Background

The Pine to Prairie GIS User Group evolved from the former Outstate GIS User Group that was hosted by the Otter Tail County GIS Department. For a variety of reasons, OTC GIS was no longer able to host the user group meetings. In discussions between the OTC and Todd County GIS departments, along with other key members of the Outstate group, it was decided that West Central Initiative would take over the duties of hosting the meetings, and a new name would be given to the group to ensure a fresh start. A steering committee made up of representatives from a variety of public and private entities decided on the "Pine to Prairie GIS Users Group."

A preliminary re-organizational meeting was held, along with a kick-off of the new meeting format, on September 17, 2003. The event was well-attended, despite a last-minute meeting location change due to the Governor's visit to West Central Initiative's offices. Future meetings will be held about four times per year, and will include networking opportunities, informational and educational presentations, as well as project and product demonstrations.