Applied Geographics Completes Statewide GIS Business Plan and Education Strategy for Wyoming

Working for the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) of Wyoming, Applied Geographics, Inc. (AppGeo) developed a statewide GIS Business Plan and Education Strategy, as well as supporting materials, to address issues of cross-agency coordination, such as energy and land development. AppGeo was supported by Flitner Communications of Wyoming on this project.

The plan articulates specific ways for the State of Wyoming to coordinate activities in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including data sharing for land use planning, natural resource management, and other cross-agency interests. The GIS data collected by different agencies can be better shared and utilized to consider a complete array of impacts and outcomes to a particular piece of land with regard to alternative uses and needs. Wildlife populations, energy resources, population and residential development patterns are a few examples.

“The work by AppGeo and Flitner Communications provides a solid plan and strategy for achieving statewide GIS objectives and meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders,” said Robert L. Nicholls, GIS/Telecommunications Coordinator in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) for the State of Wyoming. “Input and guidance was provided by a cross-section of representatives from state, local, and federal communities of interest.”

“Wyoming is on the path to successful statewide GIS and recognizes the importance of coordination and leadership for using GIS in a most effective way,” said Rich Grady, President of AppGeo. “Wyoming is one of the first states to perform a business-oriented analysis of both benefits and costs associated with a statewide GIS program.”

The project was funded by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) through a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Cooperative Assistance Program (CAP) Grant as part of the Fifty States Initiative. The Wyoming CAP Grant Project Team consisted of representatives from the following agencies: Wyoming Office of the Chief Information Officer, University of Wyoming, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Campbell County, US Geological Survey and US Department of Agriculture.

The project utilized the GIS Strategic and Business Plan Templates that were originally developed by AppGeo in collaboration with the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) and the FGDC.