GIS and the Park

The term GIS has become quite popular in the last decade, but what does it mean? GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and represents the whole field of modern mapping and geographically referenced data. The first use of GIS technology was by the Canadian Department of Forestry and Rural Development in 1960, but the technology has since spread across the globe. GIS is so remarkable because the applications are almost limitless, and the Adirondacks provide an opportunity to explore a large number of them.

 The Adirondack Park Agency has been using GIS for over 27 years now and was the first state natural resource department to use the technology. Most of their maps detail roadways, municipal boundaries, and forest composition, but more recently they began covering issues like cell service and recreational use of the park.

One great example of GIS applications is the Adirondack Atlas by Jerry Jenkins, which features one or more maps created using GIS software on each page. The information varies from geologic and forest composition through marriage and divorce records. The Atlas proves one of the coolest points about GIS, which is that almost any kind of data can be displayed and analyzed in map form.

As a student currently in a GIS class I believe I can offer even more insight into how cool and useful this technology is. The learning curve can be steep for some people, but once you understand how to navigate the program you’re ready to go. GIS may not be for everyone though. Marketable skills like GIS aren’t that important after all, especially in a tough global economy that is dependent on maps and analysis. But then again most people don’t even know what GIS stands for, right?

Sources:

http://apa.ny.gov/gis/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system

Geology of the Adirondack Park - Evan Buitenhuis