bell, NOAA
GIS Happenings in the Municipality
September 18, 2024
Mike Knapp, Municipality of Anchorage
Members of the Municipality of Anchorage Enterprise GIS team will present an overview of recent and upcoming GIS happenings in the Municipality; including a discussion of how GIS was used to help manage information regarding roof collapses during last year’s record snowfall, a new public art app, snow removal tracking improvements, and new imagery!
The Web Atlas of Alaska Dene Traditional Place Names
August 21, 2024
Gerad M. Smith, a cultural resources consultant with North Star Cultural Resources, and the University of Alaska Anchorage archaeologist in the Department of Anthropology and Geography, will discuss the background, digitization, and mapping of traditional Alaska Native place names, and the ongoing creative work on The Web Atlas of Alaska Dene Traditional Place Names.
Freddie R. Olin IV, a spatial planning consultant and University of Alaska Fairbanks Rural Development graduate student, will be discussing Alaska Native corporation land ownership and land use in comparison with the ArcGIS Online Alaska Native place names layer authored by Drs. Gerad Smith and Jim Kari.
Mapping in Alaska - Returning to Fundamentals and Best Practices
July 24, 2024
Joel Cusick, National Park Service
A journey across Alaska with a GNSS receiver in the hand presents unique challenges brought upon us by our sheer remoteness. Hardware and Software companies from the lower 48 are increasingly making it more difficult to map in remote locations and in high latitudes with ever-more reliance on internet and Line of Sight to geostationary satellites. What is an Alaskan to do? Don't despair - Alaskans get it done no matter what, but it does pay to focus in on the fundamentals of space-based navigation and positioning. Join us during this AUG meeting to cover what works in today's mobile mapping workflows, and best practices that will always work - regardless of what a specifications sheet will tell you.
ArcGIS Experience Builder Development Considerations
June 24, 2024
David Howes
ArcGIS Experience Builder is described by Esri as "a highly configurable solution for building compelling web apps without writing code." Coding, however, provides significant additional benefits, either through the creation and installation of custom widgets or through more traditional application customization, which involves, for example, adding code that runs in response to browser events. An overview of these options and associated development considerations will be provided in a manner that is designed to be helpful to both developers and non-developers alike, with explanations supported by comparisons with ArcGIS Web AppBuilder development technology. In view of the scheduled retirement of ArcGIS Web AppBuilder in July 2024, transition considerations will also be addressed.
Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) Presentations
June 14, 2022
Mike Hendricks, Jen Athey, and Oralee Nudson of DGGS will give a series of short presentations including: 1) Brief overview of DGGS field-to-archive geologic mapping systems, 2) Contracting out geologic map digitization and attribution using the GeMS standard, 3) AK DGGS' hardware solution for collaborative field data collection, and 4) Alaska radon maps suggest potential scope of health concern.
Geodata for Safe and Resilient Coastal Communities
April 20, 2022
Presented by Rada Khadjinova and Stephanie Ingle of Fugro.
GNSS Base Station Deployment in AK
January 19, 2022
Presented by Joel Cusick of National Park Service and Peter Flint with Alaska DNR.

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