About CIRGIS

CIRGIS is a spatial data sharing organization promoting collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, and other organizations working with data for the greater Channel Islands region. Mission statement: The Channel Islands Regional GIS(1) (CIRGIS) is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation that is tax-exempt under the social welfare provisions of section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. CIRGIS is a regional(2) collaborative(3) for the preparation, collection and sharing of spatial data4. Its purpose is to facilitate the development and maintenance of an ongoing public-private partnership for sharing(5) and expanding the use of standard (6) spatial data to foster informed community decision making, innovative business development, environmental management and education in the Channel Islands region of California.

Notes: 1. GIS stands for Geographic Information System 2. Regional: The areas within the Channel Islands Region will include but not be limited to: Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel, and the Channel Islands themselves. 3. Collaborative: A round table approach to communicating, planning, documenting and distributing the spatial data of the region. 4. Spatial Data: Data pertaining to the geography of the region. This may include environmental data, political subdivision, cadastral maps, streets and roads, natural resource data, and any other data that have some connection to the geography of the region. 5. Sharing: CIRGIS is committed to making data available to its members and freely accessible to the public. 6. Standards: In order to make these data more accessible to the public and its members, CIRGIS will use metadata and other tools for describing the data and presenting them to the public. Some of the standards that CIRGIS has implemented come from the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).

FAQs

What is CIRGIS?

CIRGIS is a non-profit based in Ventura County consisting of seven board members and a general collaborative user base of GIS professionals in the county-wide region.

Are you hiring?

We do not have paid staff, only volunteers. If you join the board you can have a big say in how the organization is managed. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for professional experience and growth. Want to join? Contact us!

What kind of projects do you do?

We regularly organize aerial orthoimagery projects in the Ventura and Santa Barbara County region. A collaborative approach reduces costs and administrative overhead.

Can I buy existing imagery from you for my project?

Maybe, depending on the size and scope. Contact us for more information. And make sure check out our Projects page.

Who took those amazing photos on your website?

With the exception of the home page aerial image of Santa Barbara Island, they were generously provided by Andrew Yamagiwa, a biologist who works on the Channel Islands.