The Center for Integrated Data Analytics (CIDA) of the United States Geological Survey has created an open source visual description of California’s ongoing drought using free and publicly available GIS data sources
Improvements in technology have led to the wide dissemination of information. As long as you have a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can access a … Read more
After a lengthy battle in the court system, California’s Supreme Court has finally ruled in favor of allowing public access to the government’s GIS data in Orange County. Back in 2007, the Sierra Club sued the county for the right to use its GIS data for environmental mapping projects. Orange County resisted, however, claiming that the digital maps did not fall under the Public Records Act.
On May 9, 2013, President Barack Obama sign an executive order making the default for government data “open and machine readable”. The executive order was accompanied by the White House’s Open Data Policy.