Los Alamos National Laboratory honored for GIS accomplishments

Contact: James E. Rickman, jamesr@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9203 (02-077)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., July 9, 2002 --On Thursday the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory will receive a special achievement award in recognition of Geographic Information System efforts in support of the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project. The award is being given to select sites around the world by ESRI of Redlands, Calif., in recognition of outstanding work in the field of GIS. Los Alamos was chosen to receive this prize from over 100,000 organizations worldwide.

"GIS technology provides the means to organize, analyze and display map-based information," said Paul Rich, leader of the Laboratory's GISLab. "At Los Alamos, GIS has become an important tool for operations and research because it integrates diverse data in a map context and provides tools that can be used to make better decisions. A wide variety of organizations depend on GIS technology to increase productivity, make better decisions and enhance communication with the public. Businesses, schools and government agencies use GIS software in order to make a difference in the world around them."

In May 2000, the Cerro Grande Fire swept through Los Alamos, NM, burning more than 48,000 acres, causing evacuation of the Laboratory and townsite. GIS was an integral part of response during the fire and continues to be used for restoration and environmental monitoring under the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project.

During the fire, Los Alamos staff and volunteers worked day and night in an emergency GIS laboratory set up in Santa Fe, producing literally hundreds of maps that were used to monitor the fire progression, plan for protection of key facilities and assist firefighters.

As an important aspect of fire-recovery activities, GIS is being used in planning forest management and remapping floodplains and for emergency preparedness activities

The Special Achievement in GIS award is being awarded to GISLab and the many colleagues at Los Alamos and elsewhere who contributed to GIS efforts. Many groups outside the Laboratory contributed, including Sandia National Laboratories, Loft4, the Earth Data Analysis Center and the multi-agency Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation team.

A public display of the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project GIS opened recently at the Bradbury Science Museum in downtown Los Alamos. Information about the CGRP-GIS is available on the web at http://cgrp-gis.lanl.gov. More information about the GISLab is available on the web at http://gislab.lanl.gov.

ESRI, the world leader in GIS software, recognizes organizations that provide substantial benefits to society through their use of GIS technology. The Special Achievement in GIS award ceremony takes place at the 22nd Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, Calif. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com.

"I am thrilled to see our users apply GIS software to truly make a difference in our world. Each of the organizations being honored today has helped expand the use of GIS technology and improve our quality of life," said Jack Dangermond, ESRI president.

Other organizations being honored at the 2002 User Conference include Verizon Wireless; New York City Department of Emergency Management; Lithuanian State Department of Tourism; Skyguide Swiss Air Navigation Services, City of Vienna; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources and Conservation Service; and the Jefferson County Public School District.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.