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]

This package has strong dependence on at least one of rgdal, rgeos or maptools, but does not seem to use any functionality in code. The usage may have been in raster, which now uses terra instead, or may be in examples or vignettes. Please move all use of rgdal, rgeos or maptools to Suggests: and protect any use against these packages not being present. The packages will be archived in October 2023. See https://r-spatial.org/r/2022/12/14/evolution2.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.

[rsbivand]

Please also see https://r-spatial.org/r/2023/04/10/evolution3.html, fix best by June, latest October 2023.

Removing retiring packages from DESCRIPTION, NAMESPACE, and running CMD check in a scenario using sp evolution status 2 (substitute use of rgdal with sf for projection/transformation/CRS) and absence of retiring packages from the library path gives this log (protection from absent rgeos is needed): 00check.log

[rsbivand]

@miguel-porto See also https://r-spatial.org/r/2023/05/15/evolution4.html. Please take urgent steps to resolve this issue. No positive changes appear in the repository. Less than three months remain to retain this package on CRAN.

[rsbivand]

Your inaction is also harming another package: https://github.com/MAnalytics/stppSim/issues/2

[rsbivand]

@miguel-porto Thanks! CMD check log without retiring packages on library path: 00check.log