Commonwealth Receives Recognition for GIS Achievements

Kentucky first in the nation to fully register data in all U. S. Geological Survey National Map themes

Gov. Ernie Fletcher accepts the GIS Achievement Award from the U. S. Geological Survey.

On Nov. 16, 2005, Gov. Ernie Fletcher accepted an award from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in recognition of the commonwealth’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) achievements.  In particular, Kentucky was recognized by the USGS for its achievements in connecting to the National Map, a federal, state and local government partnership that provides public access to high-quality, geospatial data and information that is accessible by both resource managers and the general public.

“Geography has played a defining role in the settlement, history and cultural heritage of Kentucky,” Gov. Fletcher said in a proclamation declaring Nov. 16, 2005, Kentucky GIS Day.  “An understanding of geographical concepts is crucial to maintain a balance among the wise use of the commonwealth’s natural resources, continued economic prosperity and the well-being of its citizens.”

The commonwealth of Kentucky is the first state in the nation to have registered data in all of the USGS National Map themes, including 26 statewide layers.  Over the past two decades, Kentucky has received numerous awards for its GIS efforts.  Most recently, Kentucky was recognized at this year’s Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) International Users Conference and was featured in ESRI’s summer issue of ArcNews, which has a readership of more than 500,000 subscribers.

COT Staff Receive Special Recognition from USGS

Bruce Bauch (left), USGS's Geospatial Liason for Kentucky, recognizes Kent (right) and Kim Anness for their contributions to the National Map.

During the recognition ceremony, two COT staff members were presented awards recognizing them for their significant contributions to the National Map.  Bruce Bauch, USGS’s Geospatial Liason for Kentucky, was joined by Mark Ayers, director of the USGS Kentucky Water Science Center, and Suzette Kimball, USGS Eastern Region director to make the presentation to Kim and Kent Anness of COT’s Division of Geographic Information (DGI). The special awards featured an authentic (although unnumbered) USGS Reference Marker from the U.S. Department of Interior.

The Commonwealth Map can be accessed online at http://kygeonet.ky.gov/tcm/viewer.htm.  The National Map is available at http://nationalmap.gov/.

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