Duane Anderson, GIS Program Manager of the Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS), is scheduled to lead a workshop to teach the public how to use its website applications. The presentation is set for Friday, July 12 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm in the conference room of the Montana State Library at 1515 East 6th Avenue in Helena.

The workshop will include a description of the applications, a brief summary of how and why they were developed, and an on-line demonstration on how to use the applications. The presentation will conclude with an audience question and answer session. The workshop, which was first held in May, is being repeated due to demand. Attendance is free. No registration is necessary, but seating is limited to 30 people.

Attendees will learn how to use the website's two most popular applications:
NRIS Thematic Mapper, deployed in February 2001, is a powerful Internet application that allows users to enter geographic search criteria, then view, map, report, or download a variety of GIS data layers loaded into the system. Some of the data available include: base map data, land ownership, stream data, well information, Census population data, and water rights.

According to NRIS Director Jim Hill, "Since its deployment, this system has served nearly 500,000 map or report requests. Providing these services through the Internet allows us to vastly increase the number of users we serve while maintaining a very small staff."

NRIS TopoFinder, deployed in January 2000, allows Internet users to find portions of digital USGS quadrangle maps on-line, using a variety of search criteria. Currently, users can search for maps using township, range, and section; latitude and longitude, quadrangle name; or by using a 'named feature' search from the USGS Geographic Names Information System.

Once a search is entered, TopoFinder displays an active on-line map that can be resized, zoomed, or panned. TopoFinder also displays the coordinates of the point selected, as well as other information about the location. The maps can easily be downloaded for printing. Since its deployment, TopoFinder has been augmented recently with aerial photography for Montana, which can also be viewed by users.

For more information, call (406) 444-5356. Interested individuals are also encouraged to visit the NRIS website at: nris.state.mt.us.

The Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) was established in 1985 by the Legislature. NRIS, a division of the State Library, acts as a clearinghouse for natural resource information.