Registration for the 2026 ESRI User Conference in San Diego is now open! Get registered and find your favorite hotel!

The 2025 ESRI User Conference is wrapping up. The Thursday night party is at Petco Park this year … unfortunately you cannot run the bases!

If you have not seen the Plenary videos, you can view them here.
I would say the most interesting thing for me at the conference were the new AI Assistants in ArcGIS Pro. Be part of the beta program for 3.5. The 3.6 beta will be available in September 2025.
Another thing that was interesting was the soon to be available Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles in ArcGIS. Read more about it here.
Dear SoCalGIS,
Get ready to celebrate innovation in geospatial technology!
The California Geographic Information Association (CGIA) is thrilled to invite you to our annual **CGIA Awards Social**, where we will honor California’s most innovative geospatial projects and ideas.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join us for an evening of recognition, networking, and celebration with fellow professionals. We’re excited to announce that this year’s social is generously sponsored by **ParcelQuest**.
**Event Details:**
* **What:** CGIA Awards Social
* **When:** Tuesday, July 15, 2025
* **Time:** 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
* **Where:** Revel Revel, 868 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Enjoy **complimentary food** throughout the evening, and be sure to arrive early – the **first 75 guests will receive a drink voucher!**
Don’t miss out on this exciting event. Please RSVP at cgia.org.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
Best regards,
Tracy Tober
CGIA CHair
On August 6th at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, USGS will host an informational webinar to provide an overview of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA) for the 3D Hydrography Program | U.S. Geological Survey (3DEP) and the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP).
For more info and to register, click here.
Is LA really under siege with all these riots? This article and map shows it really is not.

Los Angeles is a sprawling metropolitan area that’s home to nearly 13 million people. Unlike a lot of big cities, it doesn’t have one main population center. Angelenos are much more spread out than New Yorkers or Chicagoans. Most of the protests this week have taken place in a radius of just a few blocks of downtown L.A., where City Hall, LAPD headquarters and a federal detention center are clustered together.
The Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MSGISci) in the Department of Geography at California State University, Long Beach is accepting applications for our 1-year 30-unit MS degree starting in Fall 2025 (August 25, 2025 to August 14, 2026).
This graduate degree provides students with advanced analytic and technical training in geospatial technologies and professional skill building to prepare graduates for the geospatial workforce. The culminating team-based applied research project is informed by industry professionals.
Why CSULB?
Please visit www.BeachGIS.com to learn more about our program and register for an upcoming information session. Act Soon! Applications must be submitted via Cal State Apply by the June 1st deadline.
Cal Fire has released new Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps. The maps for most of Southern California, as well as a large portion of rural eastern California, including Inyo and Mono counties, were released today as part of Cal Fire’s Phase 4 of Local Responsibility Area data. The first three phases encompassed the rest of the state, including Ventura County in Phase 3. Click below to check it out.

Some of you might not be happy since your property might have been moved into the high risk areas which might make your insurance go up … or be dropped! Visit the comparison viewer here.
The 2025 LA Geospatial Summit will be this Friday, February 28th, at the USC Hotel. For more info and to register, visit https://dornsife.usc.edu/spatial/los-angeles-geospatial-summit-2025/ .
Check out this 3D map of the fires in LA County by CAL FIRE. You can click on one of the fires listed at the bottom of the map to zoom to it. Fire perimeters, evacuation area status, wind speeds, camera locations, and live tracking of fire fighting aircraft are shown as well.

An alternate 3D Incident Map (Beta) by CAL FIRE can be viewed here: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents.html .