MAPPS seeks Legislation in Congress

A bill to authorize the program known within the geospatial community as “Imagery for the Nation” is being presented for introduction in Congress, MAPPS announced.

“‘Map it once, use it many times’ is not only a mantra in the geospatial community, but it is technologically feasible through the use of satellite and aerial imagery and GIS. To save tax dollars, create private sector jobs, and provide baseline geographic data for economic development and a variety of other applications beneficial to government programs and private business and investment, MAPPS is urging Congress to authorize and fund a program of geospatial image maps of the United States through a bill known as the Making America Prosperous Act, or MAP Act,” said Jeff Lovin, PS, CP, (Woolpert, Inc, Dayton, OH) MAPPS President.

Dozens of Federal agencies, virtually every state, and hundreds of regional, local and tribal units of government acquire imagery each year. These acquisitions support a variety of applications, including E-911, police, fire and public safety, emergency response and homeland security. Additionally, orthophoto image maps are used for efficient and equitable local property taxes; transportation operations, management and planning; utilities management; planning and zoning; agriculture and resource management; insurance; education planning and social services.

“Today, these agencies each acquire their own imagery. These ad hoc programs result in costly duplication. A consolidated program provides an economical approach to inter-governmental use of ortho imagery and help provide data for hundreds of applications in the U.S. economy,” Lovin said.

“An ortho image map is not an end, it is a means to an end,” Lovin said. “The end or outcome we’re seeking is economic growth, jobs creation, and sound planning, design, operation and management of natural resources, transportation and infrastructure, and other applications. That is why, for political branding purposes, we’ve named our legislation the Making America Prosperous Act, or MAP Act. MAPPS believes that authorization of the program by Congress and branding the program as a means to economic growth is what is needed for a national ortho image-map program to become a reality.”

www.MAPPS.org