California unveils GIS initiative

California’s Chief Information Officer Teri Takai announced the members of the Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) Task Force as part of Governor Schwarzenegger’s call for developing a statewide strategy to enhance the technology for environmental protection, natural resource management, traffic flow, emergency preparedness and response, land use planning, and health and human services. “During last year’s firestorms, GIS helped firefighters to see through the smoke, giving them a powerful tool to fight the blaze. This is just one example of a technology that we must tap further into and coordinate throughout the federal, state and local governments,” said Schwarzenegger. “California has a proud tradition of being an innovator and leading the development of technologies. We must keep pushing forward to build new applications that will better serve the people of California.”

GIS allows users to navigate mapping resources, layered with data in an environment where they can visualize scenarios in unlimited new ways. “The Governor recognizes the value of GIS to better serve our people and give policy makers and the public enhanced decision-making tools,” said Teri Takai, State Chief Information Officer. “I look forward to working with the task force and my colleagues throughout the state to streamline the deployment of GIS applications to maximize the use of this technology.” Led by State Chief Information Officer Teri Takai and Chief Deputy Christy Quinlan, the task force will present the Governor with a strategic plan for statewide coordination within ninety days.

In June, more than 250 state officials participated in a forum focused on leveraging GIS to improve government services and better protect Californians. Held in Sacramento, the forum included more than twenty exhibits of GIS applications, including systems which:

• Enhance preparedness, response and recovery from all forms of disasters and improve public safety and homeland security services by helping government agencies safeguard citizens, borders, and critical infrastructure
• Enable effective policy decisions that help local government and citizens understand how to plan land use, the construction of critical infrastructure to accommodate growing populations while balancing quality of life, economic opportunities, preserving natural resources, avoiding disproportionate impacts to disadvantaged communities (for example,, environmental justice) and minimizing our carbon foot print
• Promote Californians’ health by helping quickly to locate and deliver health care services, identifying gaps in service, facilitating response to disease outbreaks and food borne contamination, and fostering the understanding of the link between the sources of pollution and threats to public health
• Inform the traveling public on road and traffic conditions across the state and assist in the planning of transportation, utilities, broadband and other communication infrastructure that will physically or electronically connect citizens in the future.

For more information on specific GIS applications, visit the California GIA office Web site.