Please remove dependencies on **rgdal**, **rgeos**, and/or **maptools**

[rsbivand]

This package depends on (depends, imports or suggests) raster and one or more of the retiring packages rgdal, rgeos or maptools (https://r-spatial.org/r/2022/04/12/evolution.html, https://r-spatial.org/r/2022/12/14/evolution2.html). Since raster 3.6.3, all use of external FOSS library functionality has been transferred to terra, making the retiring packages very likely redundant. It would help greatly if you could remove dependencies on the retiring packages as soon as possible.

[rsbivand]

You will be aware, for example from:
https://r-spatial.org/r/2022/04/12/evolution.html,
https://r-spatial.org/r/2022/12/14/evolution2.html,
https://r-spatial.org/r/2023/04/10/evolution3.html and
https://rsbivand.github.io/csds_jan23/bivand_csds_ssg_230117.pdf and
perhaps view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlpjIqTPMCA&list=PLzREt6r1NenmWEidssmLm-VO_YmAh4pq9&index=1
that rgdal, rgeos and maptools will be retired this
year, in October 2023.

plotKML imports 'rgdal' using rgdal::CRSargs rgdal::readGDAL rgdal::readOGR rgdal::writeGDAL rgdal::writeOGR found by pkgapi. The rgdal::*OGR functions could probably just go to sf::st_* and coerce to/from sp classes. The rgdal::*GDAL functions are harder, since neither terra::rast nor stars are direct equivalents. Unless the package is heavily used in OGH and your own workflows, it might make more sense to ask the downstream dependencies whether they are still actively using it, and if so ask them to assist in fixing the problems created by rgdal retiring. Anyway, please fix if possible by June, we could talk in Poznań, and latest by October 2023.

[rsbivand]

@thengl @dylanbeaudette @agila5 Just a reminder that less than three months remain to upgrade this package if it is to survive the retirement of rgdal and maptools. We can look at this at the Summer School in Poznan, but if the package should be withdrawn, that might be a sensible choice.

[rsbivand]

@thengl Maybe ask CRAN to archive before the deadline in less than three weeks.

[rsbivand]

@thengl @dylanbeaudette @agila5 R spatial infrastructure packages maptools, rgdal and rgeos will be archived by CRAN on Monday, October 16, 2023. Your package does not pass CMD check when these packages are not available. Expect your package to be archived by CRAN October 17-18 as CRAN checks feed through and your package fails, if not updated by Monday, October 16, 2023.

No grace period is anticipated, as you have had sufficient time to update your package to remove dependencies on maptools, rgdal and/or rgeos.