Dr. Brian Lee Department of Landscape Architecture College of Agriculture University of Kentucky

1. Mapping and Monitoring Land Resource Change Conference Report Dr. Brian Lee Department of Landscape Architecture College of Agriculture University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky blee@uky.edu (859) 257-7205 Dr. Carol Hanley Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment College of Agriculture University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky chanley@uky.edu (859) 257-3780 Dr. Demetrio Zourarakis Division of Geographic Information Commonwealth Office of Technology Commonwealth of Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky demetrio.zourarakis@ky.gov (502) 564-2480

2. Mapping and Monitoring Land Resource Change: Bridging the Geospatial Divide for Decision Making May 20-21, 2008 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky

3. The Agenda Background Planning Process People Involved Advisory Group Conference Goal Conference People and Representation Conference Progression Listening Sessions Format and Process Outcomes Listening Sessions Kentucky Geospatial Strategic Plan

4. The Background Planning Process Two Years of Planning Discussion Revision **Solution Through Process** People Involved Carol – TFCE Staff and Students Demetrio – Professional Contacts Brian – Undergraduate Students and Contacts Advisory Group Sounding Board Within and Outside of State Critical Early Direction Conference Purpose A facilitated workshop on eliciting and providing elements useful in strengthening Kentucky’s geospatial vision with specific focus on remote sensing in the context of GIS and other geospatial technologies and sciences.

5. The Conference • People and Representation • 80 Participants from Nine States • Research Scientists, Program Managers, End-Users • Federal, State, Local Government Personnel • Private and Nonprofit Sectors • Academics and Students • Conference Progression • Demographics and Cultural Landscape Changes • Technical Sessions – Variety of Topics • Federal Initiatives for the States • Neighboring State Reports • Local Strategies for Investing in RS Technology • Listening Sessions

6. The Listening Sessions • Focus Group Topics • Data Infrastructure and Distribution • Local Government • Education • Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment • Other • Focus Group Structure • 8-10 people per group • Facilitators • Flip Charts • ~1.5 Hours of Discussion • Five Questions • Next Slide • Outcomes • Brainstormed Ideas through Group Discussion

7. The Questions In Kentucky or elsewhere, what has been done well regarding geospatial data, activities, and capabilities? • What data/sources do you use and why? • Describe what the geospatial environment looks like in 5-10 years in terms of data, activities, and capabilities. • What are the geospatial opportunities and constraints that should be addressed with the state’s geospatial strategic plan? • What should we (collective we) be doing in terms of geospatial data, activities, and capabilities?

8. The Listening SessionHighlights • Systematically enhance existing geospatial data, capabilities, activities with explicit environmental and socioeconomic linkages. • Expand environmental data collection activity that is compatible with global data. • Construct a geospatially focused environmental monitoring network that is hierarchal and integrated with existing efforts and involves a diversity of partners for data integration, education, and end-user support. • Metadata andquality standards/rating systems are critical as part of geospatial data collection and distribution activities, manual and automated ground-truthing, particularly in light of more publically volunteered geographic information. • Enterprise geospatial data interfaces need to be expanded, recognizing a variety of data/modeling needs as well as end-user requirements/capabilities, and several sources of existing or announced satellite and airborne-based sensor data becoming freely available. • Retrieval of historical geospatial data is essential in order to document landscape change is equally important.

9. The Listening SessionHighlights • Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for the Commonwealth is an important dataset to be developed while systematically updating the land cover, impervious cover, wetlands inventory, and land stewardship data as well. • Promotion of geospatial data benefits of what has already been and what needs to be accomplished across the Commonwealth to elected government officials and the citizenry is critical. These geospatial data, capabilities, and activities should be explored and promoted for use in global climate change, landscape health surveillance, land-use planning/scenario modeling, education, economic/tourism development, and emergency response during disasters to name a few. • The Commonwealth has many opportunities because of past and ongoing efforts in distributed organizations. • Constraints identified included financial, political, organizational, technical, and leadership resources for the development of a geospatial strategic plan for Kentucky and subsequent implementation.

10. Mapping and Monitoring Land Resource Change Acknowledgements University of Kentucky Office of the Vice President for Research Conference and Workshop Award Photographs by Demetrio

11. Mapping and Monitoring Land Resource Change Report Dr. Brian Lee Department of Landscape Architecture College of Agriculture University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky blee@uky.edu (859) 257-7205 Dr. Carol Hanley Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment College of Agriculture University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky chanley@uky.edu (859) 257-3780 Dr. Demetrio Zourarakis Division of Geographic Information Commonwealth Office of Technology Commonwealth of Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky demetrio.zourarakis@ky.gov (502) 564-2480