Three Cheers for The US NRCS

Perhaps the most vexing issue of this project is how to get GPS data out of the Garmin and into GIS-compatible files.  Max Castillo at Dead Horse knows how to do this but he is very busy.  Also, since this project isn't directly under his supervision, we are hesitant to prevail on his time and skills.
On January 21, we participated in the Verde NRCD "Wine Tour" to discuss various conservation programs with local vineyard managers.  Three of the participants were US NRCS Staff from Flagstaff and Phoenix.  We discussed our Garmin to GIS issues with Dino DeSimone.  He pointed us to a computer program from the Minnesota DNR.  Inititally, we misunderstood and thought we needed to have a GIS progam installed to be able to use the DNR program.  Today, we learned otherwise.  Dino explained that the purpose of the DNR program was simply to extract and convert Garmin GPS data into GIS-compatible format(s).

We then downloaded and installed the program and were easily able to put the Garmin data into GIS file formats.  We emailed the files to Dino at the US NRCS Phoenix State Office.  He was quickly and easily able to load the data onto a photo-ortho GIS map shown above.  He emailed back the JPG as a 5 meg file.  We reduced it to a 118KB file for this blog post.  We also did a clip of the large file to shown enlarged details (below).  It is a 91KB file.

We called Chip Norton twice to excitedly pass along the good news.  This is a huge breakthrough--not only for this project but for all sorts of future volunteer efforts on behalf of FOVRG and its sister organizations as well.  This is one of the more exciting days we've ever enjoyed with regards to making useful and effective strides forward in technology usage!

That's why we've entitled this blog post "Three Cheers for the US NRCS" and especially Dino DeSimone.  The NRCS Staff is always so helpful and a delight to work with.  They have always been "there" to help their partners, associates and those involved in the field of natural resources conservation.  THANK YOU, DINO, and THANK YOU NRCS!!!!!!