The new website is up and running. Huge thanks to our working group members, Meghan, Hilary, Tessa, Curtis. Please take a look. It is different but, hopefully you will find it easier to navigate through the content. We certainly invite feedback as the site is ready but there are still some tweaks that can be made.

If you have any feedback, please send it to magip.mt+web@gmail.com or to mpowell@yellowstonecountymt.gov and we will certainly take a look and see what we can do.

Thanks for your patience’s and enjoy the website.

Mike Powell, MAGIP Past President

The MAGIP Website Working Group on behalf of the MAGIP Board of Directors would like to provide an update on the website redesign. The working group has been working hard over the last several months reviewing and redesigning the website, and we are now ready to move forward with making the changes official to the website. The MAGIP website will be down on the week of June 17th to make these changes. If for any reason this timeframe is going to conflict with anyone, please let me know as soon as you can so that options can be discussed. 

Thank you for your understanding during this transition so that we may offer you this additional functionality.

Contact the Website Working Group here:  magip.mt+web@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone that voted this year.  

We would like to welcome:

The Proposed Bylaws updates – Passed

You can see the results here.

We would like to say good-bye and thanks the following board members for a great job:

Our current President, Jeff Sprock, who would be transitioning to Past President this week, is stepping down. Jeff asked if I could remain as Past President for one more year, which I was happy to do. 

At the last Board meeting, the Board voted to approve Mike Powell remaining as past president for one more year.

As you can see there is no mention of a new Vice President/President/Past President position. We have yet to find anyone willing to step up to fill the position. We are actively looking for someone at this time. 

If you are interested or know someone that is, please get a hold of a MAGIP Board Member to let them know so that we can follow up with them. MAGIP is a great organization that tries to help/support everyone in the state with their needs. However, it can only be done through volunteers like you. Thanks

 

Mike Powell, MAGIP Past President

The Montana Discovery Foundation (MDF) foundation supports the Youth Forest Monitoring Program (YFMP), which is a participatory science program that engages high school youth in monitoring forest health, that includes noxious weed management on forest lands. Noxious weeds management is an important theme in Montana, and this grant follows a similar path that last year’s recipient, Sarah Tabor, has begun at the Belgrade High School. With our support, the Montana Discovery Foundation will be able to obtain matching funding for field equipment, and thereby expand an already successful program by engaging high school students in citizen science that monitors noxious weeds on public lands. Students will record noxious weeds using a web-based mapping system for documenting invasive species and pest distribution. Their observations and recommendations will be included in reports submitted to the Forest Service, and this will help the agency to enhance their ability to manage this serious threat our ecosystem integrity in Montana. For more information about this terrific program, you can contact the program manager, Elizabeth Burke. 

Last year they made a video celebrating 25 years of YFMP. This includes interviews with past YFMP alumni and footage from the 25th cohort last year. It provides a wonderful look at the roots of the program and how it often leads alumni along of path of Natural Resource employment.

For more information visit the Memorial Van Shelhamer K-12 Education Grant page

MAGIP Membership,

Please consider this Call for Nominations for the MAGIP (Montana Association of GIS Professionals). Last Chance to Volunteer! If you are interested in volunteering for our group, please do so by Monday, April 22, 2024.

We currently have four positions open:

And, two At-Large positions which would fill the Committee Chair positions of:

You can nominate yourself or someone else, but the nominee must be a member in good standing to qualify. I would strongly encourage you to get permission from the nominee’s employer before submitting a nomination. 

Nominations can be submitted using this survey. Nominations are due Monday, April 22, 2024

Please contact current board members or the election committee (Mike Powell, Meghan Burns) if you have any questions.
 
See the Election page and the Board of Directors page on the MAGIP website for more information.

On behalf of the MAGIP Election Subcommittee, thank you for your consideration. 

Mike Powell, Past President

New resource just added to the Training Resources page!

The Bootcamp GIS Enterprise GIS Certificate / Career Services Program was added to the Montana Eligible Training Provider List. This allows any low-income individual to qualify for FREE tuition to enroll in the GIS Certificate program. They are an Esri Business Partner, but you can view the entire Course Catalog to see the Esri and non-Esri tech stack and problems they address. The majority of classes would be useful for most people already using GIS but missing enterprise skills.

Bootcamp is taught by SMEs from around the country.  There could be a invitation for someone with a compelling project to enter our instructor cadre.

www.bootcampgis.com

MAGIP is now accepting applications for the 2024 MAGIP Higher Education GIS Scholarships and the MAGIP Van Shelhamer Memorial K-12 Education Grants!

Applications are due March 25, 2024

Contact the Scholarship and Grants Committee Chair for more information

Registration is Now Open for the 2024 Big Sky GeoCon! This year’s conference will once again feature a robust two days of hands-on workshops, two days of consecutive sessions, a map/poster gallery, exhibitor showcase and social reception, a keynote luncheon and awards dinner. Please see the conference webpage for more information.

Powerlines pose difficulties to various agencies regarding land management, safety, and communication. MAGIP would like to see how the GIS community could use this data in our new mapping contest. Build a unique map, application, or dashboard with a creative or informative story that used the powerline data collected during GIS Day combined with any other datasets. The maps will be judged and displayed during the Big Sky GeoCon in Billings. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Download the mapathon and homeland security data to get started. Have your map or link submitted to magip-board@googlegroups.com by April 13th.

The Montana Association of Geographic Professionals (MAGIP) biannually presents two awards. The Distinguished Service Award is presented for long-term service and leadership to the Montana GIS community and the GIS profession. The GIS Professional Livability Award recognizes an individual's measurable contribution to the application of GIS, thus improving the quality of life within their community.

The awards will be presented at the Big Sky GeoCon dinner on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Billings.

Click Here to submit your nomination! 

The deadline for submission is February 29, 2024.

If you plan to submit multiple nominations, please create a separate submission for each. Each nomination requires a one-page letter of nomination, two references who also support the nomination, and any supporting documentation.

On behalf of MAGIP Awards Committee, we look forward to hearing from you!

Applicants for the Distinguished Service Award must: 

• Have substantial years of service (10+) in or supporting the Montana GIS Community and a desire to continue to serve
• Displays exemplary accomplishments as a GIS Professional, selfless service to the profession and participation in committees, workgroups, and organizations that support the Montana geospatial community
• Has an impact within and / or external to the realm of the member's workplace
• Undertakes and leads activities that benefit the GIS Community outside of regular job responsibilities
• Demonstrates initiative, resourcefulness and creativity and is willing to seek out and pursue new challenges that benefit the Montana GIS Profession
• Acknowledged by his / her peers for leadership and substantial service to the profession and community

Applicants for the Livability Award must:

• Demonstrate a measurable contribution to the education, communication, coordination, and application of GIS technologies that have been a major influence to the growth and use of GIS in creating a more livable community
• Express exemplary dedication with focus to the development and implementation of GIS technologies which enhance individual and community life and promote the efficient use of community resources
• Acknowledged by his \ her peers for perseverance with belief and purpose; tasking themselves with the growth, as well as the challenges of GIS development for them and for their neighbor...sometimes in the face of discouragement

Questions? Contact Erich Schreier, 2024 Conference Liaison