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Text Box: GIS, or Geographical Information System,   is essentially a powerful mapping system that provides a way to store and search through text and geographical information relevant to a specific area.  Databases, web sites, environmental data, tax and parcel information, various maps, and more are used to create a GIS network.  A GIS can display the Earth in realistic, three-dimensional perspective views and animations that convey information more effectively and to wider audiences than traditional, two-dimensional, static maps.                 On June 24th, 2008 Caroline County contracted with WorldView Solutions to work on its GIS database, conversion of hard copy mapping, desktop software development, web mapping application, staff training , and system maintenance.   It is expected to take several years to completely develop and implement a total GIS package. While it may be difficult to understand exactly how GIS works, it is rather simple to understand why GIS is so important.  Nearly 90 percent of the information that County government uses daily is geographic in nature.  County leaders and planners use roads maps, zoning maps, land use maps, tax parcels, wetland delineations and other data to make important planning decisions.  All of this information shares a common theme - they all reference a geographic location.  Armed with GIS, the County will have the the                                                             

Text Box: unique ability to link information together in a single system that can be used by each County department, citizens, and businesses alike.         Starting with a base map of Caroline, users will be able to add layers of information.  Let’s say you wanted to see all of the water features within the County.  You would select that layer and click a button to see that feature.  In addition to the water features you may want to see all County or State Parks, or add all federally preserved lands to the map.  All of these layers, assuming they are available, could be overlaid to show how they correlate with each other and other county attributes like infrastructure and development.  Want more info?  Most GIS systems also combine detailed text and aerial photos.  Click on one of the water features and you may get a pop up screen detailing that particular water feature or perhaps even a satellite image.  If you want to take a GIS test drive, visit Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's "Coastal GEMS" website.  Zoom in on Caroline County and then choose which of 55 features you want displayed.  Another GIS site to experiment with is the Broome County, New York GIS system (high speed internet recommended).  Zoom in on any area and then click on Layers in the upper left hand corner to select additional information or use the ID Parcel feature to learn more about specific parcels of land. Spend ten minutes exploring the vast amounts of information available and you will understand why many neighboring

Text Box: localities either have or are developing their own GIS. Citizens and businesses also benefit from GIS.   For example, GIS might be used by a company in planning a new business location to take advantage of under-served markets, or GIS might allow emergency personnel to prepare and calculate response times in the event of a natural disaster.  "GIS is critical to homeland security because it enables integration of all types of information," says Lew Nelson, law enforcement solutions manager, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. "Utilities, law enforcement, fire, health, building and safety--data from all of these entities and more can be integrated using GIS. This type of data sharing, analysis, and graphic representation speeds understanding of an event and improves the decision making process at all levels of response. You just can't do this with other technologies. GIS provides the tools for secure access to these data sets in the event of a local, regional, or national emergency."   WorldView Solutions began working on Caroline County's GIS system in January 2009 and plan to have basic GIS functions online by the end of 2010.  Initial uses for Caroline County's GIS will likely include land use planning, parcel ownership, 911 street mapping, FEMA flood plains, and environmental planning. Funding for GIS was partly made available by grants from the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board. 

 

            What does GIS really mean?